Cross River gorilla
Most threatened gorilla of them all
| Common Name |
Cross River gorilla; |
|
| Scientific Name | Gorilla gorilla diehli | |
| Habitat | Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests | |
| Location | Central Africa | |
| Status | ||
| Population | Around 300 individuals |
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Background
This information has been reviewed by Chloé Cipolletta, Technical Advisor, African Great Apes Programme, WWF-International.The few remaining forest patches of south-eastern Nigeria and western Cameroon are home to the Cross River gorilla, which was unknown to science until the early 20th century and is a subspecies of western gorilla. But as its forests are opened up by timber companies, hunters move in. Conservation measures are urgently needed for this beleaguered animal, which is probably the world’s rarest great ape.
In Nigeria, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, a WWF Affiliate, is working with communities in the Cross River National Park to help save the Cross River gorilla.
Physical Description
The Cross River gorilla differs from the western lowland subspecies in skull and tooth dimensions.Habitat
Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests. Restricted distribution of this subspecies in the highland areas is likely a consequence of human hunting pressure and competition over habitat, which is more intense in the lowland areas of the forest.Range States
Nigeria, Cameroon
Geographical Location
Central Africa
Ecological Region
Cameroon Highlands Forests subspecies in Northern Congo and Gabon.