Cross River Gorilla

The October edition of the Aurifil Thread Club is dedicated to the Cross River Gorilla.  He looks a bit purple in this picture, which goes perfectly with this months Aurifil Thread Set.

Location: Cameroon and Nigeria 
Status: Critically Endangered 
Population: 200 to 300

Cross RIver Gorilla-Facts
The Cross River Gorilla is a subspecies of the western gorilla and one of the rare of the great apes. Their appearance is very similar in appearance to the western lowland gorilla.  Subtle differences can be found in the skull and tooth dimensions. Cross River gorillas live in a region that human have been encroached upon.  The gorilla’s forests territory are being decimated for timber, create fields for agriculture and livestock. Poaching also occurs far to often in the forests as well, and the loss of even a few of these gorillas has a detrimental effect on such a small population.

The Cross River Gorilla is Africa’s most endangered great ape, with only between 200 and 300 of these elusive creatures left. Conservation efforts are underway in Cameroon and Nigeria to bring the tiny population of Cross River Gorillas back from the brink by tackling forest loss and poaching.  They are a very elusive and wary group of gorillas which has made it difficult to research information 

Fun Fact
How fast can a gorilla run you might ask? A gorilla can reach speeds of 20 miles at 25 mph per hour.  Gorillas live in small groups called troops or bands.  They sleep at night in nests, though you may be thinking of a birds nest, this nest is on the ground a quite a bit larger than a birds.  The Cross River gorillas stand 4.7 to 5.5 feet tall and weigh between 220 and 440 pounds.

Click on the sources below to learn more about the Cross River Gorilla, what is being done to help their populations, and how you might get involved. (source: WWF, One Kind Planet, New England Primate Conservancy and Aurifil)
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​Check out the November Aurifil Color Builder Thread Club Patterns!