Grauer's Gorilla

This painting pays tribute to the Eastern lowland Gorilla, also recognized as Grauer's Gorilla. Distinguished by its robust build alongside large hands and a short muzzle, this species stands apart from other gorillas. Despite its size, it shares similarities with other gorilla subspecies, primarily in its diet consisting mainly of fruit and herbaceous materials.

The Eastern lowland gorilla finds its habitat in a lowland tropical rainforest within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Over the years of civil unrest in the region, both the eastern lowland and mountain gorilla species have faced considerable challenges. The current habitat of the eastern lowland gorilla spans approximately 4,600 square miles, shrinking by 8,100 square miles over the past five decades. In the mid-1990s, the population stood at nearly 17,000 individuals, but today, it has declined by over 50%. The ongoing violence in the area has hindered accurate population assessments for these animals for an extended period.