This campaign has now closed
Trends suggest that all great ape species could become extinct in the wild in the 21st century, and some even within a few decades. To raise awareness of this crisis and to raise vital funds to help fight it, Bristol Zoo is participating in the world-wide Year of the Gorilla Campaign.
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Great Apes, and especially the largest of all, gorillas, have always been a source of inspiration and fascination for humans. Their close kinship to humans makes them stand out in the animal kingdom. Genetic analyses show that gorillas share 97,7 percent of their genes with humans. Gorillas have been shown to possess self-awareness, remarkable intelligence and an ability to communicate with signs and symbols as well as use some basic tools. They express emotions such as joy and distress in a way similar to humans. Some gorilla populations are the object of concerted conservation and restoration efforts. However, gorillas as a whole remain endangered and continue to face severe threats. All the great ape species of Africa - the bonobos, chimpanzees and gorillas- and the orangutans of South-East Asia are in steep decline, and the rate of loss is increasing virtually everywhere. The conservation of viable wild populations of each species, necessary to prevent their extinction, represents a difficult challenge to humanity. Not only are these species humankind's closest relatives, they are keystone species in forests that regulate the global climate. A failure to save them from extinction would truly be an irreversible loss and a bad omen for humanity’s future prospects. Current conservation efforts need to be widened, as trends suggest that all great ape species could become extinct in the wild in the 21st century, and some even within a few decades. New approaches are needed to reverse this trajectory.