Protection for rare gorilla
source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7754544.stm
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7754544.stm
The government of Cameroon has created a new national park aimed at protecting the critically endangered Cross River gorilla, the world's rarest.Takamanda National Park, on the border with Nigeria, is home to an estimated 115 Cross River gorillas.
The total population of the subspecies is thought to be less than 300.
The news comes as governments of 10 gorilla range states gather in Rome for the first meeting of a new partnership aimed at protecting the primates.
The Gorilla Agreement was finalised in June, and brings together all the countries where the various species and subspecies are found.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) helped establish the Takamanda park, and believes it will help curb the hunting and forest destruction that have brought Cross River numbers to such a minuscule level.
"The government of Cameroon is to be commended for taking this step in saving the Cross River gorilla for future generations," said Steven Sanderson, president and CEO of WCS.
"By forming this national park, Cameroon sends a powerful message about the importance of conservation."
Gorillas should be able to move freely between the Takamanda reserve and Nigeria's Cross River National Park just across the border, helping to repair the fragmentation of habitat which can isolate tiny wildlife populations.
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