Endangered Species - Cross River Gorilla

About

The Cross River Gorilla is a subspecies of the Western Gorilla, the main difference in the two species can be identified from the size and shape of their skulls. Cross River Gorillas can grow up to 5.5 ft tall when standing on two feet and weigh about 440 lbs. It is difficult for scientists to accurately measure the population of this species as they inhabit rugged territories that are difficult for human access. However, scientists have been able to estimate that there are around 200-300 Cross River Gorillas still in the wild through  observing nests and other indirect signs.

Habitat

The Cross River Gorilla lives in forest habitats mostly in the area highlighted on the map above. 

Role in Ecosystem

The Cross River Gorilla plays an important role in the ecosystem it is in because it disperses seeds throughout the forest. Many animals and humans depend on the regrowth of these plants for their livelihoods and without them they could be in danger as well. 

Why are they disappearing?

The main reasons for the disappearance are the following:

• Habitat destruction
• Many of the gorillas are losing their habitat due to the expansion of humans leading to less space for the gorillas to thrive.
• Inbreeding
• Due to the condensed population of the Cross River Gorilla, there are very few other members of their own species that they can mate with, leading to less genetic diversity which is detrimental to the longevity of the species. 
• Poaching
• Poaching has been outlawed in Cameroon and Nigeria, but the laws are often not enforced. Although the killing levels have reduced, any amount of population reduction will be drastic because there are so few.

Why is this important?

As I mentioned before, the Cross River Gorilla disperses seeds that are essential to the animals and people in the area. Without the regrowth of these plants, several species in the area would be in danger as well as the local humans that rely on these plants for crops. The problem would only escalate from there. 

 What is being done?

As always, educating the locals on how to ensure the safety of themselves and the animals is important. The WWF has partnered with rangers in the area to sanction of areas for gorillas to live in. These areas are guarded by the rangers and are also monitored with geo-spatial tools such as remote sensors and GPS. The remote sensors are placed in several areas throughout the habitat to monitor the health and population of the species and the GPS provides a high level look at the area. 

What can I do to help?

1. Adopt a Gorilla 
2. Donate to the Cross River Gorilla Fund
3. Help raise awareness about this issue. The best way to get more people interested about the cause is to convey the importance of it. 
4. Vote for or urge elected officials to support the Great Ape Conservation Fund. You can learn more here.
5. Buy sustainable wood and encourage sustainable forestry. Buy FSC certified forest products, look for the seal below. 

Sources: 

https://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/endangered_species/great_apes/gorillas/cross_river_gorilla/
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/cross-river-gorilla