The Itombwe Forest is globally recognized as a priority conservation area because of its rich biodiversity and endemism. It harbors lowland gorilla, Gorilla beringei graueri an endangered subspecies listed on the IUCN Red list. The lowland gorilla is threatened with extinction at local level by anthropogenic pressure. The current project aimed at studying the impact of plant exploitation on habitat and lowland gorilla populations. Surveys were carried out between September 2006 and May 2007. Using the transect methods we recorded plants and counted gorillas. A questionnaire and interview were used during the socio-economic survey. About, 108 individuals were counted indicating that gorillas are still present in small population in a polygon located on the western sides of the Itombwe Forest. We have also found out that before 1998, the gorilla groups were ranging more widely than today being, currently confined between Ulindi and Elila rivers, a small polygon of about 2384Km², and representing only 31.6% of the RNI’s total area (14,025 Km²). The fact that gorillas are ranging in a smaller area than before is an evidence of habitat reduction. Conversion of forests into farmlands, agricultural expansion, timber and charcoal production and mine extraction are the major threats to the forest exacerbated by the
political turmoil that occurred since 1996.  People use plant materials for food, medicines, drinks, construction. Trees, shrubs, herbs, mushrooms are collected in the forest. Poverty is a factor that pushes community members to gather forest
products including hunting. Bushmeat is consumed by forest dwellers. The entire wildlife has been decimated including gorillas. There is need for undertaking urgent conservation actions that should be focused on education, monitoring, law
enforcement and community-based conservation of the Itombwe Forest. International NGOs, such as WCS, WWF, CLP and local CBOs, have been working together in order to obtain an official conservation status, and as result the site has been gazetted in October 2006 as Itombwe Natural Reserve (INR), but appropriate management and conservation plans should be established to ensure the protection of the reserve.