The extremely rare mountain gorillas of Virunga National Park seem to have prospered during turmoil and fighting by rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to new census results. The population—made famous by a series of murders in 2007—has grown by nearly 13 percent in the last 16 months, despite having no protection from civil war or poaching for 15 months, park rangers said Monday.
The count showed that the number of gorillas had increased to 81, compared to a count of 72 in 2007.