Grauer’s gorilla: world's largest great ape being wiped out by war

Report reveals dramatic decline in numbers of Grauer's gorilla in in war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Numbers of the world's largest great ape have dropped dramatically from a population of 17,000 in 1995 to 3,800 today, according to new research.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Fauna and Flora International believe their findings in a report published this week justify raising the status of the Grauer's gorilla (G. b. graueri) to "critically endangered" on the IUCN's red list of threatened species.

The subspecies of gorilla - also known as the Eastern lowland gorilla - is only found in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Weighing up to 180kg, they are closely related to mountain gorillas.

War in the region has affected wildlife through increased deforestation, and the area has seen an increase in the illegal bushmeat trade and illegal mining. Conservationists also blame the expansion in mining for coltan - a key mineral used in the manufacturing of mobile phones - for contributing to the gorilla's decline.