The Cross River gorilla hails only from Cameroon and Nigeria. They are a Critically Endangered subspecies of gorilla that have most recently been evaluated in 2016. These gorillas prefer to dwell in dense rainforest habitats lacking in human populations. They can be found at elevations of up to 6,683 feet, yet down to 328 feet. The IUCN has listed these great apes as Critically Endangered due to the fact that there are only a mere 250 estimated wild individuals remaining. Most likely less to date. The threats faced are that of habitat destruction and loss at the hands of residential and commercial developments, and deforestation due to the logging industry; habitat division due to road construction; hunting; trapping; and climate change. There is an organization devoted to saving these amazing primates that you can get involved with here.
First the Stats…
Scientific name: Gorilla gorilla diehli
Weight: Up to 440 lbs.
Length: Up to 5.6 feet
Lifespan: Up to 50 years
Now on to the Facts!
1.) The Cross River gorilla was described as a distinct subspecies of the western gorilla in 2000.
2.) Of all the threats they face, drastic deforestation is the worst.
3.) Even though they are legally protected, their exploitation continues, as does illegal hunting and trapping of these apes.
4.) Their total population occurs in an estimated 4,600 square miles.
5.) A saving grace is that due to the fact they have been driven to the mountains (for the most part), they don’t often come into contact with humans; as their terrain is rough, rugged, and generally uninhabitable by humans.
But wait, there’s more on the Cross River gorilla!
6.) Weather causes a direct correlation in whether they will build their nest on the ground or in the trees. Tree-based nests are constructed from April – November. Ground-based nests are built from November onward to April.
7.) Nest sites are also often reused from time to time. So, they don’t always construct new nests each day.
Did you know…?
Unusual for great apes, these gorillas will often stay and face their human threat potentials by throwing clumps of grass and sticks, and charge, whereas other gorillas tend to just flee.
8.) Troops consist of a single male and up to 7 females and their offspring.
9.) Due to conflicts with humans at lower elevations, the reproduction rate is lower at lower elevations than that of individuals at higher elevations. Thus the population densities are much greater at higher elevations.
10.) Their diet primarily consists of fruit, but when fruit is scarce they will consume herbs, leaves, and bark.
But wait, there’s still more on the Cross River gorilla!
11.) Reproduction rates are directly related to environmental factors such as human interaction, climate, predation, and available food. The less predation, human interactions, and bad weather, the more they reproduce.
12.) These gorillas, like other gorilla species, are diurnal (active during the day).
Did you know…?
Fortunately, in 2017 a superhighway leading to the west of Ekuri community forest was rezoned to avoid disrupting the already fragile habitat of these gorillas.
13.) Females undergo up to a 9 month gestation (pregnancy) that yields a single infant.
14.) These gorillas have a low reproduction rate of once every 4 years, give or take. So, bouncing back from near extinction is even more of a challenge.
15.) Big cats, crocodiles, and humans are their only predators.
Now a Short Cross River Gorilla Video!
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Some source material acquired from: Wikipedia & IUCN
Photo credit: Julie Langford
