Scientists Say Ebola Has Pushed Western Gorillas to the Brink

he combined threat of the Ebola virus and poaching have pushed western gorillas into the "critically endangered" category in the latest international ranking of species threatened with extinction. Although estimates suggest that tens of thousands of the animals still live in west-central Africa, the new Red List from the World Conservation Union (IUCN) moves the species into its highest alert category, in large part because of fears that continuing Ebola outbreaks could swiftly wipe out still-significant gorilla populations. The list, released on 12 September, highlights the western gorilla as well as dozens of other species for which new data indicate an increased risk of extinction. The "critically endangered" category is usually applied when just a few hundred individuals survive in the wild. But researchers say that western gorillas, despite their relatively large numbers, are in serious trouble. An ongoing series of Ebola outbreaks has killed up to 90% of the animals in some regions (Science, 8 December 2006, p. 1522), and the use of vaccines to stem the disease faces daunting challenges. Adding to the pressure, the rapid development of logging roads has opened up vast new regions to poaching and the bush-meat trade

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