Description

This painting is dedicated to the Eastern lowland Gorilla, also known as Grauer's Gorilla. In addition to its large hands and short muzzle, it is distinguished from other gorillas by its stocky body. It is similar to other subspecies of gorillas, despite its size, that eastern lowland gorillas eat mainly fruit and other herbaceous materials. As a result of years of civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), both eastern lowland and mountain gorilla species have suffered. A lowland tropical rainforest in eastern DRC is home to the eastern lowland gorilla. Currently, its range is about 4,600 square miles and has decreased by 8,100 square miles in the last 50 years. In the mid-1990s, there were nearly 17,000 eastern lowland gorillas but today's population is estimated to be down by more than 50%. Due to violence in the region, it has been impossible to get an accurate count of the animals for many years.