Calgary Zoo: NCF partner to save Cross River gorillas from extinction

Calvary Zoo is partnering with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) to save the remaining 300 Cross River Gorillas from extinction.

This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Oladapo Soneye, Head, of Communication, NCF, on Thursday in Lagos.

NCF said that community conservation initiatives benefit people, Nature, and the Cross River Gorilla.

The foundation said that with about 300 Cross River gorillas remaining in the wild, an urgent call for conservation has emerged from a species on the brink of extinction.

According to the statement, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is excited to announce that it has expanded its community conservation portfolio to include the critically endangered Cross River gorilla through a collaborative initiative that will involve supporting graduate research projects in Nigeria.

It said that there had been an increasing focus on community involvement to save species around the world.

“Having embraced community conservation as early as 1998, Wilder Institute know that it leads to sustained improvements for imperiled species, their habitat, and local people.

“To sustain conservation efforts long-term, local conservation leadership is key.

” It, therefore, was a natural fit for the Wilder Institute to partner with two West African conservation organizations, including the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) and Centre for Biodiversity Conservation Research (CBCR), which share a similar vision of building up conservation leadership in the region, to advance conservation for the Cross River gorilla.,” the statement said.

The statement quoted Dr Mary Liao, Conservation Partnership Specialist as saying that: “We can’t save species without involving those who live in and depend on the landscape shared by species-at-risk,”

“Genuine engagement and knowledge sharing with forest communities neighbouring Cross River Gorilla habitat will help the protection of the species.

“Exposing West African graduate students to this approach fosters home-grown future leadership for successful conservation in Nigeria and the wider region.”

The statement said that the Cross River Gorilla is a subspecies of the western gorilla that was named a new specie in 1904.

It said that but this discovery was largely ignored until population surveys began in 1987.

The statement said that due to historical hunting and habitat loss, these Gorillas are now restricted to 11 small sections of Nigeria and Cameroon’s mountainous forests.

” NCF has been working to obtain a more accurate population estimate of the Cross River gorillas but also holds great expertise in the provision of alternative livelihoods, community education, policy recommendations, and more.

“Our partnership with the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo and other strategic partners was informed by many factors,”

. “We want to build purposeful and strategic alliances aimed at saving species in peril, enhancing their protection, securing their habitats, increasing community involvement, as well as promoting research and awareness on nature conservation.

“Through these partnerships, we look forward to enhancing the conservation and future prospects of the Cross River Gorilla,” the statement quoted Dr Joseph Onoja, Director — General, NCF, as saying.

The statement said that through this initiative, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo will fund, support, and help supervise one doctorate and five master’s research projects focused on the Cross River Gorilla, bringing those rooted in West Africa to the forefront of Cross River gorilla conservation.

It said that the scholarships would be hosted through the University of Calabar in Nigeria and would fill knowledge gaps around the Cross River gorilla.

It said that the scholarship would look at how community-based conservation management and the creation of alternative livelihoods can support Gorilla conservation.