Gorilla follows farmer into Cross River village

Villagers living close to the famous Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary in Buanchor, Boki LGA of Cross River State, have recounted how gorillas do stray into their communities.

Over the weekend, a male gorilla reportedly followed a young man, Mr John Ekpang, from the forest of Konyiachi, a farming area of Bitiah Irruan down home to Bitiah village in Boki LGA.

The humanlike animal was suspected to have strayed from the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, where assorted animals are kept and nurtured.

Ekpang, a farmer and forest guide, said since it was not violent but friendly, he played along with it and it followed him to the village centre where it attracted the entire community.

Seeing how playful and friendly the animal was, the villagers did not attack it. Ekpang said: “He has been friendly, peaceful, playful. It is however strange that the gorilla is so at home with people it has never seen and interacted with.”

Ekpang said they will not kill it but will feed it and either await arrival of experts or encourage it to return to the Afi sanctuary.

Country director of World Conservative Society, an organisation responsible for conservation of rare animals, Mr Andrew Dunn was available to react to the development as at the time of filing this report.