In  1996,  the first  major  biological  surveys in the  Itombwe   Massif  in  over  30 years  revealed   that  sig­nificant  areas  of  natural habitat   and   remnant    faunal populations   remain,   but  that  these  are  subject  to ongo­ing degradation and over­exploitation. At least 10 areas of  gorilla   Gorilla  gorilla  graueri occurrence, including eight  of 17 areas  identified  during  the first survey  of the species  in the massif  in 1959,  were  found.  Seventy­nine gorilla  nest  sites were recorded  and  at least  860 gorillas were  estimated   to occupy  the massif.   Fifty­six species  of mammals   were recorded.  Itombwe  supports the highest representation, of any  area,  of bird  species  endemic   to the   Albertine Rift highlands. Twenty­two of these species were  recorded  during  the surveys,  including  the Congo bay owl Phodilus prigoginei, which  was previously known   from  a  single   specimen   collected   in  Itombwe nearly   50 years  ago.   No  part of  Itombwe   is   officially protected and   conservation    initiatives   are  needed   ur­ gently. Given  the  remoteness   and  continuing   political instability   of  the  region, conservation  initiatives   must collaborate    with traditional authoritie  based   in  the massif,   and  should  focus  at the outset  on protectin the gorillas  and  limiting further   degradation  of key  areas.