The foundation said it was part of its efforts in contributing to the protection of the nation’s threatened species such as the Cross River gorillas found in wildlife sanctuaries in the state. ADVERTISEMENTHe said the donation was made to some of the partners of NCF including Cross River National Park, Cross River Forestry Commission and the University of Calabar (UNICAL). He noted that the Cross River Gorilla Initiative commenced in 2022 and had awarded scholarships to two masters and a doctorate student all in the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management in UNICAL. Owan stated that the essence was to give participants a robust understanding of the importance of gender in the conservation of Cross River gorillas and its applicability in field research. NAN reports that the Cross River gorilla is a critically endangered subspecies of the western gorilla and lives in small areas of highland forest spanning the border of Nigeria and Cameroon.

Source: The Guardian December 29, 2023 17:22 UTC