After chimpanzees, gorillas are our closest living relatives, sharing 98 percent of our DNA. Intelligence is among the many characteristics they share with humans. You’ve probably heard of Koko the gorilla. She is famous for having a sign language vocabulary of over 1,000 words, which she uses to communicate with her caretakers. Koko is just one example of the abilities these dynamic animals possess.

Sadly, life for wild gorillas is now at stake due to a proposed superhighway in Nigeria that would destroy their home. Animal advocates and conservationists raised the alarm about this as soon as they learned and the pressure against the superhighway has been productive. On February 15th, the government of Cross River State announced that they canceled plans for the 12-mile-wide buffer to the proposed superhighway. This was a huge win for wildlife and the local Ekuri people, but vital habitat for the Cross River gorilla, as well as chimpanzees, forest elephants, and pangolins is still in the path of this superhighway. According to the World Wildlife Fund, Cross River gorillas are critically endangered with only 200-300 left in the wild. So why are we about to destroy their home?

According to Wildlife Conservation Society, the local Cross River State government is threatening Nigeria’s federal government with a three-week ultimatum to approve the proposed superhighway or else they will take over management of Cross River National Park. That means we only have until March 13th to stop the bulldozing of the rainforest and have the superhighway rerouted. That’s less than two weeks away.

These gorillas are already critically endangered and a large project like building a superhighway could further disturb and threaten their way of life. We simply can’t afford to see a single one of these individuals harmed as a result of human greed and industry.

The petition already has over 45,500 signatures but the gorillas need more help. Please sign and then share this post with your friends and family on your Twitter and Facebook. The gorillas are counting on you.

Source: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/nigerian-superhighway-threatens-cross-river-gorillas/

Wow this is hilarious how these animal activist have so much sway in our government. The super highway is being blocked due endangered gorillas. If the highway could be rerouted ok let's get it done. No need to kill these animals for nothing but our main concern will be humanity.

I never felt like Nigerians in paticular ever cared much for these animals to begin with. Getting people to respect each others humanity is already hard enough lol. On a serious note is anyone concerned about endangered gorillas?

Let's see how cross rivers duel with Federal government ends.

I weak . . . Let them call Kene alias papa Ikenga..

We really need to prevent our wildlife

Wait ooo that's the field of the hero of wailers

PhD zoology

Forestry

We really need to prevent our wildlife

OP, how does bulldozing a corridor with a small width of 150metres for a highway out of thousands of hectares of forest threaten the animals? Any animals that happen to be within the route would simple move out of the way into the vast rainforest. Animals are itinerant and do not live in villages like humans, ok.

So please let's be sensible and allow the needed development to flower.

holocron:
OP, how does bulldozing a corridor with a small width of 150metres for a highway out of thousands of hectares of forest threaten the animals? Any animals that happen to be within the route would simple move out of the way into the vast rainforest. Animals are itinerant and do not live in villages like humans, ok.

So please let's be sensible and allow the needed development to flower.

I'm no expert on animal habitats but 12 mile wide buffer for highway doesn't seem small and besides like all highways it curves. These kind of things cut into animals space. I'm not saying highway shouldn't be build.

Blue3k:
If the highway could be rerouted ok let's get it done. No need to kill these animals for nothing but our main concern will be humanity.

The highway should not be built wildlife tourism of endangered species is bigger than any china substandard highway that will kill commuters.Lets preserve our wild life heritage go to kenya and south africa its a huge industry there for foreign exchange

There is a simple(but slightly expensive) solution to this dilemma....simply relocate the gorillas to a specially constructed reserve or ranch.
This way,the super-highway can be constructed without having to neutralize or endanger the local wildlife.