Mountain gorillas live only in two small areas of protected forest where the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda meet: the Virunga volcanoes and the Bwindi forest.
In November 2018 the IUCN moved the subspecies from Critically Endangered to Endangered. Its population had grown from about 680 in 2008 to more than 1,000, the highest figure ever recorded, thanks to conservation work across national borders, anti-poaching patrols and cooperation with the communities living near the parks.
The gorillas remain at risk. Their whole habitat covers only about 792 km², surrounded by farmland, and poaching, civil unrest and diseases passed on by people, from respiratory infections to Ebola, are still threats.
Traditional uses of plants and animals are recorded as cultural knowledge and credited to the communities who hold it. They are not medical advice. Never use a plant to treat illness without a qualified health professional.