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As of March 2020, the western gorilla is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with an estimated 125,000 remaining in the wild. The Eastern gorilla is also Critically Endangered, largely due to habitat loss and hunting. Some good news is that one subspecies of eastern gorilla, the mountain gorilla, has increased in number and is now listed as Endangered, but the population is only an estimated 1,069 individuals.

Shirley McGreal was a long-time friend of Dian Fossey and they exchanged letters for many years. The gorilla featured here was rescued by Limbe Wildlife Centre, one of IPPL’s Global Partners.