The 'Cross River Gorilla' (''Gorilla gorilla diehli'') is a subspecies of the
Western Gorilla (''Gorilla gorilla'') that can be found on the border between
Nigeria and
Cameroon, in both
tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. In contrast to the relatively common
Western Lowland Gorilla (''Gorilla gorilla gorilla'') the Cross River Gorilla is the most endangered of all the
gorillas, and is the most endangered primate.
The Cross River Gorilla differs from the Western Lowland Gorilla in both
skull and
tooth dimensions.
Estimates on the number of Cross River Gorillas remaining vary, with around 100-200 believed to be remaining in the wild, in several populations that are isolated by farmlands. The nearest population of Western Lowland Gorilla is some 250 km away. Both loss of habitat and the increased popularity of
bushmeat have contributed heavily to the decline of this subspecies.
References
★ Database entry includes a brief justification of why this subspecies is critically endangered and the criteria used
External links
★ ARKive -
images and movies of the western gorilla ''(Gorilla gorilla)''
★
Information on the Cross River Gorilla from the WWF