This is just too sad

[jknudson]

Here's some good news for Western Lowland Gorillas, the article is from August 5th.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26016923/

Gorilla discovery doubles population estimates
Researchers say they've found 125,000 lowland primates in African zone

EDINBURGH, Scotland - Wildlife researchers said Tuesday that they've discovered 125,000 western lowland gorillas deep in the forests of the Republic of Congo, calling it a major increase in the animal's estimated population.

The Wildlife Conservation Society, based at New York's Bronx Zoo, and the Republic of Congo said their census counted the newly discovered gorillas in two areas of the northern part of the country covering 18,000 square miles.

Previous estimates, dating to the 1980s, put the number of western lowland gorillas at less than 100,000. But the animal's numbers were believed to have fallen by at least 50 percent since then due to hunting and disease, researchers said. The newly discovered gorilla population now puts their estimated numbers at between 175,000 to 225,000.

"This is a very significant discovery because of the terrible decline in population of these magnificent creatures to Ebola and bush meat," said Emma Stokes, one of the research team.

The researchers in the central African nation of Republic of Congo — neighbor of the much larger Congo — worked out the population figures by counting the sleeping "nests" gorillas make. The creatures are too reclusive and shy to count individually.

‘Incredibly important and exciting’
Craig Stanford, professor of anthropology and biology at the University of Southern California, said he is aware of the new study. "If these new census results are confirmed, they are incredibly important and exciting, the kind of good news we rarely find in the conservation of highly endangered animals." He added that independent confirmation will be valuable because nest counts vary depending on the specific census method used.

Western lowland gorillas are one of four gorilla subspecies, which also include mountain gorillas, eastern lowland gorillas and Cross River gorillas. All are labeled either endangered or critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

While calling the new census important, Stokes said it does not mean gorilla numbers in the wild are now safe.

"Far from being safe, the gorillas are still under threat from Ebola and hunting for bush meat. We must not become complacent about this. Ebola can wipe out thousands in a short period of time," she said.

The report was released as primatologists in Edinburgh, Scotland warned that nearly half of the world's 634 types of primates are in danger of becoming extinct due to human activity. That figure, carried in a comprehensive review of the planet's apes, monkeys, and lemurs, included primate species and subspecies.

It's amazing to me that such a large mammal can still elude researchers for such a long time, albeit their location many times limits scientific study due to their militant history. But if this isn't a great sigh of excitement for science I don't know what is...

[sg1trogdor]

Depends on the reasons for extinction. Is it a natural battle for survival in which the fittest wins, or it is because humans have made the planet such a toxic place to live in that many life forms cannot tolerate it? Is it that humankinds' selfish use of Earth and its resources has made it uninhabitable for many species? & human beings are not the fittest, we are the unregulated. Most other creatures have some type of reproduction regulation (to prevent overpopulation), feeding regulation, etc. However, humans do have the ability to make rational decisions. So here's hoping that more of us decide to use this ability and stop (or at least halt) the misuse of our planet.

I have to disagree I cannot think of any species that have gone extinct due to the destruction of the planet. I honestly don't care about greenhouse gases and all that nonsense scientists have said themselves that global warming has happened before and will happen again so who is to say we are the route cause. Now I am now saying that we are helping the situation but I dont think we can hurt all that much. Maybe thats not what you meant by unihabitable if so then just ignore my comment. I think hunting and fishing have killed off far more species than anything else. I don't know thats just my .2 do with it what you will. Now its time for beer.

[Muze]

I have to disagree I cannot think of any species that have gone extinct due to the destruction of the planet. I honestly don't care about greenhouse gases and all that nonsense scientists have said themselves that global warming has happened before and will happen again so who is to say we are the route cause. Now I am now saying that we are helping the situation but I dont think we can hurt all that much. Maybe thats not what you meant by unihabitable if so then just ignore my comment. I think hunting and fishing have killed off far more species than anything else. I don't know thats just my .2 do with it what you will. Now its time for beer.

I agree with you. I really didn't mean so much about chemicals being released into the air, etc. because then we would probably also be killing off humankind. I am referring more to deforestation, poaching, in some cases hunting & commercial fishing, habitat destruction, irresponsible introductions of non-native species, etc.

Beer? Hmmm...more of a wine cooler kinda gal...if anything.

[Bettacreek]

human beings are not the fittest, we are the unregulated.

Amen to that! I personally believe in human overpopulation.

As far as the whole "greenhouse effect", I don't believe it, the earth has gone through these dramatic "weather changes" before we had this impact.

[gmcclurelssu]

i agree with a lot of what has been said on here. my biggest issue is when people try and claim that 'global warming' is only our fault and that is why animals like polar bears are going extinct. there is no completely solid evidence to say that global warming is our fault (and some that claims the opposite), but i digress. if its not our fault, and the climate is still changing, doesn't that just mean that a nich predator is slowly and naturally being phased out of existence like the other 95% of all life that has even lived on earth? as tragic as it is, thats just the way things work.
that all being said, if it is our fault due to any of the reasons other people mentioned, i would never forgive our my generation if we didn't do all we could to limit the harm to our environment.