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Year of the Gorilla
The year 2009 has been designated "Year of the Gorilla" and the Toronto Zoo is proud to take part in this endeavour to bring combined conservation efforts to the attention of visitors who come to the zoo and visit our troop of Western Lowland Gorillas.
Why are gorillas endangered?
All four sub-species of gorillas are endangered, three of them critically.
The world's gorilla populations declined by over 60 % over the past 20-25 years. We, as humans, are primarily responsible for this decline. Hunting for bushmeat, habitat destruction for wood, metal mining and agricultural lands, civil war and disease are the main factors in this decline.
Why should we endeavour to save gorillas?
- Gorillas are the third closest relative to humans after bonobos and chimpanzees. Allowing them to disappear would be a huge loss of information about the evolution of modern humans.
- Our irresponsible use of their natural habitat has lead to their decline
- The destruction of tropical rainforests, like those inhabited by the gorillas, releases tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere that contributes to global warming.
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Photo: © Thomas Breuer / WCS
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