Cross River gorilla

American  

[kraws riv-er guh-ril-uh, kros] / ˈkrɔs ˈrɪv ər gəˈrɪl ə, ˈkrɒs /

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.

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Etymology

Origin of Cross River gorilla

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 • Dec. 14, 2023

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

From New York Times • Jan. 6, 2021