Gorilla+Period+3

Vasser and Anna
 * Group Members**

Where does your animal live, and what are its characteristics?

Locate your animal’s habitat (Where does it live? Does it migrate?)

Gorillas live in many different places. The Odzala National Park in the Republic of Congo, in Africa happens to be one of them. Gorillas also live on the equatorial regions of Africa. Certain species live in certain areas like the Moutain Gorillas which live in Virunga Heartland( #720 left). Gorillas don't migrate necessarily, they just move around for food.

Include all subspecies or varieties of your animal.

The Western Lowland, Eastern Lowland and Mountain Gorillas are all subspecies of Gorillas.

Identify at least 10 characteristics that will give an in-depth, accurate description of your animal

-The gorilla is the largest of all primates. -The western lowland gorilla is one of the smaller subspecies. -Gorillas stomachs are larger than their chests. Their stomach size is attributed to their enlarged intestines, which digest the vegetation that they consume. -A gorilla has a stocky build - The gorilla also has a shallow chest - The gorilla has a short trunk - It also has longer arms than legs. - There ears lie close to the skull. - Its small eyes are usually dark brown. - Gorillas have 32 teeth.

1. Where and why is your animal endangered?

Locate where it is endangered (might not be endangered in all its habitats) 1. The western lowland gorilla inhabits the tropical forests of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Congo, and Equatorial Guinea (West Africa).

2.The eastern lowland gorilla inhabits the tropical forests of Eastern Zaire.

3.The mountain gorilla inhabits the high altitude in the tropical forests of Zaire, Rwanda, and Uganda (around the Virunga volcanoes).

Identify the factors, environmental and/or anthropogenic (caused by man) that cause it to be endangered The causes of the endangerment of gorillas (caused by man) are, the aftermath of civil war, extreme poverty, disease, poaching and lack of infrastructure and economic development.

Provide statistics and other facts related to its endangerment - The rainforests were gorillas live are being destroyed and developed. Rainforests once covered 14% of the earth's land surface; now they cover a mere 6% and experts estimate that the last rainforests could be consumed in less than 40 years. -One and one-half acres of rainforest are lost every second with tragic consequences for all living species.

Where is your animal in captivity and/or conserved?

Locate at least two zoos and/or conservation centers where the animal is held. 1. IUCN/The World Conservation Union is a nongovernmental organization founded in 1948 that supports the conservation of wild living resources. The IUCN Red List has classified all subspecies of gorillas as endangered in all parts of their range.

2. The Great Ape Survival Project (GRASP) is a partnership between two organizations. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). These organizations work to protect gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans by working with local communities to reduce poverty, increase conservation awareness programs and population monitoring.

What is being done to restore your animal’s populations? Where is it being done?

1. Organizations are working with communities to reduce poverty in the area, increase conservation awarness projects and population control. People are starting to donate money to conservation centers and non-profit organizations like the, IUCN/The World Conservation Union. All over the world people are starting to take action in conserving gorillas, but mostly seen in the Virunga Heartlands. Locate where research is done on your animal and where efforts are underway to conserve its population (Note: It may be that this is done at the same location(s) you identified in #3)

• Project - Veterinary Healthcare Workshop Partner - Pan African Sanctuaries Alliance (PASA) Location - Limbe, Cameroon Veterinary Healthcare Workshop helps provide veterinary care to sick, injured, or orphaned primates from hunting, commercial bushmeat trade, disease, and habitat loss. This also helps with reintroduction programs that return rehabilitated animals back to there natural habitats.

Identify the experts, leaders, and/or groups guiding the conservation

The group that’s guiding this project is the Pan African Sanctuareies Alliance.

Bibliography

print= __The Encyclopidia of Mammals__, edited by Dr. David Macdonaled

online=www.nature.ca/ www.awf.org/ www.koko.org/ www.youtube- gorilla vs. gorilla www.seaworld.org/ www.cleversly.com/ www.zooatlanta.com/ www.flicker.com/


 * Google Earth Tour**

Please visit our tour! You will learn a lot of cool facts about gorillas and where they live!