Mountain Gorillas Come Back From Brink of Extinction, More Than 1,000 Left Now

This mountain gorilla family roams around in the safety of its 23-member group, named for its silverback leader, Agashya. Wild celery, roots, fruit, tree bark, and tree pulp make up the main diet of mountain gorillas. Giannella M. Garrett

Mountain gorillas have come back from the edge of extinction, and now more than 1,000 specimens are thriving in central Africa—the first time in a decade.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) updated mountain gorillas’ status from “critically endangered” to “endangered,” according to The Associated Press in a Nov. 15 report. A decade ago, there were an estimated 680 mountain gorillas.