A small population of gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo not only has survived over the past six turbulent years but has increased, a conservation group announced.

A census conducted late in 2010 in the highland sector of Kahuzi-Biega National Park revealed the presence of 181 individual Grauer's gorillas, compared with 168 detected in the same sector in 2004, according to a team led by the Wildlife Conservation Society.

A "cousin" to the more famous mountain gorilla, the Grauer's gorilla is the largest subspecies of gorilla in the world, with individuals growing up to 500 pounds (227 kilograms). The Grauer's gorilla — also known as the eastern lowland gorilla — is the least known of the four gorilla subspecies, due in large part to the 15 years of unrest in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.