World's most endangered gorilla fights backDecember 06, 2007In the wake of a study that documented for the first time the use of weaponry by Cross River gorillas to ward off threats by humans, the Wildlife Conservation Society announced today new field surveys to better protect this most endangered great ape. The study, published earlier this year in the Journal of Primatology, found several instances of gorillas throwing sticks and clumps of grass when threatened by people. Gorillas usually flee and rarely charge when encountered by humans. Cross River gorillas are restricted to Nigeria and Cameroon. They number only around 300 individuals, making them the most endangered of the four gorilla sub-species. The Wildlife Conservation Society, which has studied Cross River gorillas since 1999, will begin new field surveys next month in an attempt to catalogue all potential gorilla habitat. The surveys are being funded in part by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Earlier this year, the Wildlife Conservation Society released an action plan to safeguard Cross River gorillas that included creating additional protected areas and raising awareness of this little known great ape. The observations of weapon-use took place in the proposed Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary in Cameroon - one of the new protected areas recommended in the report. In 2005 the Wildlife Conservation Society documented the first case of tool use among gorillas when researchers discovered individuals using sticks to check the depth of streams before crossing them. Wildlife Conservation Society |
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| Related Wildlife Conservation Current Events and Wildlife Conservation News Articles New study provides insight on energy development and sage-grouse habitat in the intermountain West A study released October 14th in the current issue of the peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE will shed new light on oil and gas development potential in the Intermountain West. Whale-sized genetic study largest ever for southern hemisphere humpbacks After 15 years of research in the waters of the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the American Museum of Natural History, and an international coalition of organizations have unveiled the largest genetic study of humpback whale populations ever conducted in the Southern Hemisphere. World will miss 2010 target to stem biodiversity loss, experts say The world will miss its agreed target to stem biodiversity loss by next year, according to experts convening in Cape Town for a landmark conference devoted to biodiversity science. Oil and wildlife don't mix in Ecuador's Eden What harm can a simple road do in a pristine place such as Ecuador's Yasuni National Park, home to peccaries, tapirs, monkeys and myriad other wildlife species? Arctic oil: A boon for nest predators A new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other groups reveals how oil development in the Artic is impacting some bird populations by providing "subsidized housing" to predators, which nest and den around drilling infrastructure and supplement their diets with garbage - and nesting birds. Research recommends compromise when choosing conservation site A lot of variables come into play when selecting a site for environmental conservation that yields benefits to people nearby such as wildlife needs, species and vegetation uniqueness, and costs to the government or community. Tiny pump means pain relief for big cats Veterinarians from the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo and the University of Tennessee have found a solution to the challenge of providing effective pain relief to some of their most difficult patients: big cats. WCS study on birds and streams included in federal guidelines to safeguard waterways The results of a Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) study that rapidly measures stream habitat have been adopted by a government agency working with private landowners to restore waterways throughout the U.S. New hope for fisheries on the horizon? Scientists have joined forces in a groundbreaking assessment on the status of marine fisheries and ecosystems. 121 breeding tigers estimated to be found in Nepal he first ever overall nation-wide estimate of the tiger population brought a positive ray of hope among conservationists. More Wildlife Conservation Current Events and Wildlife Conservation News Articles |
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