Ebo Forest Gorillas

The Ebo Forest Gorillas

A gorilla population in the Ebo Forest, first confirmed in November 2002, is located approximately 200 km from the nearest Cross River Gorilla site and 100 km from the closest Western Lowland Gorillas. Like the remaining Cross River Gorilla groups, the Ebo gorillas inhabit high, remote, and largely inaccessible terrain.

They are separated from Western Lowland Gorillas by the Sanaga River, a natural barrier that also delineates the ranges of other primate species, such as the moustached monkey to the south and the red-eared monkey to the north. Mount Cameroon and the Bamenda Highlands lie between the Cross River Gorillas and Ebo, potentially forming an additional genetic barrier.

Preliminary analysis of a gorilla skull from the Ebo population indicates that it does not conform to any known gorilla types in the region, including Cross River and Western Lowland Gorillas. While conclusions remain tentative, the Ebo Forest Gorillas may represent a unique remnant of a gorilla type that was once more widespread across this part of Central Africa.