The majority of western lowland gorillas are in Gabon and Congo. Their number in Gabon was estimated at between 28,000 and 42,000 in the early 1980s. Congo had a similar number in 1989–1990.
Cameroon held ca. 15,000 gorillas in 1998. Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni/Mbini) supported >3000 G. g. gorilla in 2011.
In 2009, the total number of western gorillas was estimated at >150,000. This is considerably more than earlier estimates by Harcourt (1996), Kemf & Wilson (1997), Butynski (2001) and Plumptre et al.(2003a) of 111,500, 111,000, 95,000 and 110,000 respectively.
The current number of gorillas is not known because (1) much of the range has never been surveyed, (2) much of the survey data are now outdated, and (3) commercial hunting and the Ebola virus have dramatically reduced numbers during the past two decades.
Erzsebet Frey (Eli Frey) is an ecologist and online entrepreneur with a Master of Science in Ecology from the University of Belgrade. Originally from Serbia, she has lived in Sri Lanka since 2017. Eli has worked internationally in countries like Oman, Brazil, Germany, and Sri Lanka. In 2018, she expanded into SEO and blogging, completing courses from UC Davis and Edinburgh. Eli has founded multiple websites focused on biology, ecology, environmental science, sustainable and simple living, and outdoor activities. She enjoys creating nature and simple living videos on YouTube and participates in speleology, diving, and hiking.