Today we start the second week by revisiting the original muse for this photographic series, the Western Lowland Gorilla.
I was walking the zoo when I came across an excited group of people clustered at one end of the gorilla display. The reason was that they had been throwing bananas into the gorilla enclosure. This is a terrible thing to do because the animal may become sick and there are signposts discouraging the behavior. Needless to say, by the time I got close enough I found her with outstretched arm gesturing for more.
Conservation Status: Critically Endangered
Habitat: Forests of the African Congo Basin
Threats: Deforestation, farming, grazing, poaching for bush meat, medicinal and magical beliefs, war and disease (including Ebola) have diminished their numbers by 60% over the last 20 - 25 years.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_lowland_gorilla
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/western-lowland-gorilla
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