19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Ghost gorilla

Since 1980, more than 70% of the lowland gorilla population has been decimated in Central Africa, according to the results of a study published in 2016 on the PLOS one site. The main reasons for this disappearance are poaching, deforestation and human-transmitted diseases. In Gabon, the Moukalaba National Park is no exception to this rule. Here, the local authorities have been trying for several years to habituate groups of gorillas in order to develop tourism and thus reduce the poaching rate. A work that gradually brings results, but gorillas are not easy to find in the forest.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2021
Photo Location: Gabon
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Copyright: © Quentin Hulo