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Eastern Gorilla
Gorilla beringei
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (after Colin M. L. Burnett) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderPrimates
- FamilyHominidae (Great Apes)
- GenusGorilla (Gorillas)
- SpeciesGorilla beringei (Eastern Gorilla)
In 3 days >90%
70 Verified sightings at Virunga National Park From 2019 to 2026
560 In all 3 parks
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
Completed
Completed
About the Eastern Gorilla
The eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei) is a critically endangered species of the genus Gorilla and the largest living primate. At present, the species is subdivided into two subspecies. Illegal hunting threatens the species.
There are two recognised subspecies of eastern gorilla: the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) of the volcanic slopes of Rwanda, Uganda and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; and the eastern lowland gorilla or Grauer's gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri) in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The eastern lowland gorillas and mountain gorillas were previously thought to be two of the three subspecies of one single species, the gorilla (Gorilla gorilla). However, genetic research has shown that the two eastern subspecies are far more closely related than the western subspecies: the western lowland gorilla (G. gorilla gorilla), which justified the separate classification. The two eastern subspecies are now classified as G. beringei.
The eastern gorilla is a large hominid with a large... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Eastern Gorilla in Virunga National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Volcanoes National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 2 | Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 3 | Virunga National Park | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | National Zoological Garden of South Africa | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Closest Relatives at Virunga National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing an Eastern Gorilla in Virunga National Park?
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Gorilla sighting in Virunga National Park on a given day, based on 70 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 11 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see an Eastern Gorilla in Virunga National Park?
June
In that month about 80% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Gorilla in Virunga National Park on a given day, against about 20% in November, the lowest month. April has too few records to rate.
What time of day is best to see an Eastern Gorilla?
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eastern Gorilla sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Virunga National Park the best place to see an Eastern Gorilla?
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Eastern Gorilla sightings, Virunga National Park ranks 3rd at about 60%. The best odds are in Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda, about 80%) and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Uganda, about 80%).
Which relatives of the Eastern Gorilla live in Virunga National Park?
Same order: Primates
The closest relatives of the Eastern Gorilla that you can see in Virunga National Park (order Primates) are Blue Monkey (about 50%) and Olive Baboon (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Eastern Gorilla sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eastern Gorilla is recorded against all the mammals logged in Virunga National Park (70 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
