Researchers are going bananas after capturing video of one of the world’s most endangered species, the Cross River Gorilla.
This footage from Cameroon’s Kagwene Gorilla sanctuary shows a group of eight Cross River Gorillas, a species with a total population of about 300, moving noisily along the forest floor.
One of the four gorilla sub species, the Cross River lives in the mountainous region of the Nigerian-Cameroon border, where habitat loss and poaching have greatly reduced their numbers. One gorilla in the footage is missing a hand, possibly at the hands of a poaching snare.
Though the gorillas are safer in the 20 sq kilometer sanctuary because of ant-poaching patrols, most of the species lives outside the patrolled area.
Along with being illegal, poaching the Cross River seems like a foolish endeavor. Would you mess with this guy?
Video produced by Krishnan Vasuvedan.
