A new gorilla census in the Republic of the Congo has found about 125,000 more western lowland gorillas than expected living in the northern part of the Montana-sized country, effectively doubling the known population of the species. Western lowland gorillas are one of four gorilla subspecies, all of which are in danger of extinction. "These figures show that northern Republic of Congo contains the mother lode of gorillas," said Steven Sanderson of the Wildlife Conservation Society. However, very real threats to the gorillas remain, including hunting, disease, and habitat loss. "Far from being safe, the gorillas are still under threat from Ebola and hunting for bush meat. We must not become complacent about this. Ebola can wipe out thousands in a short period of time," said Emma Stokes of the Wildlife Conservation Society. A separate study released this week by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature found that almost half of the world's 634 kinds of primates are in danger of extinction due to deforestation and hunting.
Good Day, Primate
Gorilla census finds 125,000 more western lowland gorillas than expected 3
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Posted 6:44 AM on 5 Aug 2008
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guade00 Posted 2:30 pm
05 Aug 2008
Oops
Someone found their hiding spot. They're toast.
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caniscandida Posted 6:32 pm
05 Aug 2008
let us not despair just yet
If I understand correctly, "bush meat" has only recently come to be sold in great amounts in African markets, because roads built by one or another of the extraction industries have made it possible for hunters to get close to populations of animals. In this case, presumably, where these lowland gorillas live is still rather remote and hard to reach.
Nevertheless, there is no denying that the population remains fragile.
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Wolverine Posted 5:18 am
06 Aug 2008
Roads
Yes Canis, you point out one of the many things inherently wrong with roads. And these inherent wrongs are one of the reasons why just replacing petroleum with another fuel will not solve the ecological or environmental problems caused by driving.
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