Extinction is a term used in biology and ecology, and refers to the disappearance of populations of organisms, as a result of habitat loss, predation and inability to adapt to changing environments. This term also applies to the disappearance of higher taxonomic groups, such as families and orders. It is considered a species extinct from the moment that the last individual dies of it.
Gorillas are an endangered genus, and species have been targeted by poachers for long. Threats to gorilla survival include habitat destruction and hunting. The latter has increased by armed conflicts in countries in which they live, and a growing interest in affluent areas by "exotic meats".
In 2004, a population of several hundred gorillas Odzala National Park (Congo) was essentially eliminated by the Ebola virus. In 2006, a study published in the journal Science showed that more than 5,000 gorillas had died recently because of the Ebola virus.
The mountain gorilla, as well as the western gorilla, presents serious conservation problems. It is classified as endangered, mainly due to habitat loss in turn due to the high population density of the area, illegal hunting, wars and diseases spread by human
The armed conflict that has affected the country for more than a decade and the extraction of natural resources by militias makes it extremely difficult to monitor and protect the population of Grauer's gorillas, so he fears for the survival of that species.
Moreover, illegal hunting also takes years behind the poor animals, whose meat and skins are paid large sums of money. Furthermore, climate change and deforestation adversely affect the survival of gorillas.
Currently there are less than four thousand copies, compared to the 17,000 it had in 1995.
The gorilla is listed as an endangered species, and in 2010 the World Wildlife Fund (WWF for its acronym in English) also includes a subspecies of gorilla, the mountain gorilla, critically endangered species, since there are only 720 specimens of this animal. There are still many things to be done to raise awareness of the danger that this species suffers and what can be done to help prevent it.