Over the last 15 years outbreaks of the Ebola virus have killed tens of thousands of gorillas and chimpanzees, including about one third of the world population of gorillas in protected areas. This website provides information on what has caused the outbreaks, how bad the impact has been, and what you can do to help.

Western Lowland Gorillas moved to the Critically Endangered status on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2007

On Wednesday, 12th of September 2007, the The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) announced their newest assessment of the Earth's plants and animals - the Red List of Threatened Species:

A reassessment of our closest relatives, the great apes, has revealed a grim picture. The Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) has moved from Endangered to Critically Endangered, after the discovery that the main subspecies, the Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), has been decimated by the commercial bushmeat trade and the Ebola virus. Their population has declined by more than 60% over the last 20-25 years, with about one third of the total population found in protected areas killed by the Ebola virus over the last 15 years.

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Consider donating

We are involved in projects aiming for developing and implementing vaccine for gorillas and other apes which will protect them from the Ebola virus. You can read more about our activities and plans on the projects page and you can support these efforts by donating.