Updates
Grauer's Gorillas Considered Critically Endangered

September 4, 2016

The Grauer's gorilla, a subspecies of eastern gorilla, the world's largest ape, has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The announcement was made at the IUCN World Conservation Congress currently underway in Hawaii.

The new designation follows a report earlier this year released by WCS and Fauna & Flora International (FFI) that showed a shocking collapse of Grauer's gorilla numbers due to illegal hunting and civil unrest in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where it's found.

At that time, we released this film about its plight.

The IUCN Red List classifies species of the world and documents the threats they are facing. It is recognized as the global standard on the conservation status of species. Critically Endangered status means that a species is considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction.

"We are grateful that IUCN and the Species Survival Commission Primate Specialist Group have accepted our recommendations to upgrade the listing of Grauer's gorilla," said Andrew Plumptre, the lead author of the revised listing. "Critical Endangered status will raise the profile of this gorilla subspecies and bring attention to its plight. It has tended to be the neglected ape in Africa, despite being the largest ape in the world."

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