Background of Cross River Gorillas
Reconnecting the fragmented Cross River Gorilla sub populations through integrated control MGT in the Nigerian-Cameroon border region.
With the 12 identified sub populations of Cross River Gorilla in the Nigeria-Cameroon border region, major conservation efforts in the last two decades have been able to secure most of the sites for long-term conservation. While these efforts to secure these sites have been consistent, the respective sub population continue to be isolated especially those located out of protected areas.
The Tofala Sub-Population
The Tofala gorillas sub populations is the southeastern most sub population of the CRG, separated from the main population by a distance of 27km. This sub population like all others is increasingly being isolated by increasing fragmentation and risking the long-term survival of the Tofala Sub populations. To the Northeast of Tofala is the Kagwene Gorilla sanctuary that host about 20 CRG, is also separated from the main population. This sub population of CRG is also under pressure though found in a protected area.
Similarly, the labialem highlands host the most Western sub population of the forest elephants and buffalo that moved from the Santchou Wildlife Reserve due to high human pressure. At the Ecotone zone (1700-2000m of Lebialem highlands) lies a transition zone that harbors the species endemic and unique to Lebialem Highlands of birth, plants, Amphibians, etc. Given that the Cameroon volcanic line traverses the Lebialem Highland, confers additional biodiversity uniqueness to these highlands.
CRG Alliance 2025
The vision of CRG programme seeks to establish a community led movement or network of local and community base organizations with operational capacity to increasingly cure the human pressure and stabilized the CRG population and doubling it the next 25 years.
- Expectation at 2050
- Local people empowerment? what ?
The forgotten Gorillas of the lebialem Highlands
The battle for the survival of the relic sub populations of CRG in the Nigeria-Cameroon borders region is challenge by increasing fragmentation, war and suppress economic and Livelihood as well as the total neglect from the central government.
The Role of ERuDeF
The CRG inhabiting the Nigerian-Cameroon border region come into lamplight in 1901, and the subject never resurfaced until the 1990s when the ERuDeF and other conservation Partners became actively engaged. It was not until 2004 when ERuDeF discovered the Tofala sub population of the CRGs. These sub population seems to be separated from the main population like over 30km. Like all other 12 fragmented sub population of this sub species, the Tofala sub population has been raising a survival battel against farmer intrusion, degradation and deforestation alongside poaching. However, ERuDeF succeeded in causing the government of Cameroon to uplift the status of the Tofala sub population into the wildlife sanctuary in 2014. The greater battle for the biological genetic population survival still lies ahead. The Anglophone crises that started in 2016 until present, added the treble blow as existing donors pull out due to the crises. The battle for the survival of this sub population could then be a defined from the following:
Key Conservation Strategies
- Obtaining a secured biological corridor linking the Tofala sub population to the population through secured biological corridor linking the Tofala to the Tokamanda sub population.
- Securing the effective management of the Tofala hill wildlife sanctuary.
- Containing, decreasing, and eventually stopping the farmer’s intrusion, deforestation and degradation especially from the North of the sanctuary through initiation of 2.5M tree reforestation project.
- Building an efficient and resilience economic indigenous and local community in that permits cohabitation of human and wildlife and at the same time tolerance to the ongoing crisis.
- Rebuilding an educative and governance strategy for the survival of the Lebialem Gorillas at the local, national and global strategy.
The emergence of the Anglophones crises and its concentration in the Lebialem Highlands as one of the centers of resistance in Anglophones Cameroon drastically cut funding for it sub population and consequently, the Lebialem Gorillas are becoming forgotten in the phase of adversary climate characterized by rapidly declining and global funding, losing about 60 Gorillas from a critically endangered population of 300 exiting in the world is tantamount to summarily eliminating the entire CRG population in the Nigeria-Cameroon border region in the next 2 decades. It is in the face of this that ERuDeF and its conservation partners are launching an urgent global conservation donor conference of the CRG in the Lebialem highlands in other to stem the decline that might cause the entire population of the CRG in the Cameroon English speaking region.
Call to Action / Conclusion
One of the key strategies is the putting into place of the CRG alliance, a community and locally led network of organization at the fund line of CRG conservation in the Nigeria-Cameroon borders region. The first workshop was held in Douala in February 2026, and the second workshop would be organize in Calaba Nigeria in early 2027. The aim of the CRG alliance is to strengthen the operational capacity of the community and locally based organization across all the locations of the Gorilla sub population of the creation of the CRG alliance in April 29, 2026 Buea press Conference aimed at consolidating the launching of the Cross River Alliance Cameroon section engaging the media, Civil society, Government societies. The Buea press conference was also aimed at galvanizing locally led front line organization in key locations, including but not limited to Tofala, Mone, Kagwene, Mbulu, Mwambi hills on the Cameroonian side and Mbe and Afi Mountains on the Nigeria site. From 1967 when the first signs of Gorillas, where discovered in lebialem to 2004 corresponding to ERuDeF discovered of the Tofala sub population, poaching and habitat degradation had almost decimated this Tofala population as well as increasing it fragmentation.
Lebialem Highlands Documentary
