The Most Endangered Ape in Africa

Meet the most endangered ape in Africa

With fewer than 300 individuals left in the world, the Cross River gorilla is Africa’s most threatened gorilla. Their survival hangs in the balance as logging, farming and fire destroy their natural habitat. Please make a contribution to FFI today to avoid the tragedy of the gorillas’ extinction.

The critically endangered Cross River gorilla lives exclusively in the hilly rainforest region along the Nigeria-Cameroon border. Years of hunting have made the Cross River gorilla wary of humans, which makes their study difficult. There is so much more to be learned about these magnificent creatures.

The world’s remaining Cross River gorillas live in 11 separate colonies, scattered over hundreds of miles. In recent years, nearby human settlements have grown and new roads are being built. Gorillas may soon become even more vulnerable and isolated.

Through our work to ensure communities feel pride in their native species, it is now almost a complete taboo to hunt Cross River gorillas. Great progress has also been made in researching the area, which benefits not only the Cross River gorilla but other native wildlife.

Our next challenge is to tackle the destruction of the Cross River gorilla’s forest habitats. Sixteen villages surround the gorilla’s forest home and logging is a constant threat. Meanwhile, fires started during bush clearing for farms have swept across the outer slopes of the hills where the gorillas live.

This is a critical time. With your help we can improve and expand these projects and create a conservation legacy in Nigeria and Cameroon as well as across all our international sites. Please don’t let the critically endangered Cross River gorilla become another casualty of human expansion and destruction.

We can help them survive – it’s not too late. FFI has a long history of working with overlooked species such as the Cross River gorilla, but we rely on your support to continue our work.

Daniel Pouakouyou (right) is FFI’s Programme Manager for Central Africa. Part of his role is to coordinate our efforts to save the Cross River gorilla. After years spent working to preserve the forests of Cameroon, Daniel has a unique understanding of how local people must play a pivotal role in the conservation of their biodiversity.

Please donate today – and help us provide a future for Cross River gorillas and other species threatened with extinction.

Thank you for your continued support. Your donation is vitally important to our ability to step in and protect countless species and habitats around the world."

To donate you can go here

Click here to learn more about the Cross River gorilla.

For further information please contact Camila Iturra at camila.iturra@fauna-flora.org or call +44 (0)1223 431954.

Photos courtesy of Arend de Haas, African Conservation Foundation.