Depending on whom you ask, there are either two species of gorilla, the eastern (Gorilla beringei) and western (Gorilla gorilla), or three subspecies, the eastern lowland, western lowland, and mountain gorillas. Regardless of whom you ask, all gorillas are endangered. There could be more than 300,000 gorillas left in the wild, and they’re listed as critically endangered. Habitat encroachment and poaching for bushmeat, trophies, and supposed magical talismans have led to substantial losses. Because their social structure is so complex and because they reproduce slowly—females giving birth only once every four years at best—the removal of even a few individuals from a gorilla troop can catastrophically impact its ability to sustain itself.
