Western gorilla  (Gorilla gorilla)

The decline in gorilla numbers is mainly attributed to the loss and degradation of their forest habitat, which has been relentlessly cleared to make way for agricultural and logging practices, and to the Ebola virus (6). From 1992 to 2007, it is thought that around one third of the total population found in protected areas was killed by this lethal virus (1). Increasingly, the trade in bushmeat is posing more of a threat to the survival of the species and cleared forests are ever more accessible to hunters. The demand for meat has increased from both road labourers and a growing urban market (7). Western gorillas are very susceptible to the illegal bushmeat trade, as gorilla meat is viewed as a symbol of wealth and prestige (8). Male gorillas will actively defend their females and offspring if their group encounters a threat, and this increases their chances of being killed by a hunter (8).

The western gorilla is listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) (3), and there has been a decline in international trade of the species (4). The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) has recognised the urgent need to protect our closest relatives and has established a Great Ape Survival Project (GRASP) aimed at identifying the conservation initiatives required to secure the future of the apes and at obtaining political support and funding to allow these to be achieved (9).