the population were in favour of the conservation of these species, seeing them as important morphological counterparts to humans which, in the case of their dying out, would cause the demise of their human totemic counterparts. One reason for the decline of cross-river gorillas was believed to be the decline of adhering to these totemic practices among younger people in the 18 to 25 year age range. Regardless, this taboo is still in place and it still strongly discourages hunting of those endangered species. These totemic traditions are believed to be critical to the species' continued survival and well-being. The recurrent revival of these beliefs and practices are seen was a way to reinforce the conservation of these species, especially in the absence of real law enforcement due to a lack of governance. While this could also foster support from different villages and communities, and preserve their culture, care must be taken when selecting these practices as some could encourage their killing. Largely because of many taboos, in the past 15 years, there has not been any Cross River gorilla hunting incidents. The presence of a taboo prohibiting their persecution has been considered an extremely successful local conservation strategy. A workshop for the conservation of the Cross River gorilla was organized by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation was held in Nigeria in April 2001. The overall goal of the workshop was to enhance the species’ chance for survival because of its rare and distinct features from other western gorillas. The most important outcomes of the workshop were a list of improvements recommended to save the species and also establishing the need for regular meetings between the governments and conservation groups of Cameroon and Nigeria to achieve maximum efficiency in their conservation efforts. In 2008, the government of Cameroon created the Takamanda National Park on the border of Nigeria and Cameroon as an attempt to protect these gorillas. The park now forms part of an important trans-boundary protected area with Nigeria’s Cross River National Park, safeguarding an estimated 115 gorillas — a third of the Cross River gorilla population — along with other rare species. The hope is that the gorillas should be able to move between the Takamanda reserve in Cameroon over the border to Nigeria's Cross River National Park. The Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary was created by the Cameroonian government on April 3, 2008 as part