Over the past 7 years, conservationists have made achievements towards this goal, such as gaining an improved understanding of available gorilla range and expansion of protected areas. Future prospects for the world’s rarest gorilla have improved, but local and international partnerships are still necessary.
The IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Primate Specialist Group and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) developed a new action plan that calls for enhanced protection of the gorillas and increased enforcement of wildlife laws, among other requests. Dr. Elizabeth Bennett, Vice President of WCS’s Species Conservation Program, said: “A crucial component to all future conservation activities will be the continued support of local communities throughout Cross River gorilla range in both Nigeria and Cameroon. On the international level, the survival of these primates will depend on the sustained efforts of conservationists working in tandem with government agencies. Our success so far indicates we are headed in the right direction.”
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