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The gorilla is a mammal of the primate order, and the biggest of all apes. Sadly, three out of the four subspecies of gorilla are critically endangered, according to the Red List of Threatened Species drawn up by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Amongst the main threats to the survival of gorillas are hunting (for food or medicinal products used in traditional medicine) and the destruction of habitat, especially due to forestry, agriculture and mineral extraction (coal, gold, zinc, uranium and coltan). To this we can add the effects of armed conflicts and diseases such as Ebola.

In light of this situation, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) have proclaimed 2009 as the Year of the Gorilla.

The purpose of the Year of the Gorilla is to encourage a range of initiatives aimed at protecting gorillas. The initiatives were set down in the Agreement on the Conservation of Gorillas and their Habitats, which came into effect in the middle of last year. The geographical area covered by the agreement covers ten African countries: Angola, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda.