Shocking Collapse of Grauer's Gorilla Population | WCS (1 minute version)

The Grauer’s gorilla, the world’s largest primate, is now critically endangered. Recent surveys by WCS have revealed a 77% population decline across its range.
More than thirteen thousand individuals have been lost in just the last twenty years – with fewer than four thousand remaining in the wild today. This devastating result means that both gorilla species and all four gorilla subspecies are now Critically Endangered.
The loss is due primarily to the illegal hunting of the species for bushmeat, particularly around mining concessions that are often deep in the forests.
Working with help from the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Fauna and Flora International, the biological surveys took place across a large swath of war torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Primary funding for this range-wide analysis provided by Arcus Foundation through the Jane Goodall Institute, KfW, UNESCO, USAID, and US Fish and Wildlife Service. For a full list of donors, go to WCS.org
While this video was being finalized, the chief park warden of Kahuzi Biega notified WCS that Oscar Mianziro, one of the rangers who monitored the habituated gorillas, was killed on March 31, 2016, by armed rebels in an ambush on the park.
Our deepest condolences go to his family and to his colleagues. Helping these courageous men and women is vital. Please consider supporting them and the challenging work they do. Go to WCS.org
Footage provided by Celestin Kambale, Andrew Kirkby, Andrew Plumptre and Ian Redmond