A video camera trap in Cameroon has managed to captured footage of the world’s rarest gorilla, a reclusive species rarely ever seen by humans.
The cameras in Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary have collected the first video footage of the Cross River gorilla, a species with less than 250 individuals remaining, the Wildlife Conservation Society reported on Tuesday.
In the video, eight Cross River gorillas are seen making their way along a path in the forest.
“This video gives us all a spectacular view into the hidden world of one of our closest relatives, which is in dire need of our help to survive,” Steve Sanderson, WCS President and CEO, said.
The Cameroon government founded the Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary in 2008 for the sole purpose of protecting the Cross River gorilla.
The camera trap has given scientists a unique look at the rare species.
“The video represents the best images to date of Cross River gorillas, normally shy animals that flee at the slightest hint of human presence,” WCS officer Christopher Jameson said.
“The footage provides us with our first tantalizing glimpses of Cross River gorillas behaving normally in their environment. A person can study these animals for years and never even catch a glimpse of the gorillas, much less see anything like this.”
Related articles
- World’s Rarest Gorilla Captured on Film: VIDEO (towleroad.com)
- Rare gorilla species spotted on forest camera (news.blogs.cnn.com)
- Camera trap video offers rare glimpse of world’s rarest gorilla (w/ Video) (phys.org)
- World’s Rarest Gorillas Caught On Camera (inquisitr.com)
Get Blippitt via RSS feed, Facebook, Twitter, Google+,
and be sure to get our Daily Email Broadcast.
