ENDANGERED SPECIES - GORILLAID92920059
A.P.E. GORILLA COIN
For the year 2022, being aware of the importance of conserving the integrity and diversity of nature by ensuring the equitable and sustainable use of natural resources, the FNMT-RCM is issuing a collection of 16 coins dedicated to a selection of endangered animals catalogued as Critically Endangered (CR) and included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The complete collection consists of sixteen coins, issued in the year 2022, and an album-case in which to store them in an orderly fashion.
On the obverse, in a central circular area, an image of gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) is reproduced in colour. At the top, in a circular shape and in capital letters, the legend GORILA. At the bottom, in a circular shape and in capitals, the legend ESPAÑA (SPAIN) and the year of issue 2022.
On the reverse (common to all the coins), inside a central circle, the legend ANIMALS IN DANGER OF EXTINCTION appears at the top, in a circular shape and in capital letters; below it, the value of the coin 1.5 EURO, in two lines and in capital letters; and, below it, the mint mark.
| Series | Endangered Species |
| Year | 2022 |
| Colour | Yes |
| Diameter (mm) | 33 |
| Face Value (Euro) | 1.5 |
| Metal | Cupronickel |
| Weight (g) | 15 |
| Maximum Mintage (units) | 5,000 |
GORILLA (Gorilla gorilla)
There are two species of gorillas, the western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and the eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei), with two subspecies each. With 97-98% of their DNA identical to that of humans, they are, after chimpanzees, the most similar to humans.
Males are much larger than females, weighing up to 200 kg. They are known as "silverbacks". Standing on two legs, they are about 1.70 m tall. They usually move on all four limbs, the forelimbs being much longer than the hind limbs, using their fists as footholds when walking. These huge primates are endowed with great strength compared to humans, and have virtually no natural predators. Their diet is almost strictly vegetarian, eating all kinds of plants and fruits from the jungles and forests of Equatorial Africa, their only home.
In 1983, the American zoologist Dian Fossey published the famous book Gorillas in the Mist, in which she recounts her relationship with gorillas after many years of study and coexistence, helping to raise public awareness of the need to protect these great apes, and helping to demystify the supposed violent nature of gorillas.
It is estimated that 80% of existing gorillas live outside protected areas, making them extremely vulnerable to human activities. The gorilla population is estimated to be declining by approximately 2.7% each year, making these large primates endangered. Illegal logging of the forests where gorillas live and poaching for the gorilla meat trade or capture to supply young gorillas to zoos or research centres are just some of the factors threatening the species.