Although numbers are up, plans for oil exploitation could seriously affect them

Mountain gorillas could be in for a boost this month: a census is set to reveal how many are left in the Virunga massif – an area that spans Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Only 380 mountain gorillas appeared to be left in the Virunga Massif according to a survey from 2003, but conservation efforts are taking effect – their population was estimated at 480 after a census in 2010. A second population of around 400 mountain gorillas live in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable national park.

Safeguarding the gorillas’ survival is essential, says Dr Georges Muamba Tshibasu, executive secretary at the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration, which is coordinating the survey. “They participate in the cycle of life in the ecosystem but they are also valued for tourism,” he says.

His optimism, however, is cautious. Exploitation of the land for agriculture and the timber trade has devastated the habitat, while new roads built for timber trucks have made it easier for poachers to reach the gorillas.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gorillas in Virunga National Park, Congo. Photograph: Brent Stirton/Getty

“We are organising patrols between each of the three countries and we meet to exchange information about the gorillas,” says Muamba Tshibasu. Conservation efforts also focus on educating villagers and relying on them for information on poaching.

But another threat is looming. Virunga national park in the DRC is a target for oil exploitation. The park is a Unesco world heritage site, but, if the Congolese government goes ahead with oil plans, the park could lose its status.

“There will be an impact on gorillas because more than 70% of the park will be affected,” says Muamba Tshibasu.