Cross River gorilla

[ kraws riv-er guh-ril-uh, kros ]

noun

1. the world’s rarest gorilla ( Gorilla gorilla diehli ), found only in the mountainous forests near the Cross River along the border of Nigeria and Cameroon and noted for defensively throwing sticks and sod at humans, an unusually bold gorilla behavior: named as a distinct subspecies of the western gorilla in 2000 for its shorter skull and smaller cranial vault and palate, it is victimized by hunting and habitat loss and is the most critically endangered of all great apes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Cross River gorilla¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Some species, such as the Javan langur and the Cross River gorilla, are on the verge of disappearing due to the relentless impact of human activities.

From Salon

The Cross River Gorilla, meanwhile, remains a rare gem, with just 200-300 individuals clinging to the brink of extinction.

From Salon

Meanwhile, on the other side of the continent, the Western Gorilla reigns supreme, with the Western Lowland Gorilla reigning in the vast lowland forests and the Cross River Gorilla fighting for survival on the border between Nigeria and Cameroon.

From Salon

Windsor noted that all sales will be going to the Cross River Gorilla Project, a U.K.-based non-profit organization that aims to help protected the critically endangered Cross River Gorilla.

From Fox News

The humphead wrasse, the giant panda, the dugong, the hawksbill turtle, the polar bear, the Cross River gorilla?

From New York Times