World’s Rarest Gorillas Spotted on Trail Cam (With Babies!)

According to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), cross river gorillas, a subspecies of the western gorilla, are the world’s rarest gorilla species. WCS says there are only about 300 of them left in the wild, and humans very rarely see them. That’s why recent trail-cam footage of a whole troop of cross river gorillas, including several babies, is so exciting.

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Cross trail gorillas live along the Nigeria-Cameroon border in Africa. Historically, scientists have a hard time studying them, especially until the past decade or so. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) says these rare gorillas “are scattered in at least 11 groups across the lowland montane forests and rainforests of Cameroon and Nigeria, an area of 3,000 square miles, or about twice the size of Rhode Island.”

Unfortunately, their habitat is shrinking. WWF says humans are clearing the forests in this area, and even the loss of a few gorillas in a population this small can have a disastrous effect on the species’ long-term viability.

However, the new trail-cam footage from WCS shows four female cross river gorillas with infants on their backs. “It’s a sign these gorillas are now well-protected and reproducing successfully—and a testament to the collaboration with 9 communities surrounding the Mbe Mountains,” WCS says in its Vimeo caption sharing the footage.

Watch the rare cross river gorillas here:

Have you heard of a cross river gorilla?

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