Mystery and Majesty: The Elusive Cross River Gorillas of Africa We weren’t able to create a summary for you. Refresh your page to try again. The Cross River gorilla is the most western and northern form of gorilla, and is restricted to the forested hills and mountains of the Cameroon-Nigeria border region at the headwaters of the Cross River . The Cross River gorilla is the most western and northern form of gorilla, and is restricted to the forested hills and mountains of the Cameroon-Nigeria border region at the headwaters of the Cross River . The CrossRivergorilla is the most western and northern form of gorilla, and is restricted to the forested hills and mountains of the Cameroon-Nigeria border region at the headwaters of the CrossRiver. Fewer than 300 crossrivergorillas remain in the wild making them the world’s rarest great ape. CrossRivergorillas were thought to be extinct following the 1960s civil war in Nigeria. Oct 8, 2025 · Hidden within the mist-shrouded mountains along the border of Nigeria and Cameroon lives one of the world’s rarest and most elusive primates: the CrossRivergorilla. In the heart of Nigeria’s Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, efforts are underway to learn more about the world’s rarest great ape – the CrossRivergorilla. These gorillas inhabit the tropical moist rainforest regions along the Nigeria-Cameroon border , spread across an area of about 12,000 km2. WWF and partners have worked with the governments of Cameroon and Nigeria to create a protected area for the CrossRivergorilla that spans the border of these two nations. The CrossRiverGorilla Programme is a collaborative effort to protect the CrossRivergorilla, Africa’s most endangered great ape. We have been at the forefront of conservation in Cameroon since 2004. Sep 5, 2025 · Trail cameras have captured elusiveCrossRivergorillas in Nigeria’s Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary and Mbe Mountains, providing the first photographic evidence in years raising hopes for the subspecies’ recovery. CrossRivergorillas (Gorillagorilla diehli) are among the rarest and most secretive of all great apes, confined to a narrow stretch of dense, rugged forest along the Nigeria–Cameroon border.