What are the threats to the western lowland gorilla?
Habitat loss and degradation In Central Africa, timber is a major export and vast areas of rainforest in the western lowland gorilla’s habitat in the Congo Basin have been destroyed or leased out to European and Asian logging companies. Hunting and trade Hunting is the main threat to western lowland gorillas. Gorillas are sought after as food, pets, and their body parts are used in medicine and as magical charms. The impact of hunting on gorilla population has proven to be dramatic. In North East Congo, it has been estimated that approximately five percent of gorillas are killed by hunters each year. With the increase in timber extraction, the opening of once remote forest areas, together with the easy transport provided by logging vehicles to distant markets, bushmeat trade has become a commercial activity, with dramatic consequences for all wildlife. Despite national and international laws prohibit the hunting and capture of gorillas throughout their range, enforcement is weak and ex