DJ Geribo

One of our closest wild relatives, the Gorilla shares 98.3% of our DNA. The female gives birth only once every 4-6 years. With such a low birth rate, the species has a difficult time recovering from population decline. Poaching, diseases, and habitat destruction threaten the four gorilla subspecies: Mountain Gorilla, Western Lowland Gorilla, Eastern Lowland Gorilla, and Cross River Gorilla.

These gentle giants share many human-like emtions such as laughing and sadness. They live in family groups of five to ten but can also have up to fifty in a group led by a dominant 'silverback' male who holds this position for years. 

"Mainly herbivores, Gorillas spend almost half of the day feeding on stems, bamboo shoots, and a variety of fruits, supplemented with bark and invertebrates. Gorillas play a key role in maintaining the biodiversity of their forest homes by spreading the seeds of the trees they eat and by opening up gaps in the trees as they move around, letting in light and helping sun-loving plants grow." (source WWF)

Gorillas in the wild have been disappearing for years and may even disappear from the Congo Basin by the late 2020's. Wildlife organizations are doing their best to protect areas so that the Gorilla has been downlisted from Critically Endangered to Endangered. 

Each of us can do our part to save wildlife by supporting the organizations that protect the amazing variety of animals that we share this planet with. Let these organizations know that you support all of their efforts, before it is too late.