The most endangered great ape on earth

The Cross River gorilla is the most endangered of the African apes due to human encroachment and poaching.

1. A critically endangered subspecies of the western gorilla.
2. Scientists are unable to be exact on numbers remaining but have estimated between only 200- 300 individuals left in the wild. This is because:-
   1. The gorillas are wary of humans
   2. The gorillas inhabit a rugged terrain and are scattered across an area of 3,000 square miles
   3. Up to eleven groups remain, inhabiting the lowland montane forests and rainforests of Cameroon and Nigeria.
3. They are critically endangered due to:-
   1. Their habitat being increasingly encroached upon by humans
   2. Forest clearing for timber
   3. The creation of fields for agriculture and livestock
   4. The lost of just a few gorillas has a dramatic effect on such a tiny population