Monkey Butt Lovin'

Wildlife researchers said Tuesday that they've discovered 125,000 western lowland gorillas deep in the forests of the Republic of Congo, calling it a major increase in the animal's estimated population.

Previous estimates, dating to the 1980s, put the number of western lowland gorillas at less than 100,000. But the animal's numbers were believed to have fallen by at least 50 percent since then due to hunting and disease, researchers said.

The newly discovered gorilla population now puts their estimated numbers at between 175,000 to 225,000.

"This is a very significant discovery because of the terrible decline in population of these magnificent creatures to Ebola and bush meat," said Emma Stokes, one of the research team.

The researchers in the central African nation of Republic of Congo — neighbor of the much larger Congo — worked out the population figures by counting the sleeping "nests" gorillas make. The creatures are too reclusive and shy to count individually.