World's most endangered gorillas spotted with infants in Nigeria's forest

First-ever ims of a group of Cross River gorillas with several infants have been captured by  Remote camera trap monitoring by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). rare sighting was recorded on Mbe Mountains in cross river state, Nigeria, and is an indication that Cross River gorillas are reproducing due to  field-based protection efforts. Critically endangered, species were last in 2012 in Cameroon’s Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary when only about 300 were alive, according to a release by WCS.  

Cross River gorillas are rarely seen, let alone photographed, even by remote cameras, WCS said in a statement. 

“It is extremely exciting to see so many young Cross River gorillas – an encouraging indication that se gorillas are w well protected and reproducing successfully, after previous decades of hunting,” Director of WCS Nigeria’s Cross River Landscape, Inaoyom Imong, said. “While hunters in region may longer target gorillas, threat of hunting remains, and we need to continue to improve effectiveness of our protection efforts,” he added. Home to about a third of Nigerian gorilla population,  Mbe Mountains forest, provides an important link between Afi Mountain and Okwangwo, which have been mand jointly by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and  Conservation Association of  Mbe Mountains as a community wildlife sanctuary since 2005.  

Read: San Francisco Mountain Lion May Have Killed Zoo Animals

Read: Adorable Video Of Animals Feeling Empathy, Love Leaves Netizens Emotional

It is wonderful to see ims of gorillas from  Mbe Mountains that show so many young animals, indicating that population re is in good health— Professor John Oates, lead author of first Cross River gorilla action plan in 2007 said.  

16 eco-guards for law enforcement patrol

Classified as “critically endangered” by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN),  Cross-River gorillas face threats to ir habitat due to logging and wood harvesting, according to IUCN report. Furr, World Wildlife Fund classified Cross River gorillas as endangered on website. In collaboration with local communities and in cooperation with Cross-River State Government in Afi Mountain and Nigeria National Park Service in Okwangwo, WCS has deployed a team of 16 eco-guards for law enforcement patrols of sanctuary to protect gorillas.  

Read: PETA India Distressed Over Animal Abuse, Urges Govt To Strengn Laws To Protect Animals

Read: Houses Damd, Animals Killed As Pak Shells Vills Along LoC In Rajouri, Poonch