Top-rated
2010
A BBC team films two troops, a few dozen each, of the rare mountain gorillas, of whom less then 800 are estimated to remain in the wild. Although their biotope has shrunk to a relatively small area around the Great lakes, conditions are quite different in Rwanda's volcanic mountain jungle from Uganda's bamboo-grown hills forest. Life is hard because of dwindling territory, poaching, human infectious diseases and family dramas. Silverbacks (ripe males) either leave the troop to seek their own harem or stay and challenge the patriarch. The young need five years of intensive parenting, sometimes falling to the father after the mother is lost.
Top-rated
2010
A BBC team films two troops, a few dozen each, of the rare mountain gorillas, of whom less then 800 are estimated to remain in the wild. On a Rwandese volcano, silver-back king Titus, most of whose troop left him three years ago, is challenged by his ripe firstborn son Rano. In Uganda, a king's still immature challenger fails to dethrone him but actually does his bidding in repulsing a third challenger from outside their troop.
Top-rated
2010
On a Rwandese volcano, silver-back king Titus has died and is succeeded by his ripe firstborn son Rano, who fights for the group's respect and against intruders. In Congo, the last third of the mountain gorillas survived the virulent phase of the civil war, but poaching remains a major threat. In Uganda, the old king is challenged successfully and a younger silver-back takes over.