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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: gorilla

gorilla stories: 20 news summaries

 Mountain Gorillas 
 Take Fight to 
 Survive 
 Online 

Ugandan animals' advocates embrace social networking

Sep 28, 09 6:37 PM CDT
(Newser) - Not only can your online buddies be any age and in any location, they don't even have to be your species. Tech-savvy advocates of the endangered mountain gorilla are about to launch an umbrella site, friendagorilla.org, that will feature videos, social networking, and blogs—by park rangers, not gorillas.... More »

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endangered species • Africa • Facebook • gorilla • Rwanda • Uganda • mountain gorillas • Twitter • Congo • Jason Biggs

 Rwanda 
 Gorilla King 
 Dies at 35 

Band cleans body of fallen leader, Titus

Sep 18, 09 2:22 AM CDT
(Newser) - The 35-year-old king of Rwanda gorillas has died, reports the Independent. The once fearsome silverback, Titus, succumbed to old age after a brief illness, said officials. His troupe in a mountain forest of the African nation appeared to be mourning their fallen leader, observers said. Titus shot to fame when... More »

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gorilla • Rwanda

Scientists Find First Human Infected With Gorilla HIV

Disease continues to evolve

Aug 3, 09 2:48 AM CDT
(Newser) - A woman from Cameroon living in Paris is the first human discovered to be infected with a form of HIV found in gorillas, HealthDay reports. The finding is yet another indication that the disease continues to mutate and to be transmitted by primates. The woman, 62, has not developed symptoms... More »

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AIDS • HIV • Cameroon • research • infection • gorilla • virus

 GOP Activist: 
 Gorilla on Lam 
 Just Michelle's 
 Ancestor 

South Carolina Republican apologizes, sort of, for racist remark

Jun 15, 09 7:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - Turns out that pegging a primate as a member of the first lady's family tree on a public website might not be the best career move, as an activist in the South Carolina GOP is finding out. Rusty DePass has apologized after making a comment on a friend's Facebook photo... More »

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Michelle Obama • South Carolina • Facebook • racism • Republican Party • gorilla

(Newser) - An escaped gorilla injured a South Carolina zoo employee before voluntarily returning to his enclosure after 5 minutes on the loose, the State reports. Riverbanks Zoo in COlumbia was on lockdown for about 45 minutes after Mike escaped, with visitors escorted into buildings or outside the park. The zoo did... More »

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South Carolina • zoo • injury • gorilla • animal attack • employee • Riverbanks Zoo • Columbia, SC

 Congo Battles 
 Gorilla Pet Trade 

World's only sanctuary for orphaned gorillas seeks to boost tourist numbers

May 28, 09 8:19 AM CDT
(Newser) - Conservationists trying to save the Republic of Congo's gorillas are fighting to protect the primates from poachers and the pet trade, the Daily Telegraph reports. One foundation, which warns that the gorilla population will be half what it is now by 2020 at the current rate of extermination, has founded... More »

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endangered species • gorilla • Western Lowland Gorilla • primates • Congo • Republic of Congo

 Baby Gorilla 
 Stashed in 
 Smuggler's Bag 

Had been inside for 6 hours; 'is responding to treatment'

Apr 28, 09 1:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - A live baby gorilla was found at the bottom of a smuggler’s plastic bag in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a 3-month undercover smuggling probe, MSNBC reports. The female eastern lowland gorilla, which has a street value of up to $20,000, had been in the bag for... More »

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wildlife • Democratic Republic of Congo • gorilla • smuggler • Eastern Lowland gorillas • smuggling

Gorillas: Maybe Not as Gentle as We Thought

Ape vegetarian in the wild, but can turn carnivore in captivity

Mar 27, 09 11:55 AM CDT
(Newser) - King Kong aside, gorillas have somehow been able to hold onto their reputations as gentle giants, while myths about the belligerent chimpanzee and the promiscuous bonobo have long since been dispelled. But with new research into ape behavior, the last fable may fall, the Economist reports after primatologists studied apes... More »

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zoo • wildlife • chimpanzees • bonobos • gorilla • apes • orangutans

Amid Congo's Violence,
a Gorilla 'Baby Boom'

Population of tame gorillas up 12.5%

Jan 27, 09 2:21 PM CST
(Newser) - The Democratic Republic of Congo has seen unspeakable violence, but one population has managed to thrive: the endangered mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park. The population of gorillas considered tame grew to 81 from 72 over the past year, Bloomberg reports. The gorilla population has boomed even as rangers entrusted... More »

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endangered species • Africa • Democratic Republic of Congo • gorilla • Congolese • mountain gorillas • Virunga Park • Congo

 Gorilla Fine After Rare Surgery 

Docs in Hungary look for tumors in ovary of 32-year-old Liesel

Jan 16, 09 2:21 PM CST
(Newser) - A 32-year-old female gorilla underwent a rare gynecological procedure in Hungary yesterday, the AP reports. Doctors operated for three hours on Liesel, who they suspected had a malignant tumor on her right ovary. No tumors were found during the surgery, but the gorilla will be kept under observation and apart... More »

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Hungary • gorilla • Budapest • malignant tumor

 Congo Militia 
 Kills Gorilla 
 Protector 

Rangers fought off rebels for hours

Jan 12, 09 4:11 AM CST
(Newser) - Rebels have killed a ranger stationed in a Congo national park to protect endangered gorillas from the surrounding civil unrest, CNN reports. Safari Kakule was one of seven men attacked. Another ranger was injured and a rebel captured in fighting that lasted for hours. It's unclear why the militia attacked... More »

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death • militia • Democratic Republic of Congo • gorilla • mountain gorillas • Congo • Eastern Lowland gorillas

OPINION

 The 5 Best Species to Resurrect 

DNA samples still exist for many extinct megafauna

Jan 8, 09 4:27 PM CST
(Newser) - Now that scientists have the woolly mammoth’s genome, the possibility of resurrecting the giant creatures—and other impressive species from our planet’s past—is a bit closer. Which megafauna would you bring back? New Scientist lists its favorites:
  • Sabre-toothed tiger. This massive cat with huge fangs would
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
DNA • extinction • genome • gorilla • woolly mammoth • animal

 Huge Gorilla
 Population Found
 in Congo

125,000 endangered primates located in northern Congo Republic

Aug 5, 08 4:55 AM CDT
(Newser) - As recently as last year, the western lowland gorilla was listed as one of the world's most critically endangered primate species, nearly wiped out by the Ebola virus. But an arduous survey has revealed that 125,000 gorillas are living in the northern Congo Republic, deep in a swampy region... More »

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endangered species • monkey • gorilla • Western Lowland Gorilla • biologists • primates • Congo Republic

 Spain Passes Ape Rights Bill 

Seriously, parliament moves to protect 'non-human hominids'

Jun 26, 08 1:14 PM CDT
(Newser) - Spanish Parliament passed a resolution promising fundamental “human” rights to the great apes, the Guardian reports. The bill enjoys wide support and would ban scientific experimentation involving higher-level primates. Zoo exhibition will still be legal, but supporters say living conditions will improve significantly. The legislative body was inspired by... More »

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Spain • animal rights • chimpanzees • gorilla • apes • orangutans • parliament

Heart Disease Is Killing Caged Gorillas

Experts try to treat mystery ailment
in US zoos

Apr 5, 08 7:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - Gorillas in US zoos are dying from heart disease, and no one knows why, the AP reports. Zookeepers and scientists started a nationwide “Gorilla Health Project” 2 years ago to probe the causes of fibrosing cardiomyopathy, a condition that turns heart muscle into useless fibers and has left scores... More »

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endangered species • Africa • heart disease • zoo • gorilla • Western Lowland Gorilla • fibrosing cardiomyopathy

 Taming Gorilla Heart 
 Disease a Beastly Task 

With great apes dying at alarming rates, zoos try to train some difficult patients

Mar 14, 08 2:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - With heart disease nearly epidemic among America’s captive gorilla population, zookeepers are trying to train the great apes to submit to the human medical procedures that could save their lives. But getting a gorilla to sit still for a blood test is a taxing problem, one the National Zoo... More »

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heart disease • gorilla • zookeeper • Western Lowland Gorilla • National Zoo • pandas • Metroparks Zoo • fibrosing cardiomyopathy

Nations Unite to Save Gorillas

10-year effort is the first to help dying species

Feb 25, 08 5:00 AM CST
(Newser) - Three African nations where the world's last 720 wild mountain gorillas live are finally working together to save the critically endangered animal, the Guardian reports. Until the 10-year plan was announced last week, mistrust and conflict had kept Rwanda, Uganda and the Congo from collaborating as another 10 apes were... More »

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endangered species • conservation • poaching • Democratic Republic of Congo • gorilla • Rwanda • Uganda • mountain gorillas • charcoal trade • rebel fighters • Central Africa • Virunga Park

Kidnapped Gorillas Go Home

Five years later, the 'Taiping Four' make the trip back to Cameroon

Dec 1, 07 9:29 AM CST
(Newser) - For four rare gorillas who were illegally smuggled from their home in Cameroon five years ago, the long journey has finally come to an end, the BBC reports. The one male and three female Western Lowland gorillas are returning to the Limbe Wildlife Sanctuary in Cameroon after being sedated and... More »

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endangered species • Africa • zoo • gorilla

'Extinction Crisis' Threatens 40% of Species

Watchdog group sees serious danger to one
in four mammals

Sep 12, 07 1:46 PM CDT
(Newser) - More than 16,000 species are in serious danger of extinction, including one in four mammals and one in three amphibians being monitored by a global conservation group. With 40% of 40,000 surveyed species facing the highest levels of threat, “We’re at code red,” a top... More »

MORE ABOUT:
climate change • endangered species • environment • endangered species list • extinction • El Nino • gorilla • species • Western Lowland Gorilla • Mauritius Echo Parakeet • World Conservation Union • biodiversity • animal

UN Eyes Congo After Gorilla Murders

Quadruple homicide, with 2 others missing, affects rare species

Jul 28, 07 3:47 PM CDT
(Newser) - Four mountain gorillas were shot to death in a nature preserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and UNESCO is flying in to help with the unsolved crime, CNN reports. The massacre of an alpha male and three females follows the recent killing of three other mountain gorillas—only 700... More »

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murder • death • Democratic Republic of Congo • gorilla • UNESCO • animal

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