Cross River Gorilla

The Cross River Gorilla is one of the most endangered great apes in the world. Today, it is estimated that there are less than 250 Cross River Gorillas in the wild and only one known to be in captivity. The biggest threat to the survival of the Cross River Gorilla is habitat loss due to human activities. Also, the Cross River Gorilla is threatened by bushmeat hunting by locals. Due to the hunting, Cross River Gorillas are very scared of humans and are very rarely observed.

The Cross River gorilla is a Critically Endangered subspecies of the western gorilla. It was named a new species in 1904 by Paul Matschie, a mammalian taxonomist working at the Humboldt University Zoological Museum in Berlin. The Cross River gorilla is the most western and northern form of a gorilla and is restricted to the forested hills and mountains of the Cameroon-Nigeria border region at the headwaters of the Cross River (Nigeria).

In 2009, the Cross River gorilla was first captured on professional video on a forested mountain in Cameroon. Estimates, as of 2014 suggested that fewer than 250 mature Cross River gorillas remain, making them the world's rarest great ape. Groups of these gorillas concentrate their activities in 11 localities across a 12,000 km2 (4,600 sq mi) range, though recent field surveys confirmed the presence of gorillas outside of their known localities suggest a wider distribution within this range.

Location: Forested hills and mountains of the Cameroon-Nigeria border region at the headwaters of the Cross River (Nigeria)

Estimated Number of Mature Individuals: less than 250 in the wild; one known in captivity

Current Conservation Status: Critically Endangered

Scientific Name: Gorilla gorilla diehli