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T he tropical forests of the
Congo Basin represent one of the world's great
remnant blocks of closed canopy habitat. This
forest is under increasing pressure from
population growth, unsustainable resource use,
poor management, and other problems related to
poverty and political instability.
The
following list includes all mammals which occur
in The Democratic Republic of the Congo and are
rated as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered
(EN) or Vulnerable (VU) in the
2004 IUCN Red List of
Threatened Animals.
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Critically Endangered:
-
African Foggy Shrew
(Crocidura caliginea). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
-
Fuscous Shrew
(Crocidura polia). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
-
Gallagher's Free-tailed Bat
(Chaerephon gallagheri). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
-
Grauer's Shrew
(Paracrocidura graueri). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
-
Kasai Mouse
(Mus kasaicus). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
-
Niangara Free-tailed Bat
(Mops niangarae). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
-
Poll's Shrew
(Congosorex polli). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
-
Schaller's Mouse Shrew
(Myosorex schalleri). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
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Endangered:
-
African Elephant
(Loxodonta africana).
-
Bonobo
(Pygmy Chimpanzee)
(Pan paniscus). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.)
-
Chimpanzee
(Pan troglodytes).
-
Giant African Water Shrew
(Potamogale velox).
-
Mountain (Eastern)
Gorilla
(Gorilla beringei).
-
Ruwenzori Otter Shrew
(Micropotamogale ruwenzorii).
-
Western Gorilla
(Gorilla gorilla).
-
Wild Dog
(Lycaon pictus).
Chimpanzee |
African
Elephant
Wild Dog |
Vulnerable:
-
Allen's Striped Bat
(Chalinolobus alboguttatus).
-
Anchieta's Pipistrelle (Bat)
(Pipistrellus anchietai).
-
Checkered Sengi
(Rhynchocyon cirnei).
-
Cheetah
(Acinonyx jubatus).
-
Congo Shrew
(Crocidura congobelgica). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.)
-
Dramatic Shrew
(Crocidura ludia). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.)
-
Humpback Whale
(Megaptera novaeangliae).
-
Hun Shrew
(Crocidura attila).
-
Ja Slit-faced Bat
(Nycteris major).
-
Kivu Shrew
(Crocidura kivuana). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.)
-
Large-eared Free-tailed Bat
(Otomops martiensseni).
-
Latona Shrew
(Crocidura latona). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.)
-
Least Soft-furred Mouse
(Praomys minor). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.)
-
Lion
(Panthera leo).
-
Montane Mouse Shrew
(Myosorex blarina).
-
Morris' Bat
(Myotis morrisi).
-
Mountain Shrew
(Sylvisorex oriundus). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.)
-
Narrow-headed Shrew
(Crocidura stenocephala). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.)
-
Pied Bat
(Chalinolobus superbus).
-
Rombo Shrew
(Crocidura monax).
-
Ruwenzori Shrew
(Ruwenzorisorex suncoides).
-
Spotted-necked Otter
(Lutra maculicollis).
-
Springhare
(Pedetes capensis).
-
West African
Manatee
(Trichechus senegalensis).
-
Yellowspotted Hyrax
(Heterohyrax
chapini (= H. brucei)). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.)
-
Zimmer's Shrew
(Crocidura zimmeri). (Endemic
to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
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Other:
IUCN Red List of
Threatened Animals, (2004). |
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The Eastern Lowland Gorilla
(Gorilla beringei graueri)
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Kingdom: |
Animalia |
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Phylum: |
Chordata |
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Class: |
Mammalia |
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Order: |
Primates |
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Family: |
Hominidae |
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Genus: |
Gorilla |
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Species: |
G. beringei |
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Subspecies: |
G. b. graueri |
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The Eastern Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla beringei
graueri) is a subspecies of
Eastern Gorilla
that is now only found in the forests of eastern
Congo.
This subspecies is more robust in appearance
than the
Eastern Lowland
Gorilla,
having longer teeth, a stronger jaw and a
broader torso. They have black coats which in
males, like other
gorillas,
turns silver at the back as the animal matures.
Eastern Lowland Gorilla is predominantly
herbivorous, eating mostly leaves. They are
known to eat only a few leaves from a single
plant, allowing the plant to regrow. They will
also eat fruit, seeds, and insects.
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Eastern Lowland Gorilla tends to be sociable and
peaceful, living in groups of 5 to 30. A group
usually consists of one silverback and few
subdominant males. Silverbacks are the strong,
dominant troop leaders. They are in charge of
leading the group to food and protecting the
group from danger. Males will slowly begin to
leave their original group when they reach
maturity, usually travelling with a group of
other males for a few years before being able to
attract females to form a new group.
A female will give birth to twins or a single
Infant after a gestation period of about 8 ½
months. They breastfeed for about a 12 months.
The baby can crawl at around 9 weeks old and can
walk at about 35 weeks old. Infants gorillas
normally stay with their mother for 3 to 4 years
and mature at around 11 to 12 years old.
Web page
wikipedia accessed 27-10-05
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Lowland_Gorilla
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In March
2004, scientists reported that the world
population of eastern lowland gorillas has
plummeted more than 70% in the past ten years.
With 17,000 individuals remaining in 1994, the
population has now dropped to fewer than 5,000,
and is now regarded as Endangered. Eastern
lowland gorillas live almost exclusively in the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), mostly in
areas that have experienced years of warfare,
over-hunting, mining, deforestation, disease
epidemics, and human encroachment.
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Pickrell,
J., (2004), Eastern Lowland Gorilla Numbers
Plunge to 5,000 , National Geographic News,
March 31 |
