Cross River Gorilla

Cross River Gorillas are the most endangered and the most mysterious of the world's apes.

They number only about 250—and first revealed themselves to science only a few years ago. Shy and sheltered in dense forests, these apes rarely show themselves or their secrets to people. These three, mostly blurry, photographs are among the few images ever captured of these remarkable animals.

Today, the Zoo's own Curator of Research and Conservation, Dr. Rich Bergl, is working with other scientists worldwide to illuminate the lives of these rare primates and to find ways to save them from extinction.

His work takes him into a small, isolated pocket of tropical forest that straddles the border between Cameroon and Nigeria. This swath of jungle contains that last remnant of the Cross River Gorilla’s range and provides the setting where Dr. Bergl studies the gorilla’s needs and searches for ways to mitigate the human-induced changes—logging, hunting and habitat losses—that threaten to rob the world of this rare creature

Please click here to make your donation and join us in the fight to save and study this newly discovered—and nearly extinct—Great Ape. One hundred percent of your donation will go toward worldwide efforts to save the Cross River Gorilla from extinction.

Last modified 08/31/2007 01:19pm.