MartinHARVEYThelargestofthegreatapes,thegorillaisamongourmostendangeredspecies.HavingendureddecadesofcivilwarinCentralandEastAfrica,gorillasareconfrontedbythedevastatingconsequencesofincreasedhabitatloss,poachingforthebushmeattradeandthespreadofdangerousdiseaseslikeEbola.

　　Whiletheeffortstosafeguardthedifferentsubspeciesaremeetingwithvariedlevelsofsuccess,eachremainsaconservationpriorityforWWF.Onthecuspofextinctionpriortothehundredthanniversaryofitsdiscovery,themountaingorillapopulation,whichnowtotalsmorethan700individuals,isbeginningaslowincrease,thankstoadedicatedeffortandsoundconservationinitiatives.Butthewesternlowlandgorilla,themostnumerousandwidespreadofthefoursubspecies,facesasevereEbolacrisiswhich,recentreportsshow,hascauseda56percentdeclineinpopulationacrossitsrange,withsomeofthehardesthitareassufferingevenmore.

　　WWFcontinuestoworkinthefieldandengageitsconservationpartnersinordertoaddressthesethreatsandprotectthiswondrousandendangeredspecies.Together,wecanprovideamoresecurefutureforthegorilla.