Of course, they used other, more low-tech methods for counting the elusive gorillas as well. They could tell whether a male was present by searching for the telltale silvery hairs in the nest. They could also determine the gorillas' ages by examining the size of their dung piles. Conservationists remain concerned about the uncertain future of this endangered species in the Virunga Volcanoes region, currently a war zone. Undertaking the census were researchers from the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society, the International Gorilla Conservation Programme, the Instititute of Tropical Forest Conservation, and the Uganda Wildife Authority.
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Primate-Science Research Highlights are supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Research Resources. Copyright 1998, Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center. No portion of this highlight may be copied or redistributed without the consent of the editor.