A trail camera set up in the borderlands of Nigeria caught an encouraging sight: a critically endangered Cross River gorilla.
The sighting, reported in local media outlet Tori, took place in Cross River State, which straddles the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. Dr. Inaoyom Imong, the Deputy Country Director for Nigeria's Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), confirmed on social media that the footage was of a Cross River gorilla.
With only 200-300 estimated individuals left in the wild, it's the rarest subspecies of western gorilla in the world. Because only a handful of isolated groups remain, a lack of genetic diversity is a big problem. Similarly to humans, they reproduce slowly, with a gestation period of about 8.5 months. Generally, they give birth to one baby every four to six years, so replenishing the population after loss takes a great deal of time.
The gorilla's numbers have plummeted dramatically in recent decades because of human encroachment, habitat loss, and poaching. As Mongabay reports, Cross River State has seen massive deforestation, which is further eroding the gorilla's habitat. While the WCS has managed to curtail the hunting to some extent, enforcement can still be lax. The agency notes that some gorillas are caught up in snares set up in the forests. Additionally, conservation efforts in the area are complicated by bouts of sporadic violence in the region, per the European Union Agency for Asylum.
Like other western gorilla species, the Cross River subspecies plays a crucial role in the ecosystem. They primarily subsist on fruits and leaves, thereby spreading nutrients throughout the forests they inhabit. Moreover, their foraging habits create gaps in the forest that allow sunlight to reach the ground and provide habitat for small mammals. Despite their low numbers, the WCS remains optimistic that the species can recover with appropriate action at the local level.
The story highlights the benefits of trail cameras in conservation efforts as a non-invasive way to track the numbers and needs of the most elusive creatures on the planet. With the insights gained, effective strategies can be formed to give an endangered species a fighting chance of long-term survival.
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