All three subspecies of gorillas are threatened, but none as perilously as mountain gorillas which live in the Virunga volcanoes region of Rwanda, Uganda and Zaire. The largest living primate, it is thought to be the most intelligent land animal next to humans. Estimated at less than 400 surviving in the wild. The gorilla was first endangered when it was hunted for food. Currently the most serious threat is habitat destruction from human encroachment.
Political unrest threatens conservation projects.
Trade restrictions have diminished hunting for capture, but laws control rather than prohibit trade in wild gorillas. The Bwindi Forest Reserve in Uganda protects gorillas and their habitat. Numerous sub-species worldwide include the Eurasian peregrine. It hunts in grasslands, meadows and open countryside, as far as 11 kms from its nest. It can fly faster than 96 kms an hour and dive at up to 300 kms an hour to seize prey in its powerful talons.