Western Lowland Gorilla

True Wild Life | Western Lowland Gorilla | The western lowland gorilla is one of two subspecies of western gorilla (the other being the incredibly rare cross river gorilla) found in the jungles on the African continent. The western lowland gorilla is the most numerous species of western gorilla but is still considered to be critically endangered in the wild. The western lowland gorilla is found inhabiting the tropical jungles and forests of western and central Africa, along with lowland swamps and secondary forests. The western lowland gorilla is found throughout Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon and is also the most likely gorilla to be seen in the world's zoos.

There are two separate sub-species of western gorilla which are the western lowland gorilla and the cross river gorilla. Although only slightly different in appearance, the two western gorilla species are distinguished by their differing skull and tooth sizes, and the cross river gorilla is also much rarer than the western lowland gorilla with only a handful thought to be left in the wild. The western lowland gorilla is one of the great apes, a group that includes orang-utans, gorillas, humans and chimpanzees. As with the other great apes, the western lowland gorilla has a number of features which makes living in the jungle a bit easier, including having opposable thumbs which come in handy when the western lowland gorilla is peeling fruit.

The western lowland gorilla is an omnivorous animal, but the majority of it's diet is made up of eating fruit which the western lowland gorilla is known to travel vast distances through the forests to find. The western lowland gorilla also eats leaves, nuts and berries, along with insects and occasionally small animals such as lizards and rodents. The western lowland gorilla has also been observed using basic tools in the wild in order to more effectively gather food. Due to it's large size, the western lowland gorilla has few real predators in it's native African forests, with large cats such as leopards and the odd crocodile being the only real natural threat to the western lowland gorilla. The biggest threat to the western lowland gorilla is habitat loss caused by deforestation and also being hunted by humans. Parts of the western lowland gorilla's territory have also been taken over by civil unrest in recent years, which, along with poaching, has had a truly devastating affect on wild populations.

The western lowland gorilla tends to live in groups which are led and protected by the alpha male. The alpha male western lowland gorilla also mates with the females in his group, producing generally single offspring, known as babies. The western lowland gorilla babies remain with their mother until they are a few years old and become independent. Today, the western lowland gorilla is classified as one of the world's critically endangered species with an estimated 95,000 western lowland gorilla individuals thought to be left in the jungles of Africa.

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Western Gorilla

True Wild Life | Western Gorilla | The western gorilla is one of two gorilla sub-groups found on the African continent (the other being the eastern gorilla). The western gorilla is the most numerous species gorilla and also the larger out of the two. The western gorilla is found inhabiting the tropical jungles and forests of western and central Africa, along with lowland swamps and secondary forests. All western gorillas are now considered to be critically endangered as much of their natural habitat has now been deforested or taken over by humans.

There are two separate sub-species of western gorilla which are the western lowland gorilla and the cross river gorilla. Although only slightly different in appearance, the two western gorilla species are distinguished by there differing skull and tooth sizes. The western gorilla is one of the great apes, a group that includes orang-utans, gorillas, humans and chimpanzees. As with the other great apes, the western gorilla has a number of features which makes living in the jungle a bit easier, including having opposable thumbs which come in handy when the western gorilla is peeling fruit.

The western gorilla is an omnivorous animal, but the majority of it's diet is made up of eating fruit which the western gorilla is known to travel vast distances through the forests to find. The western gorilla also eats leaves, nuts and berries, along with insects and occasionally small animals such as lizards and rodents. The western gorilla has also been observed using basic tools in the wild in order to more effectively gather food. Due to it's large size, the western gorilla has few real predators in it's native African forests, with large cats such as leopards and the odd crocodile being the only real natural threat to the western gorilla. The biggest threat to the western gorilla is habitat loss caused by deforestation and also being hunted by humans. Parts of the western gorilla's territory has also been taken over by civil unrest in recent years, which, along with poaching, has had a truly devastating affect on wild populations.

The western gorilla tends to live in groups which are led and protected by the alpha male. The alpha male western gorilla also mates with the females in his group, producing generally single offspring, known as babies. The western gorilla babies remain with their mother until they are a few years old and become independent. Today, all western gorillas are critically endangered species but there are thought to be 95,000 western lowland gorillas remaining in the wild, significantly more than their cross river gorilla cousins, whose numbers in the wild are thought to to as low as 300 individuals.

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Sumatran Rhinoceros

True Wild Life | Sumatran Rhinoceros | The Sumatran rhinoceros is the smallest of the five rhinoceros species with a body length of less than 250cm. Unlike the other Asian rhinoceros species, the Sumatran rhinoceros has two horns like the white and black rhinos found on the African continent. The Sumatran rhinoceros primarily inhabits dense lowland rainforests, tall grass and reed beds that are plentiful with rivers, large floodplains, or wet areas with many mud wallows, swamps and cloud forests. The range of Sumatran rhinoceros once stretched from India, through south-east Asia and down to Sumatra but today, the Sumatran rhinoceros is only found on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, with a number also on the Malaysian mainland.

The Sumatran rhinoceros is the smallest of the rhinoceros species and along with having two horns, meant the Sumatran rhinoceros has been an easy target for poachers. The Sumatran rhinoceros uses it's horns for defence, intimidation, digging up roots and breaking branches during feeding. The horns of the Sumatran rhinoceros are made from a substance called keratin and are therefore very strong. The horns of the Sumatran rhinoceros are used in ancient medicine and many Sumatran rhinos have been illegally hunted for them. The Sumatran rhinoceros has relatively poor eyesight, relying more on hearing and smell to detect what is going on around them. The ears of the Sumatran rhinoceros possess a relatively wide rotational range to detect sounds and an excellent sense of smell to readily alert them to the presence of predators.

The Sumatran rhinoceros is a herbivorous animal meaning that it sustains itself on a purely plant based diet. Sumatran rhinos browse the densely vegetated sub-tropical forest for leaves, flowers, buds, fruits, berries and roots which they dig up from the ground using their horns. Due to it's large size, the Sumatran rhinoceros's only real predator in the wild are large wild cats such as tigers that will prey on the Sumatran rhino calves and weak individuals. Humans are the biggest threat to the Sumatran rhinoceros as they have been hunted to the brink of extinction for their horns.

The Sumatran rhinoceros is solitary animal and only comes together with other Sumatran rhinos to mate. The female Sumatran rhinoceros gives birth to a single calf after a gestation period that is over a year long. The Sumatran rhinoceros calf remains with it's mother until it is at least 2 years old and big enough to become independent. Today, the Sumatran rhinoceros has been poached for it's horns to the extent that it is on the brink of extinction. Hunting of the Sumatran rhinoceros along with habitat loss in their native regions have led to there being estimated that there are less than 300 Sumatran rhinoceros individuals left in the jungles of south-east Asia today.

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Sumatran Orang-utan

True Wild Life | Sumatran Orang-utan | The Sumatran orang-utan is a species of orang-utan native to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The Sumatran orang-utan is one of only two species of great ape that are found in Asia, the other being the slightly larger and closely related, Bornean orang-utan. The Sumatran orang-utan is found inhabiting tropical and sub-tropical rainforest in the lowlands of Sumatra and the habitat of the Sumatran orang-utan extends into the moist swamps. Due to extensive deforestation in the Sumatran orang-utan's natural habitat, the Sumatran orang-utan is now much rarer than the Bornean orang-utan.

The Sumatran orang-utan is known to be a lot more sociable than it's large Bornean cousin, with groups of Sumatran orang-utans often gathering together to feed and play. The Sumatran orang-utan is however more confined to the trees as it is at risk from large ground dwelling predators such as the Sumatran tiger. The Sumatran orang-utan is one of the great apes, a group that includes orang-utans, gorillas, humans and chimpanzees. As with the other great apes, the Sumatran orang-utan has a number of features which makes living in the jungle a bit easier, including having opposable thumbs which come in handy when the Sumatran orang-utan is peeling fruit.

The Sumatran orang-utan is an omnivorous animal, but the majority of it's diet is made up of eating fruit which the Sumatran orang-utan is known to travel vast distances through the forests to find. The Sumatran orang-utan also eats leaves, nuts and berries, along with insects and occasionally small animals such as lizards and rodents. Due to it's large size, the Sumatran orang-utan has few real predators in it's native Sumatran forests, with the Sumatran tiger being it's only real predator. The biggest threat to the Sumatran orang-utan is habitat loss caused by deforestation which has completely wiped out the Sumatran orang-utan populations in certain areas.

Female Sumatran orang-utans are able to mate when they are about 15 years old and, give birth to a single Sumatran orang-utan baby. The Sumatran orang-utan baby is dependent on it's mother and generally remains with her until it reaches the age of 3 and becomes more independent. Today, the Sumatran orang-utan is one of the world's most endangered species with as few as 7,000 Sumatran orang-utan individuals thought to be left in the wild. The main reason for the demise in the Sumatran orang-utan populations is deforestation across the island for logging and to make way for palm oil plantations.

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Sumatran Elephant

True Wild Life | Sumatran Elephant | The Sumatran elephant is a sub-species of Asian elephant which includes the Indian elephant, the Sumatran elephant, the Sri-Lanka elephant and the Borneo elephant. The Sumatran elephant is extremely rare today, with estimates in 2000 putting Sumatran elephant numbers at just over 2,000 individuals. As its name suggests, the Sumatran elephant is found exclusively on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. However, the Sumatran elephant population has severely declined as they have lost more than 80% of their natural habitat to deforestation for palm oil plantations.

The Sumatran elephant has smaller ears than the African elephant and the Sumatran elephant also has a more curved spine than the African elephant. Unlike the African elephants, the female Sumatran elephants very rarely have tusks, and if the female Sumatran elephant does have tusks, they are generally barely visible and can only be seen when the female Sumatran elephant opens her mouth. The Sumatran elephant follows strict migration routes that are determined by the monsoon season. The eldest elephant of the Sumatran elephant herd is responsible for remembering the migration route of its Sumatran elephant herd. This Sumatran elephant migration generally takes place between the wet and dry seasons and problems arose when farms where built along the migratory routes of the Sumatran elephant herds, as the Sumatran elephants caused a great deal of destruction to the newly founded farmland.

Sumatran elephants are herbivorous animals meaning that they only eat plants and plant matter in order to gain all of the nutrients that they need to survive. Sumatran elephants eat a wide variety of vegetation including grasses, leaves, shoots, barks, fruits, nuts and seeds. Sumatran elephants often use their long trunk to assist them in gathering food. Due to their large size, Sumatran elephants have very few predators within their natural environment. Besides human hunters, Sumatran tigers are the primary predator of the Sumatran elephant, although they tend to hunt the smaller Sumatran elephant calves rather than the much larger and stronger adults.

Female Sumatran elephants are generally able to breed by the time they are 10 years old, and give birth to a single Sumatran elephant calf after a 22 month gestation period. When the Sumatran elephant calf is first born, it weighs about 100 kg, and is cared for not only by it's mother by also by other female Sumatran elephants in the herd (known as aunties). The infant Sumatran elephant remains with its mother until it is around 5 years old and gains its independence, with males often leaving the herd and female calves staying.

Today, the Sumatran elephant is considered to be an animal that is in immediate danger of becoming extinct due to the fact that Sumatran elephant populations have been declining at a critical rate. Sumatran elephants are thought to be suffering primarily due to habitat loss in the form of deforestation and hunting for their ivory tusks by human poachers.

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Radiated Tortoise

True Wild Life | Radiated Tortoise | The radiated tortoise is a relatively large species of tortoise, natively found on the island of Madagascar. Although having evolved in similar environments to other star-patterned tortoises from around the tropics, the radiated tortoise has more striking and complex markings than those of the Indian star tortoise, for example. The radiated tortoise is also known as the Sokake in Madagascar, and although they are critically endangered in the wild, it is widely believed that they are the most beautiful of all tortoise species. Naturally then, they are a popular exotic pet, which is thought to be one of the main reasons for their demise.

The radiated tortoise is natively found on the island of Madagascar in the far south and south-western parts of the island. They inhabit dry regions of brush, thorn forests, tall grasses and woodland, with the whole population found in an area 10,000 km squared. Isolated populations can still be found on the higher plateaus as well, but these habitats are incredibly fragmented and the existence of the tortoise here is not thought to go on for much longer. The radiated tortoise is thought to have disappeared entirely from around 40% of it's historical range, due to both habitat loss and exploitation.

Radiated tortoises usually begin mating when they are around half their adult size, and it starts with the male bobbing his head up and down to court his female. Once mated, the female digs a nest in the ground where she lays up to 5 small eggs (although 10 ore more is not uncommon). After an incubation period of between 4 and 7 months, the young radiated tortoises hatch measuring between 3 and 4 cm. Although they are born with their detailed star-patterns, the markings are white until they grow older. Radiated tortoises usually live for 40 to 50 years, but some have been known to be more than 100.

The radiated tortoise is a primarily herbivorous animal, and although the majority of it's diet is comprised of plant matter, they are known to supplement their nutrition by eating a small animal every now and again. Despite this, they need a high fibre and low protein diet to survive the most successfully. Leafy greens, grasses and herbs make up the bulk of the radiated tortoise's food, along with other plant matter like fruits, berries and prickly pears. In a book written about tortoises from around the world, the radiated tortoise is said to be particularly partial to eating foods that are red in colour.

The oldest living reptile was a radiated tortoise known as Tu'i Malila that was given to the Royal family in the mid 1700s by explorer Captain James Cook, and she died in 1965 at around 250 years old from natural causes. Although radiated tortoises are native to Madagascar, they have been introduced to the islands of Reunion and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean to boost their tortoise populations. Despite the fact that many radiated tortoises are eaten in Madagascar, it is actually people coming from other parts of the island, as the local tribes living alongside radiated tortoises believe there is a taboo against both touching and eating them.

Due to a dramatic fall in population numbers, the radiated tortoise has been listed as being Critically Endangered and is therefore under severe threat from becoming extinct in the wild forever. However, captive breeding programs have been relatively successful and are crucial to the survival of this species in the future. Due to the laws about exporting listed species though, there are few found in captivity, most of which are in the USA where they were taken before the species was declared to be at imminent risk from extinction.

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Monte Iberia Eleuth

True Wild Life | Monte Iberia Eleuth | The Monte Iberia Eleuth is a tiny species of frog that, as it's name suggests, is natively found in the woodlands around Mount Iberia. The Monte Iberia Eleuth is the smallest species of frog in the Northern Hemisphere and is the second smallest species of frog in the world behind the Brazilian Golden frog found in Brazil, average less than 1cm in length. The Monte Iberia Eleuth is a critically endangered animal that is confined to just two remote areas of forest in Cuba. The Monte Iberia Eleuth was first discovered on Mount Iberia in 1996, and populations are known to be very vulnerable as this frog is only found in very specific habitats that include areas of closed rainforest, with poorly drained soil and high levels of humidity.

The Monte Iberia Eleuth is a tiny black frog that can be easily identified by the bright yellow stripes that run along each side of the frog's back. Due to the fact that the head of the Monte Iberia Eleuth is about the same size as the head of a pin, this tiny frog has fewer teeth than larger frogs and is also thought to make more highly-pitched vocal calls. Only two isolated populations are known to exist, both in the Holguín Province of eastern Cuba at elevations under 600 meters. The first location is on top of the Monte Iberia tableland where the Monte Iberia Eleuth was first discovered. The second is smaller (less than 100 km²) and sparsely-occupied, near Nibujón at sea level. This area has suffered great disturbances over the past 40 years from human activities which has obviously led to drastic declines in Monte Iberia Eleuth population numbers.

Despite it's miniature size, the Monte Iberia Eleuth has a very similar diet to other small frogs, hunting and eating a wide range of invertebrates in the Cuban jungle. The Monte Iberia Eleuth feeds on insects, moths and spiders along with a number of semi-aquatic invertebrates when it is close to water. Due to it's small size, the Monte Iberia Eleuth has numerous predators within it's natural environment including birds, rodents, lizards, toads and even larger frogs. The Monte Iberia Eleuth is also an incredibly sensitive animal that is easily affected by changes to it's environment including pollution and deforestation.

Little is known about the reproduction of the smallest frog in the Northern Hemisphere, besides the fact that once hatched, the life-cycle of the Monte Iberia Eleuth is similar to that of other frogs turning from water-based tadpoles to ground-dwelling frogs. When the first Monte Iberia Eleuth frog was found, she was found next to a single egg which indicates that this species reproduces slowly as they don't lay hundreds of eggs at once. Today, the Monte Iberia Eleuth is considered to be an animal that is critically endangered in the wild and therefore population numbers are very low in the wild.

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Cross River Gorilla

True Wild Life | Cross River Gorilla | The cross river gorilla is one of two subspecies of western gorilla (the other being the more numerous western lowland gorilla) found in the jungles on the African continent. The cross river gorilla is now incredibly rare in the wild and there are just a handful of cross river gorilla individuals thought to be in just 11 locations. The cross river gorilla is found inhabiting the tropical jungles and forests of western and central Africa, along with lowland swamps and secondary forests. The cross river gorilla is generally found on the border between Nigeria and Cameroon, where less than 300 individuals are estimated to be inhabiting the forests.

There are two separate sub-species of western gorilla which are the western lowland gorilla and the cross river gorilla. Although only slightly different in appearance, the two western gorilla species are distinguished by their differing skull and tooth sizes, and the western lowland gorilla is also more common than the cross river gorilla with nearly 100,000 individuals thought to be left in the wild (it is however still at critically endangered species). The cross river gorilla is one of the great apes, a group that includes orang-utans, gorillas, humans and chimpanzees. As with the other great apes, the cross river gorilla has a number of features which makes living in the jungle a bit easier, including having opposable thumbs which come in handy when the cross river gorilla is peeling fruit.

The cross river gorilla is an omnivorous animal, but the majority of it's diet is made up of eating fruit which the cross river gorilla is known to travel vast distances through the forests to find. The cross river gorilla also eats leaves, nuts and berries, along with insects and occasionally small animals such as lizards and rodents. The cross river gorilla has also been observed using basic tools in the wild in order to more effectively gather food. Due to it's large size, the cross river gorilla has few real predators in it's native African forests, with large cats such as leopards and the odd crocodile being the only real natural threat to the cross river gorilla. The biggest threat to the cross river gorilla is habitat loss caused by deforestation. Parts of the cross river gorilla's territory have also been taken over by civil unrest in recent years, which, along with poaching, has had a truly devastating affect on wild populations.

The cross river gorilla tends to live in groups which are led and protected by the alpha male. The alpha male cross river gorilla also mates with the females in his group, producing generally single offspring, known as babies. The cross river gorilla babies remain with their mother until they are a few years old and become independent. Today, the cross river gorilla is a critically endangered species with an estimated wild population of just 280 individuals. Habitat loss and hunting by humans for their meat, has led to the cross river gorilla now being considered one of the 25 most endangered animals on the surface of the planet.

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Borneo Elephant

True Wild Life | Borneo Elephant | The Borneo elephant is a sub-species of Asian elephant which includes the Indian elephant, the Sumatran elephant, the Sri-Lanka elephant and the Borneo elephant. The Borneo elephant is also known as the pygmy elephant as it is the smallest of the elephant sub-species. As its name suggests, the Borneo elephant is found exclusively on the island of Borneo in the Malaysian state of Sabah and parts of Indonesian Kalimantan. Much of the Borneo elephants natural habitat has been destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations and there are now thought to be less than 1,000 Borneo elephant individuals left in Sabah.

The Borneo elephant has smaller ears than the African elephant and the Borneo elephant also has a more curved spine than the African elephant. Unlike the African elephants, the female Borneo elephants very rarely have tusks, and if the female Borneo elephant does have tusks, they are generally barely visible and can only be seen when the female Borneo elephant opens her mouth. The Borneo elephant follows strict migration routes that are determined by the monsoon season. The eldest elephant of the Borneo elephant herd is responsible for remembering the migration route of its Borneo elephant herd. This Borneo elephant migration generally takes place between the wet and dry seasons and problems arose when farms where built along the migratory routes of the Borneo elephant herds, as the Borneo elephants caused a great deal of destruction to the newly founded farmland.

Borneo elephants are herbivorous animals meaning that they only eat plants and plant matter in order to gain all of the nutrients that they need to survive. Borneo elephants eat a wide variety of vegetation including grasses, leaves, shoots, barks, fruits, nuts and seeds. Borneo elephants often use their long trunk to assist them in gathering food. Due to their large size, Borneo elephants have very few predators within their natural environment. Besides human hunters, tigers are the primary predator of the Borneo elephant, although they tend to hunt the smaller Borneo elephant calves rather than the much larger and stronger adults.

Female Borneo elephants are generally able to breed by the time they are 10 years old, and give birth to a single Borneo elephant calf after a 22 month gestation period. When the Borneo elephant calf is first born, it weighs about 100 kg, and is cared for not only by it's mother by also by other female Borneo elephants in the herd (known as aunties). The infant Borneo elephant remains with its mother until it is around 5 years old and gains its independence, with males often leaving the herd and female calves staying. Today, the Borneo elephant is considered to be an animal that is in immediate danger of becoming extinct due to the fact that Borneo elephant populations have been declining at a critical rate. Borneo elephants are thought to be suffering primarily due to habitat loss in the form of deforestation and hunting for their ivory tusks by human poachers.

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Black Rhinoceros

True Wild Life | Black Rhinoceros | The black rhinoceros (also known as the hook-lipped rhinoceros) is a large species of rhinoceros native to Africa. Despite it's name, the black rhinoceros is actually fairly light in colour with most black rhinoceros individuals having either white or grey skin. Historically, the black rhinoceros had a vast range across central and eastern Africa in countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Angola. Although the black rhinoceros is still found in these countries today, their numbers are very few and far between.

The black rhinoceros is one of the larger rhinoceros species with the horns of the black rhinoceros known to reach 1.5 meters in length. The black rhinoceros uses it's horns are used for defence, intimidation, digging up roots and breaking branches during feeding. The horns of the black rhinoceros are made from a substance called keratin and are therefore very strong. The horns of the black rhinoceros are used in ancient medicine and many black rhinos have been illegally poached for them. The black rhinoceros has relatively poor eyesight, relying more on hearing and smell to detect what is going on around them. The ears of the black rhinoceros possess a relatively wide rotational range to detect sounds and an excellent sense of smell to readily alert them to the presence of predators.

The black rhinoceros is a herbivorous animal meaning that it sustains itself on a purely plant based diet. Black rhinos browse the densely vegetated savanna for leaves, flowers, buds, fruits, berries and roots which they dig up from the ground using their horns. Due to it's large size, the black rhino's only real predator in the wild are large wild cats such as lions that will prey on the black rhino calves and weak individuals. Humans are the biggest threat to the black rhinoceros as they have been hunted to the brink of extinction for their horns.

The black rhinoceros is solitary animal and only comes together with other black rhinos to mate. The female black rhinoceros gives birth to a single calf after a gestation period that is over a year long. The black rhinoceros calf remains with it's mother until it is at least 2 years old and big enough to become independent. Today, the black rhinoceros is a critically endangered animal said to be on the brink of extinction in the wild. There are only a handful of black rhinoceros individuals left in the wild, but reports suggest that black rhinoceros population numbers are now beginning to increase due to continued conservation efforts.

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