Cross River Gorilla

Cross River Gorilla Latest News

Deep within the Nigeria-Cameroon border’s misty mountains, the critically endangered Cross River gorilla struggles for survival, with fewer than 300 individuals remaining.

About Cross River Gorilla

• It is a subspecies of the western gorilla. 
• Scientific Name: Gorilla gorilla diehli
• With fewer than 300 individuals estimated to exist in the wild, it is the most endangered of the gorilla subspecies.
• They are the most endangered primate in Africa.
• Cross River gorillas are scattered in at least 11 groups across the rugged, hilly terrain that straddles the Nigeria-Cameroon border on the African continent, known as the Cross-Sanaga-Bioko Coast Forest ecoregion.
• Lowland, submontane, and montane forests situated on the upper drainage of the Cross River on either side of the border provide habitat.

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Cross River Gorilla Features

• These gorillas have brownish-grey or black fur. However, the face, hands, and feet have no fur at all. 
• They have cone-shaped heads, above which rests a reddish crest. 
• Adult males sport a silvery swath of hair down the center of their backs, a notable feature they share with all adult male gorillas, earning them the descriptive nickname “silverback.” 
• These gorillas are very social and usually live in groups of 2 to 20. 
• The groups are led by a dominant male. 
• Apart from the dominant leader, there are 6-7 females and their children.
• They are herbivores and usually feed on branches, nuts, leaves, and berries that they hunt for from different plants.

Cross River Gorilla Conservation Status

It is classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ under the IUCN Red List. 

Source: TOI