DR Congo gorilla numbers up 12.5%

The population of mountain gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park has risen by 12.5%, a census shows. It is the first census to be completed by the park’s wildlife rangers since rebel troops seized control of the area in August 2007.

“The status of Virunga’s Mountain Gorillas is a triumph for conservation,” said Emmanuel de Merode, Virunga National Park’s director.