New Natural Habitat For Gorillas Is Now Threatened

A recently-uncovered gorilla enclave faces increasing encroachment from people, finds a study Monday from the Republic of Congo.

In the Oryx journal study led by Hugo Rainey of the Wildlife Conservation Society, researchers looked at 400 square miles of jungle swamp in a nature reserve and found more than 1,000 gorilla nests.

"The world was electrified at the discovery of more than 125,000 western lowland gorillas still in existence in the heart of Africa’s rain forests, which include the recently surveyed gorillas," Rainey says, in a statement. “Now that the thrill is gone, we can’t forget about the most important part of wildlife surveys: protecting what we find.”

The site contains a very high gorilla density, more than 13 gorillas per square mile. Chimps, elephants and monkeys thrive in the swamp. "As the habitat is difficult to penetrate and gorillas are threatened by Ebola and hunting elsewhere this (swamp) should be protected," concludes the study..

By Dan Vergano
Photo: Thomas Breuer/Wildlife Conservation Society-Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthroology.

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