The Cross River Gorilla, with fewer than 300 individuals estimated to exist in the wild, and just a single identified member in captivity, is the most endangered of the gorilla subspecies, and is listed by the IUCN as Critically Endangered.

This is the highest ranking for species that remain in the wild, and means that the population has decreased, or will decrease, by 80% within three generations. The continued fragmentation of Cross River Gorilla habitat across a large, complex area, together with the threat from hunting and the small number of gorillas remaining, has led to its critically endangered status.

The Cross River Gorilla is one of the 25 most endangered primates worldwide, according to the IUCN.