Endangered Species Guide : Mammals : Animal Planet

Endangered Mammals

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GORILLA (Gorilla gorilla)

The gorilla is the largest of the primates. Adult males are often twice the size of females and have a silvery back when fully mature. They live in highly complex social groups led by a dominant male in the lowland and swamp forests of Central and Equatorial Africa. The gorilla faces many threats in the wild, including slash-and-burn forest clearing, illegal hunting for the bushmeat trade and trophy poaching.

Learn how to symbolically adopt this animal at WWF.

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IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and hunting
Habitat: Tropical secondary and montane forests
Location: Central and Equatorial Africa
Diet: Fruits, leaves shoots and some insects

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