Cross River Rare Mountain Gorillas

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Gorillas are an endangered species living in Africa.  According to the National Geographic there are only about 700 left in the world.  About half of the colonies live in the Virunga mountains in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  This group as been observed extensively and tourists can pay a special fee of about $300 to go on gorilla sighting tours.  In west Africa, in heavy forests between Nigeria and Cameroon another rare  group has been photographed for the first time by professionals.

Known as the Cross River Gorilla, these are among the rarest of all gorillas.  There has been confusion as to whether they should be called  Mountain  gorillas or Lowland gorillas; however, in 2001 they were reclassified as Mountain gorillas. Estimates are that there are between 250-300 Cross River Gorillas.  Most of them are unprotected by law.

Recently the first ever professional footage of the Cross River Gorilla was taken at Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary in Camaroon.  Researchers and film crews spent weeks searching for the group.  Photographers staked out a big fig tree that they suspected to be a feeding spot and finally captured them on video from 30-40 feet up in the tree. 

The Cross River gorillas live in deep jungle surrounded by people. The World Conservation Society believes  that these gorillas have been protected from poachers by the local belief that they are people and should not be eaten.  Conservationists hope that this new video (which you can view) will focus attention on this rare species and encourage governments to provide more sanctuaries for their preservation.

References:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/12/091222-cross-river-gorillas-video.html
http://www.primate-sg.org/diehli.html
http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/12/27/rare-cross-river-gorillas-captured-in-professional-footage/

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