Western gorillas live in the tropical forests of Central and West Africa, spread across six countries in and around the Congo Basin. They are the more widespread of the two gorilla species, but their range varies dramatically depending on the subspecies. Western lowland gorillas occupy a broad swath of lowland forest, while Cross River gorillas cling to a handful of fragmented mountain sites along the Nigeria-Cameroon border.
Countries in the Western Gorilla’s Range
Western lowland gorillas are found across Gabon, the Republic of Congo, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, and Angola (specifically the Cabinda enclave). Their distribution across these countries is more or less continuous, meaning populations aren’t completely isolated from one another. They were historically present in the Democratic Republic of Congo as well, but are now likely extinct there.
Cross River gorillas have a far more restricted range. They live only in a narrow band of highland forest straddling southeastern Nigeria and western Cameroon. With an estimated 250 to 300 individuals spread across roughly a dozen fragmented sites, they are the rarest great ape subspecies on Earth.
Types of Forest They Inhabit
Western gorillas aren’t limited to a single forest type. Western lowland gorillas occupy lowland swamps, montane (mountainous) forests, primary forests that have never been logged, and secondary forests that have regrown after past human disturbance. This flexibility helps explain their relatively wide distribution compared to other great apes. They range from sea level up to about 1,600 meters (roughly 5,250 feet) in elevation.
Cross River gorillas occupy a somewhat different niche. They live in low-lying and submontane forests between 150 and 1,600 meters elevation. Some sites, like the Kagwene Mountain Gorilla Sanctuary in Cameroon, sit between 1,700 and 2,000 meters, pushing into genuine highland terrain. These gorillas tend to favor rugged, hard-to-reach areas, which has historically offered some natural protection from human activity but also makes studying them extremely difficult.
How Gorilla Groups Use Their Territory
A single western lowland gorilla group typically ranges across 11 to 18 square kilometers of forest. That’s a large area, but they don’t patrol all of it equally. Groups spend most of their time in a central core zone that makes up roughly 20 to 30 percent of the total home range. On any given day, a group travels between 1.7 and 2 kilometers, cycling through favored feeding areas and resting spots within that core.
This pattern suggests gorillas know their territory well and return to productive foraging sites on a loose rotation, giving fruit trees and other food sources time to replenish between visits. Overlapping home ranges between neighboring groups are common, and recent research suggests gorillas may be more territorial than previously thought, with groups avoiding areas recently used by rivals.
Where Cross River Gorillas Survive
The specific sites where Cross River gorillas still exist are well documented, partly because there are so few. In Nigeria, three main populations persist: Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary (home to an estimated 25 to 30 gorillas across about 40 square kilometers of gorilla habitat), Mbe Mountains community forest (25 to 30 gorillas in 25 square kilometers), and the Okwangwo Division of Cross River National Park (25 to 50 gorillas using 65 square kilometers).
On the Cameroon side, populations are slightly more scattered. Takamanda National Park is the largest site, with four distinct gorilla groups totaling an estimated 45 to 65 individuals across 80 square kilometers. Smaller populations exist in the Mone River Forest Reserve, the Mbulu forest, Kagwene Mountain Gorilla Sanctuary, and Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary. Some groups cross the international border, with at least one group documented moving between Okwangwo in Nigeria and Takamanda in Cameroon.
The total gorilla habitat across all these sites adds up to only about 320 square kilometers, an area smaller than many mid-sized cities. Connectivity between sites is a major conservation concern, since small, isolated populations face higher risks of inbreeding and local extinction.
Why Their Habitat Is Shrinking
Despite their relatively wide distribution, western lowland gorillas are critically endangered. The Congo Basin forests they depend on face ongoing pressure from commercial logging, agricultural expansion, and road construction that opens previously remote areas to hunting. Swamp forests, which are among the gorillas’ most important habitats, have historically been somewhat protected by their inaccessibility, but industrial extraction is increasingly reaching these areas too.
For Cross River gorillas, the threats are even more immediate. Their habitat sits in one of Africa’s most densely populated regions. Farmland encroaches on forest edges, and the small patches of remaining forest are separated by roads and villages. Conservation efforts have focused on maintaining corridors between the scattered sites so that gorilla groups can exchange members and maintain genetic diversity, but the margin for error is razor thin given the tiny overall population.