A population of the Critically Endangered Western lowland gorilla was recently discovered.

This is probably the most wonderful news for conservation and biodiversity this year. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS.org) has reported an unusually large population of the scarce Western lowland gorilla in a swampy forest measuring 18,000 square miles in the Republic of Congo.

Their census counted 125,000 individuals. That’s 8 gorillas per half square mile. It was originally thought that there were less than 50,000 of the gorillas in their entire range. However, there is little time for rejoicing because the Republic of Congo government is planning to hand out licenses to loggers to test the population’s habitat. The Wildlife Conservation Society is inviting everybody to take action here.

Check out this video of the group, note the baby gorillas. :D

Learn more about Gorillas, check out these books at Amazon:

1. Gorillas in the Mist.

This is the legendary story of Diane Fossey and her gorillas. For those who can’t sit through a whole book, her story is also available in DVD with Sigourney Weaver.

2. Koko’s Kitten

The story of little Koko, the female gorilla who knows the American sign language, her mentor Francine Patterson, and kitten, All Ball (so named because he had no tail).

3. In the Kingdom of Gorillas: Fragile Species in a Dangerous Land

A detailed account of both field research and the political challenges of establishing the Mountain Gorilla Project, a conservation program that proved combining research, ecotourism and education could both protect these majestic primates and generate economy-boosting revenues. It is a is a case study in how conservation must be grounded in the realities of people.

Check out the following related posts:

  1. 2009 is the Year of the Gorilla.
  2. Biodiversity Hotspots: Part 2.

15 comments to A population of the Critically Endangered Western lowland gorilla was recently discovered.

  • kim

    At first I thought WOW…Very Cool, because I love gorillas! Then I read on, hmmmmm…. how do loggers check the gorillas’ habitat, is that an oxymoron? Anyway, it’s nice to see their population up!

    kims last blog post..More Food 4 Thought………

  • Wow.. very good news. We must safe Gorilla Habitat. Our children want to see them too

  • TN

    Hi!

    @ Kim

    That would be to test the commercial viability of timber from the tree species found in the habitat. :D It’s not a full-blown logging operation yet.

    @ Belajar

    Right, protecting them is really for our future, the children.

  • Human beings is the smartest and also the most disastrous creature that pushing most of the animals to the road of extinction…

    Therefore, we need to do something with it, before everything is too late…

    wilsons last blog post..Facts about depression

  • We can never have any good news without something bad tacked on, can we? I went and sent the “Take Action” letter to the members of Congress in my area.

    Stefanies last blog post..Vegan Recipe: Panzanella

  • I hope this is not too off topic, but…

    I have over 1000 photos that I would like bloggers to use free of charge (including a lot of nature type photos).

    See http://money-from-photos.blogs.....-site.html

    I hope this is of some use to you at some point, and that the instructions are clear enough to follow.

    Thanks!

    Jordan McClementss last blog post..Free Photos For Your Blog (Or Web Site)

  • TN

    @ Wilson

    Anything helps, even the simple act of signing a petition. :)

    @ Stefanie

    It’s sad that human being’s wants seems to be always in conflict with other species’ needs. However, if natural resources managers only know how, there is a way for both to coexist without harming nature.

    Take that last book I added in the post, In the Kingdom of Gorillas, ecotourism has help save he mountain gorillas. Hunters and poachers have become tourist guides.

    In the Phillipines, ecotourism has also saved the great whale shark. Fishermen who used to hunt them now carry tourists and divers in their boats who want to get up close and personal with these creatures.

    @ Jordan

    Thanks for sharing. :)

  • This is such wonderful news. I just started a blog about mammals and featured Gorillas and was worrying about them ~ and now I read this wonderful news..thanks for sharing it!

    Mammalss last blog post..Gorilla

  • WOW! That is a wonderful news which delighted nature lovers. I don’t believe in miracles but it is not less than that. If I am not wrong, there is a lot of world ahead to explore.

  • That is absolutely awesome news! You hear something disturbing every day, it is great to hear about something good for Mother Nature every now and then, thanks for sharing it.

    Patricks last blog post..Positive Feedback

  • cin

    My husband and I were following this for days it was such incredible news. In addition to the actual gorilla population, what I love about the story is 1) the positive reaction of so many people who really care and 2) the confirmation that there are still many mysteries on this wonderful planet yet to be discovered!

    cins last blog post..Project Skinny Bitch Gets a Face Lift

  • It shouldn’t be a happy news for only nature savvy people. I think this is the good news for whole of the world. We should appreciate such efforts which help the nature to survive and grow.

  • admin

    Thank you everybody for dropping by. It indeed is wonderful news and we hope it raises awareness that we have to be constantly vigilant to protect this species.

  • Wow that is amazing. I love nature and when new animals get discovered I always love to hear something about them.

    Nintendo Wii MotionPluss last blog post..Red Steel 2 Wii Available for Pre-Order

  • That’s great news regarding the gorillas, always good to hear positive conservation stories as opposed to negative ones.

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