For the past three decades the mountain gorillas of Karisoke Research Center have been the subject of many studies focusing on their behaviour and ecology. Long-term observations on known individuals, from birth to death, and data on social behaviour within and between groups have led to an understanding of many aspects of gorilla social structure. The findings have made significant contributions to models of comparative primate behavioural ecology. Mountain gorillas have also been the focus of intense conservation efforts, which have become a model for conservation programs elsewhere. While most research has focused on mountain gorillas, data on the other two recognised subspecies have increased over the past twenty years. This book highlights and summarises some of the behavioural, ecological and conservation work on mountain gorillas, and makes comparisons with findings from other study sites. It represents the most up-to-date and diverse collection of information available on this endangered ape.

Over thirty years ago, Dian Fossey established the Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda to study the behavior and ecology of mountain gorillas. Some of the offspring of the gorillas first studied by Fossey are still being observed today and the long-term observations on known individuals, from birth to death, and data on social behavior within and among the groups have led to an understanding of many aspects of gorilla social structure. Written by scientists who have worked at Karisoke over the years, this book highlights and summarizes what we have learned about the behavior, ecology, and conservation of the genus Gorilla and two other recognized subspecies and provides some comparisons with other gorilla populations elsewhere in Africa.