The wild gorilla of equatorial Africa is the largest of the four great apes; the mountain subspecies was discovered in 1847 but first scientifically described in 1902. Until recently, this primate was thought to be a brutish and ferocious animal of the jungle. However, field studies have revealed that this huge pongid is shy, gentle
Saving gorillas poses a great challenge to conservationists. Currently, gorilla populations suffer from habitat loss, hunting, and disease. The four subspecies of the large, black-haired great apes are found in Uganda, Rwanda, Zaire, Congo, Cameroon, and Nigeria. There are approximately 94,000 western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), 17,000 eastern lowland or Grauer’s gorillas (G. g.