Cross River gorillas鈥攖he rarest of the great apes鈥攕eldom make a public appearance, even for the field researchers who study them. So when conservationists reviewed the footage from remote cameras set up in Cameroon鈥檚 Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary, the scene they discovered startled them. The camera traps had recorded eight Cross River gorillas taking聽a casual walk in the woods. Among the video鈥檚 highlights: a male silverback鈥檚 captivating chest-beating display.

The video represents the first camera trap video footage of these , a subspecies with fewer than 250 individuals remaining.

鈥淭his video gives us all a spectacular view into the hidden world of one of our closest relatives, which is in dire need of our help to survive,鈥� said Steve Sanderson, WCS President and CEO.

Christopher Jameson, Director of WCS鈥檚 Takamanda Mone Landscape Project, added: 鈥淭he video represents the best images to date of Cross River gorillas, normally shy animals that flee at the slightest hint of human presence. The footage provides us with our first tantalizing glimpses of Cross River gorillas behaving normally in their environment. A person can study these animals for years and never even catch a glimpse of the gorillas, much less see anything like this.鈥�

Though the footage offers a hopeful sign of the Cross River gorilla鈥檚 survival in this dense forest, it also serves as a warning: About halfway through, viewers may notice one of the apes with a missing hand. Though healed, the injury attests to the gorilla鈥檚 past encounter with a snare, before new park guards moved in to patrol the forest鈥攏ow a protected area鈥攚here this family group lives.

鈥淐ross River gorillas occur in very low densities across their entire range, so the appearance of a possible snare injury is a reminder that continued law enforcement efforts are needed to prevent further injuries to gorillas in the sanctuary,鈥� said Dr. Liz Macfie, WCS Gorilla Coordinator.

The government of Cameroon established the Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary in 2008 for the sole purpose of protecting Cross River gorillas. The park evolved out of the 鈥淕orilla Guardian鈥� community network that WCS created to improve survival prospects for these apes in the country's most vulnerable, unprotected forests. A conservator (chief warden) now manages the sanctuary, along with two ecoguards, all appointed by the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife. A strong team of local staff from eight villages near the protected area assists the conservation effort. Kagwene is the only site where Cross River gorilla movements are monitored on a daily basis.