Skip to main content

Wildlife rescue · Gorillas

Donate to Gorilla Conservation

Donate to gorilla conservation through WARN — mountain gorilla veterinary response, snare removal and conflict mitigation in Rwanda and Uganda via partner grants.

Support this work Donate today
Mountain gorillas in montane forest — donation funds partner-led protection

In brief

You can donate to gorilla conservation through WARN at gorilla appeal — gifts fund partner-led veterinary response for snared and injured mountain gorillas, snare removal in Bwindi and Mgahinga and conflict mitigation in Rwanda and Uganda.

~1,063

Mountain gorillas globally

Endangered

IUCN status

2

Network countries (UG, RW)

Increasing

Population trend

Guide 1

Mountain Gorilla Conservation Today

Roughly 1,063 mountain gorillas remain — the only great ape whose numbers are increasing, thanks to intensive protection. They live in Bwindi, Mgahinga and Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park. They remain IUCN Endangered and entirely dependent on continued funding.

Guide 2

What Gorilla Donations Fund

Veterinary response for snared and injured gorillas, snare-removal patrols in buffer zones, humane human–wildlife conflict mitigation at park edges and disease-prevention protocols — all through established partners, not WARN-run facilities.

Guide 3

Rwanda and Uganda Programmes

Both countries hold mountain gorilla populations in the Virunga volcanoes and Bwindi forest. WARN grants through gorilla appeal reach partners in Uganda and Rwanda within the 17-country network. See Uganda and Rwanda.

Guide 4

Snares, Disease and Conflict

Wire snares maim gorillas set for antelope. Human respiratory disease kills gorillas — strict health protocols exist because gorillas share much of our DNA. Dense settlement at park edges drives crop raiding.

Guide 5

How to Donate from the UK

Give at gorilla appeal in GBP with full receipt. Monthly giving at monthly giving with gorilla allocation, or general donation at donate. See mountain gorilla rescue uganda for Uganda-specific context.

Guide 6

Honest Model — Grants, Not Tourism

WARN does not fund gorilla trekking or operate tourism. Donations fund veterinary and protection partners — the field work behind population recovery.

Guide 7

Rwanda and Uganda Gorilla Programmes

Mountain gorilla populations in Bwindi, Mgahinga and Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park depend on continued snare removal, veterinary response and conflict mitigation — all partner-led through gorilla appeal.

Explore Related Rescue Work

Wildlife guide

Gorilla

A gorilla is the largest living primate, a ground-dwelling, mostly plant-eating great ape native to the forests of equatorial Africa. There are two Critically Endangered species — the Western and Eastern gorilla — and gorillas share roughly 98% of their DNA with humans.

Country programme

Rwanda

Rwanda is a small, densely populated East African country best known for mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, with reintroduced lions and rhinos in Akagera; its conservation has recovered strongly, but human-wildlife conflict and habitat pressure remain constant challenges.

Country programme

Uganda

Uganda is an East African country in the Albertine Rift where WARN's planned work funds partner-led mountain-gorilla veterinary response, snare removal, humane human-wildlife conflict mitigation and care for confiscated wildlife — not WARN-run facilities or tourism operations.

Source Notes

WARN uses named intergovernmental, conservation and animal-welfare sources for numeric claims. These notes summarise the source basis for this page.

IUCN Red List — Mountain gorilla

Endangered; population increasing with intensive protection.

International Gorilla Conservation Programme

Transboundary conservation across Rwanda, Uganda and DRC.

WARN gorilla appeal

Partner grants in Uganda and Rwanda.

Donate to Gorilla Conservation: Frequently Asked Questions

How do I donate to gorilla conservation?
Donate at gorilla appeal — one-off or monthly via monthly giving.
How many mountain gorillas are left?
Roughly 1,063 globally — increasing thanks to intensive protection but still IUCN Endangered.
Does WARN fund gorilla trekking?
No. WARN grants for veterinary response, snare removal and conflict mitigation — not tourism.
Which countries does WARN fund for gorillas?
Uganda and Rwanda within the 17-country partner network.
Can UK donors help gorillas?
Yes — gorilla appeal accepts GBP with full receipts.
Does WARN run gorilla sanctuaries?
No. WARN is grant-making only — partners deliver field work.
What threatens mountain gorillas?
Snares, disease from human proximity, habitat pressure and historic poaching — though protection has driven recovery.
Are gorillas still Endangered?
Yes. Recovery is fragile and entirely dependent on continued funding and protection.
How many mountain gorillas remain?
Roughly 1,063 globally (IUCN Endangered) — increasing thanks to intensive protection but entirely dependent on continued funding.

Help Fund Frontline Rescue

World Animal Rescue Network CIC (Company no. 17298990) raises funds for established local partners. Your support helps build the rescue capacity these animals need.

Donate today View appeal
Support the Gorilla Appeal Donate