Eastern lowland gorilla

The eastern lowland gorilla or Grauer's gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri) is a subspecies of eastern gorilla endemic to the mountainous forests of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Important populations of this gorilla live in the Kahuzi-Biega and Maiko National Parks and their adjacent forests, the Tayna Gorilla Reserve, the Usala forest and on the Itombwe Massif.

It is the largest of the four gorilla subspecies. It has jet black coats like the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei), although the hair is shorter on the head and body. The male's coat, like that of other gorillas, greys as the animal matures, resulting in the designation "silverback".

There are far fewer eastern lowland gorillas compared to western lowland gorillas. According to a 2004 report there were only about 5,000 eastern lowland gorillas in the wild,[2] down to fewer than 3,800 in 2016,[3] compared to over 100,000 western lowland gorillas. Outside their native range, only one female eastern lowland gorilla lives in captivity, at the Antwerp Zoo in Belgium.[4][5]