Massive population of endangered gorillas discovered!

[AdmiralGarak]

A new tally of lowland gorillas has found massive and surprising numbers of these African primates alive and well in the Republic of Congo, Wildlife Conservation Society scientists announced.

The new census puts the number of western lowland gorillas (called great apes, along with chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans) within two adjacent areas in the northern part of the Congo at 125,000 individuals, including infant gorillas. The results were announced today during a press conference at the International Primatological Society Congress in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Previous estimates from the 1980s placed the entire population of western lowland gorillas, which live in seven Central African nations, at fewer than 100,000 individuals. Since then, scientists thought the number would've at least halved due to hunting and disease.

Source:http://www.livescience.com/animals/080805-planet-apes.html

With all of the bleak news we get bombarded with when it comes to conservation, it's incredible to receive this kind of news. The Congo gonvernment has been cooperative with conservationists over the years, so hopefully these gorillas can be protected.

 

[Candlelight]

Announcements like these I would probably keep quiet about.

I can hear the hunters polishing their rifles as we speak...

 

[AdmiralGarak]

The poachers already knew about them. The locals knew as well; it was the scientific community that didn't know. Keeping this gorilla population secret would only serve to make it easier for them to be exploited.

 

[Christopher]

The leader of the hidden gorilla population, Solovar, was unavailable for comment...