When European explorers first entered the jungles of Africa, they were of the mindset that man was in a struggle against nature, and that all the animals they encountered were savage beasts that should be shot, stuffed and sent home as trophies.

Gorillas are the largest ape, with females weighing between 72 and 98kg and standing about 1500mm tall, and mature males being twice as large, weighing up to 181kg and about 1700mm in height. Life expectancy is between 30 and 40 years, although individuals in captivity have been known to reach 50 years of age. (6)

The history of the Cross River Gorilla all takes place over little more than a hundred years, having been recognized as distinct from other gorillas as recently as 1904. Still, in this short time there have been various twists and turns, as scientists have disagreed with one another, the gorillas were lost and then re-discovered, and new revelations were made as researchers ventured into the field. (10)

The Cross River Gorilla is only found in an area of about 12,000km2 around the headwaters of the Cross River, spanning the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. This is the most northerly and westerly position in which gorillas are found, and lies about 300km from the nearest population of Western Lowland Gorilla, and 200km from the recently discovered gorillas of the Ebo Forest, in Cameroon (13).