Gorilla Journal Journal of Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe No. 21, December 2000

Attack on a The Situation in A Visit to the What, if Anything, Kahuzi-Biega Maiko National Mountain Gorillas is Taxonomy? National Park Park in Rwanda Meeting BERGGORILLA & REGENWALD DIREKTHILFE

Authors of this Issue ciety) and of the Steering Committee CONTENTS of the IUCN Primate Specialist Group. Democratic Republic of Congo 3 Dr. Thomas Butynski has con- He has been studying the ecology of News from Kahuzi-Biega 3 ducted wildlife research in Africa since tropical forest primates since 1964. Attack on a Kahuzi-Biega Meeting 3 1971. From 1978 to 1993 he studied Jean-François Segers is an eco- Attempt to Re-introduce a Young primates and worked on rain forest nomist who manages several com- Gorilla to the Kahuzi-Biega Forest 3 conservation in Uganda. Now he panies in Kivu and travels to Bukavu Visit to Kahuzi-Biega 4 works for Zoo Atlanta. Since 1995 he every month. He is the president of The Situation in Maiko 4 has made surveys in endangered Nouvelles Approches, a Belgian NGO Mt. Tshiaberimu News 6 montane forests in the eastern Demo- that supports the protection of the en- Attack on Vital Katembo 7 cratic Republic of Congo. vironment and has several projects in Sarambwe Protection 7 Klaus Griegel is a geologist and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uganda 8 worked in Mozambique for 3 years. Claude Sikubwabo Kiyengo has Our Assistant 8 He has a special interest in environ- conducted a gorilla survey in the Scabies again 8 mental and nature conservation. Maiko Park from 1989 to 1992, and in Sewing and Knitting for Dr. Colin Groves wrote his PhD 1994 he took part in the gorilla census Conservation 8 thesis on gorilla osteology and tax- in Kahuzi-Biega. Since 1995, he has Rwanda 9 onomy, and in 1971 he visited the been working for the ICCN (Institut Conservation NGOs unite for mountain gorillas at Karisoke. After Congolais pour la Conservation de la "Peace" 9 working at American and British uni- Nature) in Goma. Mountain Gorilla Veterinarians 10 versities, he emigrated to Australia in Dr. Juliana Ströbele-Gregor Journey to Uganda and Rwanda 10 1974. Now he is teaching primatology studied Ethnology and Cultural An- Visit to the Gorillas in Rwanda 10 and human evolution at the Australian thropology of the Americas. She Gorillas 12 National University, and he is doing works as a free-lance consultant in What, if Anything, Is Taxonomy? 12 research on various animals. German developmental aid. An Overview of Apes in Africa 15 Vital Katembo Mushengezi at Dr. Jo Thompson has been study- Cross River Gorillas 18 first worked in the Ituri Forest for WCS ing wild bonobos at the Lukuru Wild- Bushmeat Action 19 (Wildlife Conservation Society) and life Research Project since 1992. The Great Ape Event 20 has been active in the Virunga Na- She conducts survey and educational Reading 21 tional Park since 1994. Now he is campaign expeditions. Since 1997 Berggorilla & Regenwald project leader for Mt. Tshiaberimu and she has incorporated research, con- Direkthilfe 22 field assistant for DFGF (Dian Fossey servation and education efforts within News from the Internet 22 Gorilla Fund) Europe in North Kivu. the South Block, Salonga Park. Jobs and Opportunities for Prof. John F. Oates is a member Iris Weiche started her work with Volunteers 22 of the Conservation Committee of the primates, in the wild and in zoos, in Activities 22 ISP (International Primatological So- 1990. At the moment she is finishing her doctoral dissertation on female gorillas in zoos. Since 1994 she has Organization Address: Gorilla Journal 21, been active for the Berggorilla & Re- Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe December 2000 genwald Direkthilfe, and in May 1997 c/o Rolf Brunner Editor: Angela Meder she joined the Board of Directors. Lerchenstr. 5 Augustenstr. 122, D-70197 Stuttgart Dr. Liz Williamson began to study 45473 Muelheim, Germany Fax +49-711-6159919 gorillas in Gabon from 1984 to 1990. Fax +49-208-7671605 E-mail [email protected] She was involved in gorilla surveys in E-Mail [email protected] Translation: Ann DeVoy, Bettina and Congo/Zaire and Cameroon in 1994 Web Site: Andrew Grieser Johns, Jennifer Scott and 1995. Currently she is the Direc- http://www.kilimanjaro.com/gorilla/brd Design: Edwin Artho, Angela Meder tor of the Karisoke Research Centre. Bank Account: Production: Gentner-Verlag, Stuttgart Sylvia Wladarz is a zoo animal Account number 353 344 315 Cover: Sylvia Wladarz and William keeper. She has been a member of Stadtsparkasse Muelheim Mugisha with Mgahinga rangers the Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkt- Bank code number 362 500 00 Photo: Klaus Griegel hilfe for one year.

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News from Kahuzi-Biega baby Bitorwa has since died, probably due to an infection. On 19 May 2000, the Kahuzi-Biega In June, a survey was begun of go- rangers were returned their arms and rillas and elephants in the mountain resumed patrolling. The ranger posts part of the park, as it was not clear Mugaba and Tshibati were re-manned how many animals had survived the after this. Unfortunately, the Tshivan- wars. The survey team was headed ga post was attacked by armed rebels by the Congolese biologist Omari on the night of 17 June. One ranger Ilambu and accompanied by more was injured. In spite of this, park staff than 50 soldiers. They found 130 go- continued to control this part of the rillas (a few months ago, only 70 sur- park. However, they have stopped viving gorillas had been estimated), The orphan Bitorwa spending the night at the post. but not one elephant was left. Photo: Carlos Schuler Thanks to the work of the rangers, Park staff started to act against no more gorillas were killed by poach- illegal land utilisation in the corridor volved in the Bitorwa case never be- ers in June. The team working on the connecting the two parts of the Kahu- trayed their sources, not even to the illegal live animal trade succeeded zi-Biega National Park after the Gover- national police. This shows that they in confiscating one gorilla baby, one nor had annulled the 11 certificates of had some sort of safeguard. baboon and one red-tailed monkey occupation in May. They expelled all The gorilla, a male, was captured in in Bukavu. Unfortunately, the gorilla illegal occupants, burned charcoal ov- the montane forest after his family had ens and confiscated cattle grazing in been killed. He was about 2 years old the park. Unfortunately, certain crimi- and had been fed fruit (mainly ba- Attack on a Kahuzi- nal government employees tried to in- nanas) during his captivity. timidate and menace the park staff. About 10 days after his capture, the Biega Meeting Meanwhile, approximately 10% of infant still knew the taste of leaves and During an Interahamwe attack the park's area is under the control of fruit that he had eaten in the forest on a meeting on 5 September the guards again. (Myrianthus, Urera, Pennisetum ...) 2000, 10 people died and many and the park decided to try and re- people were injured, some of introduce him to the forest to give him them seriously. Contrary to first Attempt to Re-introduce a chance to survive in his natural envi- media reports, no members of a Young Gorilla to the ronment. It was attempted to intro- the park staff were among the Kahuzi-Biega Forest duce him to the group led by the dead. The rebels took five hos- silverback Mugaruka that consists of tages whom they set free near Since 1996, the Kahuzi-Biega Na- 6 individuals. However, the re-intro- Kalonge. The hostages reported tional Park has been under severe hu- duction was difficult because of the that the attackers belonged to man pressure because of the troubles silverback's behaviour; he reacted ag- the "Army for the Liberation of that shook the region. Networks of gressively to the young gorilla three Rwanda". poachers developed; they support the times. The infant panicked and rush- The attack took place on the trade in gorilla babies and other pri- ed back to the team that had taken last day of a meeting between mates as well as various trophies of him to the group. A few days later, the park staff, government repre- large mammals. Elephants and goril- solitary youngster died in the forest. sentatives, traditional chiefs and las are the targets most sought after. It seems that the confiscation and representatives of the local In May 2000, a team of the Kahuzi- re-introduction of wild animals to their population. The aim of the nego- Biega Park that was in charge of de- natural habitat does not solve the tiations was to develop solutions stroying poachers' networks in the problem that threatens the large ani- for the conservation of the se- area confiscated a young gorilla from mals of the Kahuzi-Biega National verely threatened corridor be- poachers. According to the poachers, Park. The ICCN (Institut Congolais tween the mountain and the low- an expatriate, an agent of an interna- pour la Conservation de la Nature) and land sector of the Kahuzi-Biega tional organisation in Bukavu, had the park management are fighting National Park. given the order to capture the gorilla. against the transport of animals from However, the people who were in- the park into town (gorilla babies,

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guenons, leopard cubs, ...) and tro- for columbite (niobite – (Fe, Mn)Nb2O6 phies (ivory, gorilla skulls, ...) in order – and tantalite – (Fe, Mn)Ta2O6), an to destroy the poachers' networks that ore that represents an important re- are systematically looting animal and source of the region. Most of the plant products. Fortunately there are collected mineral is taken out by aero- – besides the faithful partner, GTZ planes. Naturally, this illegal exploita- (Gesellschaft für technische Zusam- tion means that every animal species menarbeit: German governmental de- that moves in the lowland part of the velopment organisation) – UNESCO, park is killed in order to feed the min- Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe, ers. Another factor is the ivory trade. Born Free Foundation, WCS, Nou- To date, there is no material proof of velles Approches and other organisa- this illegal activity, but, according to tions that support local efforts to save information from the ICCN, there is no the gorillas in their natural habitat. doubt that it takes place. Currently, The support of the conservationists' the ICCN has no means to put a stop world is extremely necessary as it to the ongoing slaughter. The support can condemn the acts of destruction of the authorities is needed to deter- and support the respect for nature. mine the source of the collected min- This is especially important because eral in numerous airports and locali- official and international organisations ties surrounding the park, such as are funding the ecocide. For example, Punia, Walikale, Nzovu, Isangi and zoos, animal centers, rich people who corridor. One cannot but pay tribute Lulingu. To put an end to this trade is decorate their property with wild ani- to their ardent wish to preserve what is an important financial sacrifice, but mals, and others could help to slow left of the park’s biodiversity, and to without it the lowland part of the park down these activities that are disturb- their enormous courage. We also rec- cannot survive. ing the balance of the forest ecosys- ognise the tremendous support they Jean-Francois Segers tems which include man too. receive from the GTZ against all odds. Chantal Shalukoma At the moment, the authorities’ support seems to be much more de- The Situation in Maiko termined. It is because of this that National Park Visit to Kahuzi-Biega poachers who are arrested by the During my last visit to the Kahuzi- guards are actually kept in prison for Maiko National Park was created No- Biega National Park in October, I saw several months, instead of being freed vember 1970 to protect the critical Mugaruka and his family again. The immediately as it has happened be- populations of Grauer’s gorilla, chim- rainy season has just started in Kivu fore. The farmers who had illegally panzee, okapi, bongo, forest elephant and the gorillas were feeding mainly cultivated fields in the corridor have and Congo peacock sheltered within on young bamboo shoots. been forced to leave. its boundaries. Unlike Kahuzi-Biega After I had the pleasure of being A new census has determined that and Virunga, Maiko is not a World close to a family of gorillas, I always the park’s gorilla population is in bet- Heritage listed site and, therefore, take away a feeling of humility and ter shape than previously thought. No does not benefit from similar interna- respect for the quiet strength and the new cases of gorilla poaching have tional attention and support. harmonic relationship with nature that been reported. On the other hand, the Based on forest reconnaissance, these primates have been able to pre- poaching of small animals is worrying. John Hart and Claude Sikubwabo serve. Close to them, one can almost This seems to be partly due to the (1994) consider Maiko may be the forget that peace is far from being re- impoverishment of the human popula- richest forest park in the Democratic installed in the country and that inse- tion and the resulting shortage of Republic of Congo in terms of bio- curity reigns the region. meat. diversity. As a result of their 1989 to After a period of reorganisation, the The situation of the lowland part of 1992 survey, they identified two dis- park guards, partly armed at the mo- the park is even much more worrying. tinct populations of Grauer’s gorilla in ment, have re-started patrols in the There are indications that currently Maiko National Park. In 1996 John smaller part of the park and in the thousands of miners are mining there Hart and Jefferson Hall estimated

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Lindi Manguredjipa facing complete disaster as a result of Reserve (OFR) lies just to the north of the current crisis. For example he Maiko and the Epulu station (OFR) Opienge Butembo cited events in February 1999 when an offers a relative perspective. John and Loya adult male gorilla was killed and re- Terese Hart generously provide in- Maiko Parc National Lubero de la Maiko Lubero lates that soldiers based in Man- formation from Epulu. They write that guredjipa kill at least 2 elephants per the northeastern Democratic Republic Lubutu week to sell the meat. of Congo remains completely un- DEMOCRATIC The primary factors influencing the stable, and in August 2000 two new REPUBLIC OF CONGO poaching and exploitation of minerals "rebel" movements emerged, includ- are the rebellion and the presence ing an offshoot group based in Baf- Punia Walikale of humans who suffer the resulting wasende. The Bafwasende group Goma miseries of war and economic de- include in their territorial claim the privation. Mineral prospectors and the occupation of half of northern Maiko. those populations to be 826 (range process of digging for gold (a lucrative We can reasonably assume that 444–1090) and 33 (range 18–45) in the clandestine career) impact the water the situation at OFR is representative north and south respectively, with the courses and shorelines of the rivers of northern Maiko. In personal com- northern population remaining rela- and scarring the landscape. Ru- munications, the Harts relate that tively stable and offering the best hope dimentary mechanical traps, nets, they are having to fight a continuous for conservation. However, before the snares, capture devices, etc. are battle against incursion, illicit mining, war there was already some human employed to hunt bushmeat and elephant poaching, military deserters occupation in Maiko and elephant threaten the lives and the well-being of turned bandits/poachers, etc. Most of poachers worked from temporary gorillas. A single trapper may main- these "elements" have some com- camps inside the park. Small scale tain as many as 500 traps. plicity with local people, local au- commercial ivory and live animal (in- Due to the armed conflict and thorities and the occupying govern- cluding infant gorillas) trade had al- inability of park personnel to staff their ments. All are involved in chaotic ready established routes through posts, there is little direct news from extractive activities, including bush- Butembo, Kisangani, Lubutu, Bafwa- Maiko. However, the Okapi Faunal meat, but mainly driven by the search sende and Walikale. The vast surface area of the park and inadequate infra- structure made surveillance, control and protection very difficult. The current conflict erupted in June 1998. Two years later, with war still ravaging the terrain, Conservateur Masasu (Maiko north) described the situation (June 2000) from safe haven at Epulu. He reported that the Maiko staff salaries have not been paid for the past three years. The staff feel seriously ignored and unappreciated in comparison to the World Heritage Site parks. He is forced to reside in the village of Butembo (nearly 100 km from the park) because he is no longer able to pay rent for his house in Man- guredjipa. This indicates that there is no "protective" presence within the park territory, the only effective de- terrent against illegal activity. He further reported that the critical Patch of land within the Maiko National Park after digging for gold wildlife of Maiko National Park are Photo: Claude Sikubwabo Kiyengo

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for minerals (gold, colombo-tantalite, Reference was not possible to determine the diamonds). The Harts do not yet see Hart, J.A. and Sikubwabo, C. 1994. Explora- gender of all group members. There tion of the Maiko National Park of Zaire 1989- an end to instability in the region. 1992: History, environment and the dis- are definitely 9 gorillas; among them Meeting with Terese Hart, Con- tribution and status of large mammals. Wild- are one silverback male and two adult servateur Masasu reported similar life Conservation Society, New York. females with babies. Another silver- incursions into Maiko north, but with back lives in the vicinity of the family; the presence of more dangerous In August, Jo Thompson and Michel his relationship with the Lusenge fam- armed rebel and military deserters as Hasson visited the national parks ily is not clear. Three more males, well. Upemba and Kundelungu in southern two silverbacks and one blackback, A Médecins sans Frontières Congo. The situation there was des- range in the Kivya area. Recently, the volunteer from Kisangani who had perate, especially for elephants. How- gorillas have started to occasionally been in the Lubutu and Oso region ever, the rangers are doing their best visit the fields. (Maiko south) in the recent past did to protect the parks. The team also collected samples of not even know of the existence of the the gorillas’ feeding plants, listing a park, but his description to John Hart total of 37 species. Compared to the of the meat trade in the region was Mt. Tshiaberimu News results from Kahuzi-Biega (about 140 very worrying. In February 2000, with funds from the plant species) and Virunga (about 75), The Harts maintain that despite Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkfhilfe this might indicate that gorilla food on these depredations, much of the value and the DFGF (Dian Fossey Gorill Mt. Tshiaberimu is not sufficiently var- remains in the region (including Ituri Fund), Claude Sikubwabo and Vital ied. Therefore further research on the and Maiko) and the capacity for Katembo conducted a training course nutrition of the Mt. Tshiaberimu goril- renewal is still there – as there is no for 21 rangers and other employees in las is urgently required. serious loss of forest cover or in- the Mt. Tshiaberimu area. The train- In addition to the gorillas, the follow- cursion by logging from timber com- ing consisted of these courses: intro- ing mammals were also observed on panies, though these remain ultimate duction to monitoring, importance of Mt. Tshiaberimu: blue monkey, black- risks. The Harts insist that there is the park's conservation, conflicts be- fronted duiker as well as unidentified still much worth saving – and fighting tween conservation and communities, species of genet, mongoose, galago, for. They identify success in OFR as orientation with maps and GPS, habi- squirrels and bats. Baboons were continuous vigilance on the ground tats and animals of Mt. Tshiaberimu, noticed near Kasimbi. The occurence and support for whatever interventions ecology, biology and behaviour of go- of the jackal, the owl-faced monkey can be achieved. Sadly, Maiko lacks rillas, conservation problems on Mt. and the potto could not be confirmed. such a constituency. Tshiaberimu and gorilla census tech- Part of the training course was also However, Conservateur Masasu niques including transects. After the to survey the area of the park utilized asks us to pursue peace, sensiti- 3-day training, activities in the field by the local population since 1990. In zation and education of the human started. The participants conducted a that year, people started cultivating population living close to the park, survey on the gorillas and other mam- fields, collecting firewood and plants formation of personnel to control and mals of Mt. Tshiaberimu, registered and setting traps for rodents. The organize ecological activities at the the cultivated area on Mt. Tshiabe- rangers and the responsible persons local level, material (equipment) and rimu, practised orientation in the for- in Kiavinyonge did not try to stop financial support for the staff and est and analyzed human activities. these illegal activities. Currently, 6.4 project assistance for the park. From 7 to 11 February, the gorillas km2 are affected. Park staff are trying The organisation of international were surveyed by the employees and to prevent the allocation of land for support is absolutely necessary and from 12 to 22 February by the rangers. new fields. The situation in the part of indispensable to save the treasures of Their nests were registered and some- the park which is actually protected the Maiko National Park. It is my times a few individuals were seen. has improved considerably over the hope that this article will introduce When the survey team approached last few years. Only a few, usually Maiko to the broader public, en- the gorillas, the silverback charged old, signs of human activity could be courage support and potentially peak every time. The survey revealed that found here. the interest of an NGO to adopt there is only one gorilla family left in It is essential for the future of the Maiko. the area. It was named Lusenge. As Mt. Tshiaberimu area and its gorillas Jo Thompson the group is only partly habituated, it to sensitize the local population; to

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conduct development projects around Sarambwe Protection – Deforestation. the park and to involve the people liv- – The borders of the protected area ing close to the park in conservation With funding from the Berggorilla & are not sufficiently known. measures. Regenwald Direkthilfe, a meeting on – The local population is not involved To improve the conservation of Mt. the conservation of the Sarambwe in the administration of the Sarambwe Tshiaberimu, we recommend the fol- Forest was held in June between all Forest area. lowing: organisations working in the area, gov- – The legislation concerning pro- – Continue the support of the project ernment representatives, representa- tected zones is not written in a com- for the park. tives of the local population and the prehensible way. – Conduct a survey (at least for 3 traditional chiefs. The meeting was – Local groups do not receive any months) on the mammals. organized by the local NGO VONA support for their conservation activi- – Examine the health of the gorillas in (La voix de la nature) and the ICCN. ties. cooperation with the MGVC (Mountain Its goal was to identify the conserva- – General insecurity. Gorilla Veterinary Center). tion problems in the Sarambwe area Severe deforestation poses the great- – Study the food plants of the gorillas and to develop joint solutions. est threat to the Sarambwe Forest. In in detail. Many organisations are concerned order to improve the conservation of – Develop a community action plan with the protection of the Sarambwe the Sarambwe Forest it was decided that coordinated the action of the Forest, for example: The ICCN sent to increase public awareness activi- population concerned with the conser- rangers to the protection of Sarambwe ties, to involve the local population in vation of the site. in 1998. ICCN and IGCP (Internatio- decision-making and to support devel- – Establish development projects for nal Gorilla Conservation Programme) opmental aid projects around the for- the surrounding population. work together as partners to fund the est. The forest boundaries are to be – Keep the pistes for patrols. This is conservation activities in Sarambwe: demarcated as soon as possible and necessary since the elephants have The costs of the office of the Domaine the resettlement of families still living been exterminated. de chasse de Rutshuru and the food inside the forest is to be supported. – Carry out large public awareness supplies of the ranger patrols. This Moreover, adjacent villages will start campaigns. permits the rangers of Sarambwe to reforestation measures shortly. Claude Sikubwabo Kiyengo conduct patrols and meet with the Claude Sikubwabo Kiyengo and Vital Katembo Mushengezi rangers of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park accross the border to Uganda. The organisation AJAKAR Attack on Vital Katembo works for the reforestation of the dis- Working for gorilla conservation in the turbed parts of the Sarambwe area. eastern part of the Democratic Repub- The governmental authority EPF has lic of Congo is a dangerous task. In given permits for wood exploitation to 1999 Mbake Sivha was attacked and the population but stopped this in robbed in her house in Bukavu, and 1996. Meanwhile, the Mwami (king) of now Vital Katembo became a victim of Bwisha found an area where the peo- such an aggression. On 23 October ple who had cultivated fields in the 2000 he was attacked by 4 armed Sarambwe area could settle. military persons on the way to his In 1998, a Sarambwe working com- house in Goma. They threatened him mittee was founded by those authori- and stole his computer, video camera, ties and organisations. However, this mobile telephone, radio, some money committee has not functioned cor- and his identity papers. He feared for rectly so far as it did not have a pro- his life. When the police arrived, the gram and support. bandits fled. One of them was caught The local population considers the but set free very soon and the stolen following problems as the most impor- belongings of Vital Katembo were not tant ones in Sarambwe: found. He suffered a great shock from – The ICCN has no control of what is Pictures from the meeting on this experience. happening in the forest. Sarambwe conservation

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Our Assistant that he takes with his digital camera, themselves more than usual. Three and he has already done this suc- young animals had an abnormal skin William Mugisha, our assistant in cessfully. It is extremely useful for us condition. One gorilla was anaesthe- Kisoro, is now able to communicate that he can now keep us informed on tized, as it had lost about 60% of its with us regularly by e-mail and mobile his activities and provide news from hair and its skin was coming off in phone. He even can send pictures the gorilla conservation areas. flakes. The MGVC took samples of He has already taken part in several the diseased skin and took biopsies. international meetings. For example, A microscopic examination indicated he represented us in the latest IGCP skin mites. The animal was drip-fed, meeting at the end of September. as it showed signs of being dehy- There he reported on our past and drated. Two other young animals future gorilla conservation activities. were treated with an ectoparasitic ointment without being anaesthetized. A week later, one of them was Scabies again treated again. After another week, all At the end of July, the Ugandan park three animals' condition had markedly authorities asked the Mountain Gorilla improved. However, at the end of Au- Veterinary Center (MGVC) to examine gust, in one case another follow-up S. Wladarz and W. Mugisha send the gorillas in the Nkuringo group that treatment with the ectoparasitic medi- a digital picture to Germany. is currently being habituated. The ani- cine was necessary. In addition, a Photo: Klaus Griegel mals had lost hair and scratched newly infected young gorilla had lost a

Sewing and Knitting for Conservation

It has always been our goal that the people living in the vicinity of protected areas for gorillas should be involved in our work and profit from it. Therefore we want to involve Ugandans in the manufacture of clothes for rangers. Waltraud Ndagijimana, who has lived in Kisoro for many years, wants to support us in this project. She has good contacts with local women’s groups who will sew clothes and knit sweaters for us. The first requests for clothes are already coming in. It can get very cold on the Virunga Volcanoes; the rangers of the Mgahinga National Park need warm sweaters. At first we gave them clothes from the store, but now we have run out. Therefore we are planning to have a large number of sweaters knitted and put into the store, to be distributed when the rangers need them. In addition to sweaters, the national parks’ staff regularly need clothes that have to be produced ac- cording to their special requirements. We also want to employ Ugandans for this. The first order has already been placed, but to have more clothes made we need more funds. We have to buy wool and cloth (expensive, robust quality) in Uganda or Germany.

Not only the rangers will profit from this project but also Ugandans living in the parks’ vicinity.

We are grateful for any donation that will help us to supply our storage. Please send checks to:

Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe, c/o Rolf Brunner Women in Kisoro who will knit ranger clothes for Lerchenstr. 5, 45473 Muelheim, Germany our storage

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lot of hair on the chest and also had to MGVC. The local park authorities ex- Conservation NGOs be treated. One young animal re- pressed their concern about the dis- unite for "Peace" ceived its follow-up treatment from an ease. Preventative measures are to Australian colleague from Uganda, as be taken. The MGVC was asked to A 14-year-old young silverback in a the silverback shielded it from the rest develop a questionnaire and give train- Karisoke research gorilla group was of the group while the MGVC vet- ing that would enable rangers and recently very sick following a pro- erinarians were there. possibly other people living close to longed respiratory infection. Amaho- At the moment, all animals are in the park to recognize early signs of ro, a name meaning "peace" in Kinya- good condition. No additional individu- gorilla diseases. This has since been rwanda, became lethargic, did not eat als fell ill. The samples were sent to done. Park authorities, IGCP and and was having difficulty keeping up parasitologists in the USA in order to ITFC are planning additional meas- with his group. The group, however, determine whether the mites were a ures. adjusted their travel speed to avoid species that normally infects humans The Nkuringo group was habituated leaving him behind. There are five or other mammals. To date, there is for tourists but the start of gorilla tour- young silverbacks in this group, and no final result. Scabies mites are ism was postponed. According to one in particular, Gwiza, was an al- considered very host specific. How- IGCP Uganda, there is no infrastruc- most constant companion of the ever, the mite in question does not ture in the area, the gorillas are spend- invalid. seem to be an autochthonous gorilla ing too much time outside the park When it was clear that Amahoro's parasite, as the young animals show- and a clear tourism development plan condition was deteriorating, we con- ed a strong reaction. has not yet been finished. There is no tacted the International Gorilla Con- In early August, the IGCP called a date for opening of tourism to the servation Programme (IGCP) in Ugan- meeting with the Ugandan park au- group but IGCP and UWA (Uganda da in the absence of the Mountain thorities, the ITFC (Institute of Tropi- Wildlife Authority) are working on this Gorilla Veterinary Center vets from cal Forest Conservation) and the issue as a matter of priority. Rwanda. IGCP contacted Wayne Boardman, working at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre. We had lengthy discussions of whether or not to intervene and if so how. Vince Smith of Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (DFGF) Europe also participated in the debate. After an evaluation visit, Wayne Boardman discussed Ama- horo's condition by telephone with Antoine Mudakikwa and Mike Cran- field of MGVP and Liz Macfie, Veteri- nary Advisor to IGCP. The following day we successfully darted Amahoro with two antibiotics. His weak state contributed to the ease of the intervention – a vocalisa- tion would have drawn the attention of the dominant silverback – but Ama- horo hardly reacted to the dart, he simply went to his mother, Pandora, for comfort. He has now fully recov- ered and was an enthusiastic partici- pant during a recent inter-group inter- action. Thanks to everyone involved. Liz Williamson Amahoro sits close to his mother after having received his medication Each Karisoke gorilla group is visited Photo: Liz Williamson daily. Karisoke researchers are allo-

9 Gorilla Journal 21, December 2000 RWANDA

cated military escorts 4 days per week found a tour operator who took us to since September 2000. Gorilla tour- the border in Cyanika in his pick-up ism is operational 7-days per week on truck, together with four British stu- demand. (From Primate Eye 72) dents. From there we went to ORTPN (Office Rwandais du Tourisme et des Parcs Nationaux) in Ruhengeri to get Mountain Gorilla the permits, before we finally arrived in Veterinarians Kinigi, the post where the gorilla visits start. As in Uganda, the permit costs Recently, the MGVC conducted an US$ 250 for foreigners. autopsy on a young gorilla from a re- We visited the Sabinyo group which search group. The animal had an Young gorilla in Rwanda consists of 2 silverbacks, 5 adult fe- affected gastrointestinal tract. The re- Photo: Sylvia Wladarz males and 4 young gorillas. It took sults of the microscopic sections have less than an hour to reach the group. not yet arrived. It is planned to start runga National Park in the D.R. For a second time we were able to research into the microbiology and vi- Congo, visits can only be booked lo- enjoy the overwhelming experience of rology of gorillas through dung sam- cally in the Kisoro office of the park. seeing the mountain gorillas. When pling this year. There we learnt that the Nyakagezi we re-entered Uganda, we had to pay The MGVC vets participated in a group had recently stayed in Congo another US$ 30 for the visa. conference on zoo animals in the USA because of more abundant food on Klaus Griegel and Sylvia Wladarz to give a talk on the necessity of a that side of the border. multidisciplinary approach in veteri- However, a visit to the mountain nary medicine for nature conservation gorillas was not our only reason for Visit to the Mountain and to participate in a training course coming to Kisoro. As members of the Gorillas in Rwanda on the assessment of disease risk. Bergorillas & Regenwald Direkthilfe They received training in modern tech- we wanted to see the recently estab- In August 2000, the federal delegate of niques in the microbiological and lished office in Kisoro and meet the the Green Party, Hans-Christian Strö- virological part of the Simian Labora- organisation's assistant, William Mu- bele, and I visited the Volcano Natio- tory in San Antonio. gisha. He showed us the small office nal Park in Rwanda and the Mountain The Morris Animal Foundation next door to the Mgahinga National Gorilla Veterinary Center in Ru- (which funds the Mountain Gorilla Vet- Park office. A lap-top computer and a hengeri. Ute Eilenberger also accom- erinary Project) invited 18 participants digital camera had just been handed panied us on our visits to the gorilla to meet in Florida for the strategic over. With this modern equipment, families Sabinyo and Susa. planning of the project’s future. William Mugisha can now send up-to- Rwanda profits from the tourist rush date news to Germany, both in text in Uganda. Tourists who did not man- and pictures, via e-mail, and also re- age to get into a group in Uganda are Journey to Uganda and ceive messages. We tested the new taken accross the border to the Rwanda equipment the same evening and Rwandan park and integrated within found it was working well. After having seen the mountain goril- On 11 September, we drove with 300 las in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest William Mugisha from Kisoro to the National Park in February 1999, our Mgahinga National Park post. In the 200 interest in the gorillas of the Mgahinga presence of Chief Warden Isaac F. Gorilla National Park had been awak- Drani, we handed over 2 tarpaulins, 100 ened. So we set out to see them in 3 two-men tents, 42 polo shirts and September 2000. 3 sweatshirts. We were not able to obtain permits We learnt that visits to the moun- A S O N D J F M A M J J A for the Mgahinga Park from the tain gorillas of the Volcano National Uganda Wildlife Authority in Kampala. Park in Rwanda are possible from the Number of gorilla tourists from As the only habituated group (Nyaka- Ugandan side. So we decided to at- August 1999 to August 2000 gezi) sometimes moves into the Vi- tempt this. In the Virunga Hotel we (ORTPN)

10 Gorilla Journal 21, December 2000 RWANDA

visitor groups there. During our first ed healthy, reacted to the visitors ac- pleased to see that a bite wound on a visit to the Sabinyo family we learnt cording to age: the young gorillas blackback was healing well. However, that this trans-border shuffling of tour- were curious, the older ones were she was considerably concerned ists is conducted in a relatively un- calm and mostly relaxed. However, about the attention another blackback bureaucratic way. The park authority neither on this occasion nor on the paid to the head guide. The gorilla not always keeps the stipulated maxi- next day when we visited the Susa grasped the collar of the man (whom mum number of visitors per gorilla group, was the minimum distance of he has known for many years), pulled family (8). There were 9 of us when we 7 m between people and gorillas main- him towards himself, held his head visited Sabyinyo; when we visited the tained. This regulation is supposed to and turned it so that the man’s face Susa group on the next day, we were prevent the gorillas from catching hu- was pressed against his own cheek. 5. Both times we were accompanied man diseases. The accompanying Thankfully, this was accompanied by by several guides and the inevitable vet was not happy. a very friendly facial expression. He military escort. The visitors are al- The gorillas were close to the park held his "prisoner" in this way for quite ways accompanied by armed troops border and the walk to the Sabinyo a while: an impressive if very ambiva- as a precautionary measure, because family was only a short amble. In lent experience. It can only be hoped the situation at the border area is still contrast, the visit to the Susa group that neither of them suffer any health unsafe. Time and again, people in required a high degree of fitness. We problems as a result of this encounter. refugee camps and in the forest have had to hike for several hours up to an The rangers and guides impressed suffered attacks from the Congolese altitude of over 3,000 m, first to reach us with their involvement, their knowl- side of the border. the edge of the forest, and then within edge and the respect they show for Although clear instructions to the the forest. The gorillas moved just the gorillas, and last but not least with accompanying soldiers are supposed ahead of us out of sight. We only their friendly but professional way of to prevent the gorillas from feeling reached them after they had settled dealing with the tourists. There is no alarmed, the soldiers did not follow down in a clearing. doubt that they need equipment of all these instructions during our visit. As As these gorillas have been used to sorts, as do their colleagues in Ugan- consequence, the silverback male es- receiving visits from tourists for a long da and the Congo. In this terrain, pecially became irritated. The other time, they were not disturbed by our boots and other equipment suffer a lot 10 group members, all of which seem- presence. Ute Eilenberger was wear and tear. The government has the difficult task of resettling returning refugees. Contrary to their cultural tradition and patterns of dispersed residence, the government promotes their new settle- ment in villages, which facilitates infra- structural support and shall prevent settlement in the forest. However, fields are adjoining the edge of the forest. The establishment of buffer zones with appropriate management is urgently required if the national parks’ biodiversity, including the goril- las, is to be conserved. International cooperation is required here. How- ever, since the end of the war, interna- tional cooperation is executed with re- straint, although the country, after having suffered a terrible war, urgently needs help. Nature conservation and the promotion of development cannot Tourists sometimes can approach the gorillas very closely be separated here. Photo: Sylvia Wladarz Juliana Ströbele-Gregor

11 Gorilla Journal 21, December 2000 GORILLAS

What, if Anything, Is different family, Pongidae; but it is panzee or bonobo). Always begin the Taxonomy? now clear that humans, chimpanzees generic name with a capital letter; al- and gorillas share a common ancestor ways begin the specific name with a Taxonomy and classification, two not shared by the orangutan, so we small letter. words that have come to mean much should classify them together in a the same thing, are "the ordering of group that excludes the orangutan. What Are Species? organisms into groups, on the basis As all four are rather closely related, it The category "species" needs to be of their relationships" (modified after is now almost universal to place them discussed separately, for reasons Simpson, 1961). in a single family, for which the correct that will become clear. The great tax- It is important to realize that tax- name is Hominidae, with two subfami- onomist Ernst Mayr defined a species onomy is a part of biological science, lies: Ponginae for Pongo (the orang- as being "reproductively isolated"; his like ecology, behaviour, physiology or utan) alone, and Homininae combin- fullest discussion of what this would evolution. So a classification is a ing Homo (humans), Pan (chimpan- mean was published nearly 40 years scientific hypothesis, subject to modi- zees) and Gorilla (gorillas). ago (Mayr, 1963), but is still well worth fication if new evidence comes to light, reading. The concept of reproductive or if new understandings are brought A Word about Names isolation has been much misunder- to bear. In this sense, a classification I referred to "the correct name" be- stood. It actually means that two is never finalized, there is no "official cause, unlike taxonomy, nomencla- species do not, "under natural condi- taxonomy". There can only be a ture is objective. Once one has de- tions" (meaning, more or less, in the statement of the present position, as cided what the most appropriate tax- wild) interbreed with each other. What seen by a particular taxonomist, tak- onomy is, the question of what names it does not mean is that they do ing (one hopes) all relevant information to call the resulting taxonomic groups not interbreed with each under any into account. is decided by the rules of naming, laid circumstances. Thus, horses and Nowadays, nearly all taxonomists down in the International Code of Zoo- mules interbreed, though their hybrids agree that common ancestry is the logical Nomenclature. In the main, (mules and hinnies) are almost invari- most objective criterion for orders, one must use the earliest available ably sterile; and lions and tigers can families and genera (and suborders, name given to a species (or subspe- be persuaded to interbreed in zoos, subfamilies and so on); so, the cies, or a genus, or a family). and their hybrids are fertile – yet no- lemurs, tarsiers, monkeys, apes and A species name is a binomial. The body, as far as I know, has ever sug- humans are classified in the order Pri- first word is the generic name, the gested that they should be included in mates because they share a common second is the specific name. So in one species. This is known as the ancestor not shared by other mam- the genus Macaca we have the spe- Biological Species Concept (BSC). mals. In older books, humans are cies Macaca mulatta, Macaca fuscata But what if two animal populations usually classified alone in the family and others. In the genus Pan we have live in different geographic areas (are Hominidae, whereas orangutans, go- Pan troglodytes (common chimpan- allopatric), so do not have the opportu- rillas and chimpanzees are placed in a zee) and Pan paniscus (pygmy chim- nity to interbreed? Consider the follow- ing three levels of separation: – Japanese macaques (on all the Japanese islands) differ strongly and consistently from rhesus macaques, which live on the Asian mainland. Japanese and rhesus macaques are customarily separated into different species, Macaca fuscata and Macaca mulatta respectively. – Within Japan, the macaques of Yakushima (=Yaku island) differ on average from those of the three main islands, but not absolutely. The Japa- Hands of (from left to right) orangutan, chimpanzee, gorilla and man nese macaques are customarily di- Drawings from Schultz, 1956 vided into two subspecies, Macaca

12 Gorilla Journal 21, December 2000 GORILLAS

ter) has been discovered which is uni- versal in the one, absent in the other. Although species theory is very controversial, there is a growing con- sensus that the BSC has outlived its usefulness as a criterion. It is still a touchstone, in that it illustrates in some important way what a species is all about, but it is simply inapplicable in most cases. The PSC, however, always offers objective criteria, and it is likely that a majority of taxonomists Feet of (from left to right) orangutan, chimpanzee, western gorilla, now adopt some version of it, con- eastern gorilla and man sciously or subconsciously. Drawings from Schultz, 1933 and 1956 A species, then, is a population (or group of populations) which differs di- fuscata fuscata (large islands) and tinct, and if so, how much difference is agnostically (i.e. absolutely) from oth- Macaca fuscata yakui (Yakushima). required? ers. Put another way, it has fixed – Macaques on the three main Japa- The view promoted by the ornitholo- genetic differences from others. Put nese islands of Honshu, Shikoku and gist Joel Cracraft nearly twenty years another way, there are gaps between Kyushu are indistinguishable morpho- ago (Cracraft, 1983), and now widely different species. Below the species logically from each other. Macaques adopted, is that species should be level, relationships between popula- of all three islands are regarded as "diagnosable", or 100% distinct; that tions are reticulate (shared genes, belonging to one and the same sub- is to say, that every member of shared characters). In cladistic jar- species, Macaca fuscata fuscata. a species should be distinguishable gon, the species is the terminal on the Could the essence of species, from every member of all other spe- cladogram. then, be that they are morphologically cies. This is known as the Phylo- distinct, and if so, how much differ- genetic Species Concept (PSC). What Are Subspecies? ence is required? Some of the DNA sequences of Subspecies are geographic segments It is today possible to examine pseudogenes could likewise be identi- of a species. They are populations DNA sequences directly, and these, fied infallibly though, interestingly, in which differ from one another as a like morphological characters, may their mitochondrial DNA some rhesus whole, but not absolutely. In this case differ between two populations. Those macaques are much more similar to it is relevant to ask how much they sequences that have been analysed Japanese macaques than to other should differ to merit being called dif- tend either to code for enzymes (hae- Rhesus – so not all genes give the ferent subspecies – what proportion of moglobin, cytochrome oxidase) or not same results. individuals should be recognizable? to code for anything (pseudogenes, In the Japanese vs. Rhesus ma- The decision is somewhat arbitrary, introns) and so apparently are "silent". caque example, there is not the slight- but a good rule of thumb is the "sev- No sequences that code for morpho- est possibility of determining whether enty-five percent rule" (Mayr, 1963): logical characters have yet been iden- they are separate species or not using three-quarters of individuals in a popu- tified, let alone analysed, though the BSC. (These drawbacks apply, lation should differ from all individuals clearly they exist, because such mor- quite frankly, to most comparisons in other populations of the species. phological (visible or metrical) differ- between pairs of populations.) But the Subspecific names are trinomials. ences as occur between individuals, PSC can be applied, and we find that The first two words denote the spe- and hence between populations, are, the two are genetically distinct: there cies; the third denotes the subspecies to a greater or lesser degree, herit- are some genes which are universal itself. Note that there is never just one able. So morphological differences (fixed) in the one, absent from the subspecies, there are none or there are a special case of genetic differ- other. Each can be diagnosed. By are two or more: a species is divided ences. Let us then rephrase the contrast, Yakushima and larger-island into subspecies. As mentioned, Ma- question: Could the essence of spe- macaques differ on average only: no caca fuscata is divided into two sub- cies be that they are genetically dis- gene (including morphological charac- species. One, the mainland Japa-

13 Gorilla Journal 21, December 2000 GORILLAS

nese macaque, is called the nomino- apply the PSC, we will have no objec- why the correct scientific name for the typical subspecies, and it subspecific tive means of deciding whether to call Western gorilla is Gorilla gorilla. name repeats the specific name: Ma- them different species or not. Some In 1902, Captain Oskar von Beringe caca fuscata fuscata. It is the one biologists do not accept the PSC; but discovered the Eastern gorilla (he that occurs at the type locality (the for myself, I do not see how else we "discovered" it by shooting one), and it locality from which the species was are to arrive at anything like a repeat- was described the following year (Mat- first described). The other has its own able, falsifiable hypothesis for their schie, 1903), and named after him: subspecific name, peculiar to it: classification. Gorilla beringei. Von Beringe’s gorilla Macaca fuscata yakui. The first gorillas to be described was from Mt. Sabinyo in the Virunga were from the Gabon estuary and Volcanoes, so this is the type locality Applying the Criteria to Gorillas were Western gorillas. The Reverend of G. beringei. I have argued, above, Gorillas are found in two widely sepa- Savage, who first made gorillas known that Eastern and Western gorillas are rate parts of Africa. Western gorillas to science (Savage & Wyman, 1847), distinct species, so both Savage’s live in the West-Central African region: gave the name Troglodytes gorilla. and Matschie’s names are valid. southwestern Central African Repub- About the generic name: The name Paul Matschie, describer of Gorilla lic, Congo, Mayombe, Luanda, Ga- then in common use for the chimpan- beringei, was by modern standards a bon, Río Muni, southern Cameroon, zee was Troglodytes niger, which had great "splitter" of species: where we southeastern Nigeria, and the Djabbir been given to it by the great French today see a single species, he saw region of the Democratic Republic of zoologist, Etienne Geoffroy St. Hi- two, three or more. Between 1905 Congo. Eastern gorillas live in the laire, in 1812; Savage thought that the and 1914 he described several more East-Central African region: eastern gorilla was a giant species of chim- supposed new species of gorilla from D.R. Congo, southwestern Uganda, panzee, which is why he called it different regions of Cameroon: Gorilla northern Rwanda. Eastern and West- Troglodytes gorilla. But the chimpan- diehli, jacobi, schwarzi, hansmeyeri ern gorillas are somewhat different. zee’s generic name had to be chang- and zenkeri (and the Hon. Walter How to classify them? ed, because the same name, Troglo- Rothschild even named one after him: In my experience, every gorilla is at dytes, had earlier been applied (by Gorilla matschiei!). In 1914, too, he once distinguishable as an Eastern or Vieillot in 1806) to the wren! So the described a supposed new species, a Western gorilla. They are diagnos- next available name, Pan Oken, 1816, Gorilla graueri, from the Itombwe able. They differ 100% in their exter- is now used for the chimpanzee. But Mountains, in the D.R. Congo west of nal characters, and in the skull and the gorilla is in any case no longer Lake Tanganyika. Other people de- teeth. Their mitochondrial DNA considered to belong to the same ge- scribed supposedly new subspecies (mtDNA) sequences are absolutely nus as the chimpanzee, and in fact as of Gorilla gorilla: G. g. halli from Río different; note that what is important, early as 1852 Isidore Geoffroy St. Muni, G. g. uellensis from Djabbir, and in deciding whether they are different Hilaire, son of Etienne, gave it its own G. g. rex-pygmaeorum from Mt. Tshia- species or not, is not the fact that their generic name, Gorilla. And that is berimu. sequence differences show that they diverged over a million years ago (Gar- ner & Ryder, 1996), but that they have fixed genetic differences between them. Even if we knew nothing of their mtDNA, we would still be justified in concluding that they have fixed ge- netic differences, because their mor- phological differences are absolute, and are heritable. So, under the PSC, they rate as distinct species. Note that, because their distribu- tions are entirely separate, we have not a hope of applying the BSC to them – just as in the rhesus and Japa- Gorillas from the Virungas, Kahuzi-Biega and the western lowlands nese macaque example. Unless we Artwork: Chisato Abe

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Two of Matschie’s "species" do ac- must therefore be known as Gorilla An Overview of Apes in tually denote different subspecies. It gorilla diehli, and other Western goril- Africa does not matter that he described las will be Gorilla gorilla gorilla. them as species; we can also use I should add that long ago I studied All the great apes, except the orang- the names for the subspecies they and measured the three skulls on utan, live in tropical Africa. They com- really are. which the name uellensis was based prise two species of chimpanzee, the (1) The so-called Eastern Lowland and, unexpectedly (because the pop- robust chimpanzee (also known as gorilla, from the Itombwe Mountains, ulation is geographically so isolated), I the common chimpanzee) and the Kahuzi-Biega, Mt. Tshiaberimu and could find no differences at all from gracile chimpanzee (also known as the D.R. Congo lowlands east of the any other Western gorillas. So I con- the bonobo or pygmy chimpanzee), Lualaba, is different from the true clude that they are probably examples and two species of gorilla, the western Mountain gorilla of the Virunga Volca- of Gorilla gorilla gorilla. gorilla and the eastern gorilla. All four noes; but the morphological charac- Sarmiento et al. (1996) consider of Africa's great apes are found near ters overlap slightly, and although that the gorillas of the Bwindi-Impen- the equator, primarily inhabiting tropi- there is no difficulty in distinguishing etrable Forest are different from all cal forest where they are essential the two as a whole, I do not believe other Eastern gorillas, whether Moun- components of the richest assem- that every single individual could be tain (Virunga) or Eastern Lowland. blage of species on the continent. Un- allocated to one or the other. So I do Should further specimens support this fortunately, apes are also a source of not think that they are different spe- hypothesis, then a new subspecies of food and cash for many people in cies; instead, I class them as sub- G. beringei will have to be described West and Central Africa. Hunting, species of Gorilla beringei. Because and named because curiously, de- together with loss of habitat, has the Eastern Lowland gorilla occurs in spite the arrant splitting that went on greatly reduced both the distribution the Itombwe Mountains, type locality in the early 20th century, no-one ever and the abundance of all four species. of Matschie’s G. graueri, its correct got around to looking at any Bwindi name is Gorilla beringei graueri. (In gorillas! Chimpanzees the days when I assumed that all goril- Colin Groves The robust chimpanzee lives in sa- las belong to one single species, I vanna woodlands, grassland-forest References called it Gorilla gorilla graueri; but, as Cracraft, J. 1983. Species concepts and spe- mosaic and tropical moist forest, and explained above, I now conclude that ciation analysis. Current Ornithology (R.F. is found from sea level to an elevation all Eastern gorillas belong together in Johnston, ed.), 1:159-187. New York: Plenum of about 3,000 m. This species prob- Press. a species different from Western). Garner, K.J. & O.A. Ryder. 1996. Mitochond- ably once spanned most of equatorial The name rex-pygmaeorum, given to rial DNA diversity in gorillas. Molecular phylo- Africa from southern Senegal to Mt. Tshiaberimu gorillas, denotes the genetics and evolution, 6:39-48. southwestern Tanzania, ranging over same subspecies, so is a synonym of Matschie, P. 1903. Über einen Gorilla aus all or part of at least 23 countries. Deutsch-Ostafrika. Sitzungsberichte der Ge- graueri; but if, at some future time, sellschaft naturforschender Freunde, Berlin, Today, the robust chimpanzee is the someone considers that Mt. Tshia- 1903:253-259. most widely distributed of Africa's berimu gorillas are a different subspe- Mayr, E. 1963. Animal Species and Evolution. apes, occurring in 21 or 22 countries Oxford University Press. cies from Itombwe gorillas, the name Sarmiento, E.E., T.M. Butynski & J. Kalina. between 13° N and 7° S. will have to be resurrected. The true 1996. Gorillas of Bwindi-Impenetrable Forest There are four subspecies of robust Mountain gorilla is Gorilla beringei and the Virunga Volcanoes: taxonomic impli- chimpanzee. The western chimpan- beringei. cations of morphological and ecological dif- zee once ranged over ten to twelve ferences. American Journal of Primatology, (2) It has recently been argued 40:1-21. countries, but now an estimated (Stumpf et al., 1998; Esteban Sar- Savage, T.S. and J. Wyman, 1847. Notice of 40,000 members of this subspecies miento, in preparation) that the goril- the external characters and habits of Troglo- are patchily distributed in eight or nine las of the Cross River district, on the dytes gorilla, a new species of orang from countries from southeastern Senegal the Gaboon River; Osteology of the same. Nigeria–Cameroon border, are some- Boston Journal of Natural History, 5:417-442. eastwards, possibly to the Niger River what different from other Western Simpson, G.G. 1961. Principles of Animal in Nigeria. Recent genetic research gorillas, and should be regarded as Taxonomy. Oxford University Press. supports the recognition of the robust Stumpf, R.M., J.G. Fleagle, W.L. Jungers, J.F. a separate subspecies. Matschie’s Oates & C.P. Groves. 1998. Morphological chimpanzee in eastern Nigeria and name diehli was given to gorillas from distinctiveness of Nigerian gorilla crania. western Cameroon as a distinct sub- this region. The Cross River gorilla AAPA Abstracts, 1998:213. species, the Nigeria chimpanzee. Its

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Red List – Gorillas In September 2000 the IUCN published the new Red List. It Listing of the gorillas in the 2000 IUCN Red List is available in the internet at http://www.redlist.org and also Gorilla beringei (Eastern gorilla) endangered includes the definition of the G. b. ssp. ? (Bwindi gorilla) critically endangered criteria. G. b. ssp beringei (Virunga gorilla) critically endangered G. b. ssp. graueri (Grauer's gorilla) endangered

Gorilla gorilla (Western gorilla) endangered G. g. ssp. diehli (Cross River gorilla) critically endangered G. g. ssp. gorilla (Western lowland gorilla) endangered

C. Hilton-Taylor 2000: 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN, Gland (Switzerland) und Cambridge, UK range covers what was formerly con- between about 30,000 and 50,000 in- The Cross River gorilla, a recently sidered the southern range of the dividuals. resurrected subspecies, inhabits low- western chimpanzee and the northern land and submontane forest in the up- range of the central chimpanzee. A Gorillas per Cross River region on the Nige- reasonable "guess" is that there are Gorillas occur in two distinct regions, ria–Cameroon border, about 260 km today 4,000–6,000 Nigeria chimpan- western Central Africa and eastern north of the range of the western low- zees and that their geographic range Central Africa, which are separated by land gorilla. With only about 200–250 is approximately 20,000 km2. about 900 km of forest in the Congo individuals remaining, this is the most The range of the central chimpan- Basin. Recent studies show that the threatened of the gorilla subspecies. zee is very much larger, covering genetic differences between the goril- The eastern gorilla lives in sub- approximately 270,000 km2 across las in the eastern and the western montane and montane forest at an seven countries in the region between region are slightly greater than those altitude of between about 800 and the Sanaga, Ubangi and Congo rivers. between the robust chimpanzees and 4,000 m. There are two currently rec- Probably between 47,000 and 78,000 the gracile chimpanzee. This genetic ognized subspecies: the mountain go- individuals inhabit this region. distance, together with morphologi- rilla and Grauer's gorilla. The moun- The eastern chimpanzee, with a cal, ecological and behavioural differ- tain gorilla is restricted to one popula- population estimated at between ences, provide support for recognizing tion of about 300 individuals. This 75,000 and 118,000, is the most nu- two species, the western gorilla and population lives in a 375 km2 area in merous of the chimpanzee subspe- the eastern gorilla. the Virunga Volcanoes where the bor- cies. Its range is also the largest, The western gorilla inhabits lowland ders of Uganda, Rwanda and the covering about 500,000 km2 and span- forest, swamp forest and submontane Democratic Republic of Congo meet. ning seven countries from the Ubangi forest from sea level to about 1,600 m. The taxonomic status of the 300 or River in the central Democratic Re- Two subspecies are recognized: the so gorillas that range over an area of public of Congo, north of the Congo western lowland gorilla and the Cross about 215 km2 in the Bwindi Forest in River to southwestern Sudan and River gorilla. The former is distributed southwestern Uganda is highly uncer- south to southwestern Tanzania. over six countries from south Cam- tain. Although they have been called The gracile chimpanzee is endemic eroon to Angola's Cabinda enclave, "mountain gorillas", differences be- to the grassland-forest mosaic, low- covering an area of roughly 445,000 tween them and the gorillas of the land forest and swamp forest of the km2. As in the cases of the chimpan- Virungas sugest that the "Bwindi go- central Congo Basin south of the zees, however, the actual range that rilla" represents a third subspecies or Congo River in the Democratic Repub- gorillas occupy is much less than the that they are Grauer's gorillas. lic of Congo. It lives within a range of geographic range, as there are large Grauer's gorilla has a discontinu- elevation of 300–500 m, and numbers areas in which no gorillas are present. ous distribution in eastern Democratic

16 Gorilla Journal 21, December 2000 GORILLAS

Republic of Congo from Lake Edward national law. Nonetheless, during the "opening up" of the tropical forest by south to Lake Tanganyika. This sub- last decade the commercial (i.e., non- logging firms, the increased hunting of species numbers roughly 17,000 ani- traditional, non-subsistence) hunting great apes and the more frequent mals and has a geographic range of of apes has increased greatly as log- transmissions of diseases between about 15,000 km2. ging companies open up large tracts apes and humans. For example, the of previously inaccessible forest. virus that gave rise to HIV-1 in humans Conservation Status Hunters have completely destroyed may have been transmitted through At an international workshop held populations of apes and greatly re- blood contact during the butchering of in Orlando, Florida, in March 2000, duced many others. As a result, to- robust chimpanzees for food. members of the IUCN/SSC Primate day there are large tracts of suitable Disease can be a major problem in Specialist Group and other senior sci- habitat where chimpanzees and goril- efforts to conserve endangered pop- entists met to reassess the taxonomy las are either at low densities or no ulations and taxa. Exotic strains of and degree of threat status of the longer present. Hunting, rather than pathogens have the potential to be- world's primates in preparation for the the loss of forest habitat, is now prob- come hyperdiseases by "jumping" to publication of the next Red Data ably the most significant and immedi- hosts not previously exposed to the Book. The participants concluded ate threat facing all of Africa's apes, strain. Experience tells us that this that, in the light of the recent and as well as many other species of pri- can result in 80–100% mortality, with continuing rapid declines in the num- mates and other large mammals. even large populations being virtually bers and distributions of Africa's apes, The increase in hunting not only destroyed by disease. Yet disease all four species and six of the eight threatens populations and taxa of as a threat to free-living apes remains subspecies are "Endangered". Two apes, but it also brings people and a neglected topic. Since chimpan- subspecies, the mountain gorilla and apes into closer and more frequent zees and gorillas are phylogenetically the Cross River gorilla, are "Critically contact than ever, with the conse- close to man, they are highly suscep- Endangered", as is the population of quence that the rate of disease trans- tible to numerous human infectious gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable mission between humans and apes diseases, especially viruses. The Forest. Clearly conservation efforts has increased. Medical researchers risks and consequences of disease must focus on these taxa. now recognize links between the transmission between humans and

Threats What are the current threats to pop- Current Numbers and Geographic Ranges of Africa's Great Apes ulations of apes in Africa? On a conti- nent where food production per person Approximate Approximate is on the decline, where one person in Species and subspecies number range (km2) three is malnourished, and where the human population is expected to dou- Robust chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) 200,000 838,000 ble by the year 2025, the require- Western chimpanzee (P. t. verus) 40,000 48,000 ments for food, clothing, fuelwood and Nigeria chimpanzee (P. t. vellerosus) 5,000 20,000 shelter will continue to grow rapidly. Central chimpanzee (P. t. troglodytes) 62,000 270,000 This is coupled with a growing de- Eastern chimpanzee (P. t. schweinfurthii) 96,000 500,000 mand for Africa's natural resources by people in Europe, Asia and North Gracile chimpanzee (Pan paniscus) 40,000 120,000 America. As a result of this exploita- tion, the populations of chimpanzees Western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) 94,000 445,000 and gorillas are being reduced, frag- Western lowland gorilla (G. g. gorilla) 94,000 445,000 mented and destroyed, both indirectly Cross River gorilla (G. g. diehli) 200 300 through habitat degradation and loss, and directly through unsustainable Eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei) 17,000 15,000 hunting. Mountain gorilla (G. b. beringei) 300 400 Throughout their ranges, chimpan- Grauer's gorilla (G. b. graueri) 17,000 15,000 zees and gorillas are officially pro- Bwindi gorilla (G. b. subspecies?) 300 200 tected under both national and inter-

17 Gorilla Journal 21, December 2000 GORILLAS

apes are predicted to become more and 1997. The diseases involved in- lose some of its taxa of great apes. serious as once-stable ecosystems clude poliomyelitis, pneumonia and The present decline in numbers will and large (genetically diverse) pop- scabies. In the course of the epidem- not be reversed without more work, ulations of apes are fragmented and ics at least 42 chimpanzees either more ideas, more approaches, more reduced. were crippled or died. During the money and, above all, more people Several small, critically endangered 1980s there were about 150 chimpan- who are willing to commit to an active populations of apes are being ex- zees in Gombe National Park. Today role. This problem must be made an posed to contact that is both frequent there are fewer than 100. issue of global concern if all taxa of and close (i.e., less than 1 m or touch- In 1993/1994, at least 11 habitu- African apes are to have a long-term ing) with large numbers of people. In ated robust chimpanzees (perhaps as future in the wild. We must all find a eastern Central Africa, all five of the many as 18) died in the Mahale Moun- way to help make the "African great gorilla tourism programmes are based tains, Tanzania, from a "flu"-like ill- ape crisis" a global issue and a focus on populations of only 240–340 indi- ness. It is suspected that tourists or of effective global action. viduals, while all seven of the chim- other people in contact with these Tom Butynski panzee tourism programmes are chimpanzees transmitted the virus. In A longer version of this article was based on populations of 20–650 indi- 1992 and 1994, outbreaks of Ebola or originally published in Africa – Envi- viduals. a similar disease killed at least 20 of ronment & Wildlife, Vol. 8, No. 5 (June The single population of 300 moun- the 40 or so robust chimpanzees in 2000). tain gorillas in the Virunga Volcanoes the research community in Tai Forest, is particularly badly affected. When Côte d'Ivoire. The number of adult References Butynski, T.M., in press. Africa's Great Apes. the security situation allows, 70% of males in this community was reduced In Apes and Humans at an Ethical Frontier. the gorillas in this population – and from eight to two. One student fell B.B. Beck et al., eds. Washington, D.C.: therefore of this subspecies – is vis- seriously ill (but recovered) from the Smithsonian Institution Press. Butynski, T.M. & J. Kalina, 1998. Gorilla ited daily by more than 70 tourists and same virus after participating in an tourism. Pp. 280–300 in Conservation of a similar number of guides, porters, autopsy. It is probable that the dis- Biological Resources. E.J. Milner-Gulland rangers and researchers. There have ease resulting in at least some, per- and R. Mace, eds. Oxford: Blackwell. been several outbreaks of disease haps all, of these epidemics were which can probably be attributed to transmitted to the apes by people. humans, including an epidemic in Conservation of Cross 1988 in which six habituated gorillas Conclusions River Gorillas: A died of respiratory illness and 27 more There is broad consensus among field Progress Report became ill and were given injections of workers that chimpanzee and gorilla penicilline. It appeared that the mea- numbers are in sharp decline in the There are several pieces of encourag- sles virus or a related morbillivirus was wild, that the rate of decline is rapidly ing news to report about the gorillas of responsible. As a result, 65 gorillas in accelerating, and that all four species the Cameroon–Nigeria border region, seven habituated groups were vacci- will become extinct in the wild if the the population described in Gorilla nated against human measles. No causal factors are not sufficiently ad- Journal 20 as belonging to the sub- further signs of respiratory disease dressed. The population estimates for species Gorilla gorilla diehli. were seen after the initiation of the the apes are small in the context of In April 2000, Nigeria’s Cross River vaccination campaign. There is no species survival potential, and particu- State Government declared Afi Moun- evidence that this disease affected larly so in view of the extreme frag- tain as a wildlife sanctuary. This wel- gorillas in the unhabituated groups. In mentation of their populations and come news, which brings more formal 1990, broncho-pneumonia affected 26 habitats. It is obvious that further ex- protection to the Afi Mountain sub- of 35 gorillas in a group visited by ploitation of these species, and of population of gorillas, was the result of tourists and four of the gorillas died. their habitats, should not be permit- vigorous activity by the reorganized Similar episodes have occurred ted, and that more effective conserva- State Forestry Commission (formerly among other great ape populations. tion measures need to be imple- the Department of Forest Develop- There were at least six epidemics in mented. ment) and especially by its new Direc- the research and tourist community of To date, all that can be claimed is tor of Wildlife and Ecotourism, Chris robust chimpanzees at Gombe Na- that we have pushed forward some- Agbor, and its Permanent Secre- tional Park, Tanzania, between 1966 what the time when Africa will begin to tary, Etim Amika. Meanwhile, Kelley

18 Gorilla Journal 21, December 2000 GORILLAS

Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation and the Whitley Foundation. Finally, plans are being made for a small workshop to be held at Obudu Cattle Ranch in April 2001, a meeting that will bring together conservation- ists, scientists and government offi- cials from Nigeria and Cameroon to formulate policies for more coordi- nated and effective conservation of the remaining Cross River gorillas. John F. Oates

Bushmeat Action The bushmeat crisis, the commercial, illegal trade in meat from wild animals, which is particularly common in West and Central Africa, has been the theme of various activities this year. The exhibition Gorillas in the Cooking Kelley McFarland looking for gorillas in the Afi Forest Pot in the Stuttgart Zoo from June to Photo: John Oates September had a great response. In particular, Marianne Holtkötter sup- McFarland’s team of gorilla trackers through September, Ernest Nwufoh of ported the exhibition in every conceiv- on Afi Mountain have continued their PPG recorded evidence of two gorilla able way. We also have to thank patrols, supervised by Liberian volun- groups in Boshi Extension, and man- Professor Jauch, the Director of Stutt- teer James Coleman, who reports to a aged to see two juveniles in one of the gart Zoo, for his courage and trust and conservation consortium that includes groups, showing that they are repro- for the funding, all of which made the the Forestry Commission, the local ducing successfully. exhibition possible in the first place. NGO Pandrillus, Fauna and Flora In- No recent hunting of any Nigerian Shortly after the exhibition had ternational, and myself (representing gorillas has been detected in the last been opened, German zoo directors the Wildlife Conservation Society and year and there appears to be growing and EEP coordinators had a meeting the City University of New York). awareness in Cross River State of the in Stuttgart and they seized the oppor- Kelley McFarland is presently in the importance of gorilla conservation. tunity to have a look at the 34 posters U.S. analyzing her field data for her One very helpful element contributing on the bushmeat problem. There was doctoral dissertation, but plans even- to this awareness has been the per- great interest in taking the exhibition tually to return to Afi to continue sonal commitment of Onari Duke, the to other zoos. Consequently, it went studying the gorillas. In October wife of the new State Governor, to to Cologne Zoo in October and will 2000, Hazel White arrived in Cross gorilla conservation. The state’s First stay there until December. River from the U.K. to take over on an Lady has initiated a plan for an educa- From January to March 2001 it can interim basis from James Coleman on tion and visitor center to be estab- be seen in Neunkirchen Zoo, from Afi Mountain, while we work to develop lished on the Obudu Plateau, near the April to May 2001 in Heidelberg Zoo a sanctuary management plan. Cattle Ranch Hotel and within sight of and from June in Karlsruhe. Besides, Elsewhere in Nigeria, another the Boshi Extension gorilla habitat. the zoos of Krefeld, Zürich, Herber- Cross River State NGO, Primates In Cameroon, meanwhile, Septem- stein, Basel and Hamburg will also Preservation Group (PPG), has been ber saw the start of renewed field sur- show the exhibition. In exchange, the monitoring the gorilla subpopulations veys in the Takamanda and Mawne zoos will donate a certain amount of on the Mbe Mountains and in the Forest Reserves by Jacqui Groves. money to the Berggorilla & Regenwald Boshi Extension forests of Cross These surveys are supported by the Direkthilfe. As other organisations River National Park. During July Wildlife Conservation Society, the (Rettet den Regenwald, Wild Chim-

19 Gorilla Journal 21, December 2000 GORILLAS

The Great Ape Event on 27 Sep- tember was a sell-out with many more ticket orders than seats available – 2,350 people were there. David At- tenborough hosted the evening in the Westminster Central Hall, London. Speakers included Jane Goodall, who talked about her work with chimpan- zees, Birute Galdikas on orangutans, Jo Thompson on bonobos, Ian Red- mond on gorillas, and special guest Charlotte Uhlenbroek presented ex- tracts from the BBC 1 series Cousins. They each gave a short presentation followed by a question and answer session. All profits will go to four primate projects: Mount Tshiaberimu Gorilla Project (Democratic Republic of Con- Iris Weiche and Marianne Holtkötter in the bushmeat exhibition go), Bonobo Sanctuary (Kinshasa), Photo: Michael Reibenspies the Orangutan Foundation Care Cen- tre and Quarantine Facility (Borneo) panzee Foundation, Bonobo In Situ leaders of African nations by Jane and Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Or- Project, Save the Drill, World Society Goodall and others. This campaign phanage (Pointe-Noire, Congo). for the Protection of Animals) also will probably run until October 2001 For follow-up publicity, a short arti- contributed material, they will help to and hopefully receive a lot of attention cle about the bushmeat problem will determine which projects working from the media. be published in the BBC Wildlife against the bushmeat trade will re- In the USA, local organisations are magazine. Further activities are in ceive the money. also very active. Working groups preparation, including for example a The exhibition formed the basis of a spring up everywhere, because people postcard action. European-wide bushmeat campaign now recognize the severe threat the initiated by the European Association bushmeat trade is posing. This hap- of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). The pened during the spring 2000 CITES campaign is to inform the visitors to conference, for instance. During the European zoos about the background World Conservation Congress in Am- of the bushmeat trade and collect do- man, the IUCN passed a resolution to nations for organisations working to ban the illegal bushmeat trade. It is find a solution to the bushmeat prob- encouraging to see that organisations lem. The Berggorilla & Regenwald and institutions worldwide seem to Direkthilfe is one of them. cooperate well in this campaign. In addition, signatures are collected Iris Weiche for a petition calling upon the political decision-makers in Europe and Africa to initiate effective measures to solve The Great Ape Event the bushmeat problem. The petition At the end of September, the Ape was laid out publicly for the first time Alliance launched the Great Ape during the exhibition in Stuttgart. We Event to present the campaign 2001 – collected 20,000 signatures there. An Ape Odyssey. In fact, it included Iris Weiche explains the exhibition The aim is to get at least one million three events: a press conference, an to Amooti Latif, Murchison Falls signatures. When this is achieved, online event (hosted by the BBC) and National Park, Uganda the petition will be handed over to the the Great Ape Event. Photo: Angela Meder

20 Gorilla Journal 21, December 2000 READING

Guy Cowlishaw and Robin Dunbar 422 pages, 38 photos, 31 drawings, Peter M. Kappeler Primate Conservation Biology. 19 tables. Hardcover US$ 65, £ 40, Primate Males. Causes and Conse- Chicago (University of Chicago Press) ISBN 0-520-21671-7. Paperback US$ quences of Variation in Group Compo- 2000. 512 pages, 89 line drawings, 24.95, £ 15.95, ISBN 0-520-22346-2. sition. Cambridge (Cambridge Univer- 59 tables. Hardcover US$ 75, ISBN sity Press) 2000. Hardcover US$ 85, 0-226-11636-0. Paperback US$ 27, Shirley C. Strum and Linda M. ISBN 0-521-65119-0. Paperback US$ ISBN 0-226-11637-9. Fedigan 37.95, ISBN 0-521-65846-2. This book gives a general overview Primate Encounters – Models of of primate conservation biology. It is Science, Gender and Society. Chi- Hans Dieter Neuwinger an introduction to the subject for stu- cago (University of Chicago Press) African Traditional Medicine. A dents and primatologists starting in 2000. 636 pages, 34 drawings. Hard- Dictionary of Plant Use and Applica- the field, and it explains conservation cover, US$ 35, ISBN 0-226-77754-5. tions. Stuttgart (medpharm Scientific project planning. Some knowledge of Which questions are posed in pri- Publishers) 2000. 589 pages + 46 statistics is useful to understand the mate research? Why and how are pages (supplement). Hardcover, DM models and calculations presented. they posed? Ideas about primate so- 198. ISBN 3-88763-086-6. The first sections introduce the cieties are shaped by various scien- reader to primate biology, diversity, tific disciplines and theories as well as World Commission on Forestry life history, ecology, behaviour, group cultural factors – this is clearly shown and Sustainable Development dynamics, distribution of species and here. This book is a reflection on the Our Forests, Our Future. Cam- population biology. This is necessary history of primatology and science in bridge (Cambridge Univ Press) 1999. for understanding the problems and general. It was written after a sympo- 228 pages, 20 halftones, 50 diagrams, solutions. Based on these subjects, sium and workshop with 23 primato- 40 tables. Paperback US$ 34.95, key issues of primate conservation logists and people who study pri- ISBN 0-521-66956-1. Hardcover US$ (mainly theories and models), threats matologists, initiated by the editors. 74.95, ISBN 0-521-66021-1. and conservation strategies are de- Included are: an overview of the his- scribed. The authors also discuss the tory of primate society research, re- Rob Glastra (ed.) various approaches to conservation ports of primatology pioneers about Cut and Run: Illegal Logging and Tim- and refer to studies that deal with their their experience, articles on the influ- ber Trade in the Tropics. Stylus Pub. successes and failures. In the con- ence of various cultures, disciplines 1999. 160 pages. Paperback, US$ clusions, they give some advice for and approaches, models of science 17.50. ISBN 0889368627 solutions and stress that each project and society. The sections contain has to be planned individually. introductions with short summaries of Thandika Mkandawire and As both authors are working in Af- the contributions; at the end, e-mail Charles C. Soludo rica, this continent is the focus of the discussions are added. The focus Our Continent, Our Future: African book – although it covers primate con- clearly is on North America – 16 of the Perspectives on Structural Adjust- servation worldwide, including captiv- 23 authors are North Americans –, but ment. Lawrenceville (Africa World ity. Apart from the comprehensive it deals also with the influence of differ- Press) 1999. 176 pages. Paperback, text, the references are useful for ent cultures (Japan, Brazil, Nether- US$ 21.95. ISBN 086543705X. those who want to read more. lands) on primate research. Neverthe- less, it is a fascinating book for any Thandika Mkandawire and Christophe and Hedwige Boesch primatologist. Charles C. Soludo (eds.) The Chimpanzees of the Tai For- African Voices on Structural Ad- est. Oxford (Oxford University Press) Jane Goodall justment. A Companion to Our Conti- 2000. 316 pages, 22 halftones, 30 Africa in my Blood. An Autobiogra- nent, Our Future. Lawrenceville (Af- line drawings. Hardcover £ 55, ISBN phy in Letters. (Houghton Mifflin) rica World Press) 2000. 280 pages. 0-19-850508-6. Paperback £ 19.95, 2000. 371 pages, US$ 28. Paperback, US$ 25.00. ISBN ISBN 0-19-850507-8. 0889368880 Michela Wrong Filippo Aureli, Frans B.M. de Waal In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz. Fourth World Bank Natural Conflict Resolution. Berke- Estate 2000. £ 13.99. ISBN 1-84115- African Development Indicators – ley (Univ. of California Press) 2000. 421-0. Print Edition. Washington, D.C.

21 Gorilla Journal 21, December 2000 BERGGORILLA & REGENWALD DIREKTHILFE

(World Bank) 2000. 448 pages, US$ utan Network, founded by Carel van cies for internships and other posi- 40. ISBN 0-8213-4386-6. Schaik, presents news and informa- tions are also advertised by the por- tion at http://www.usfstudent.com/ tal African Websites (http://www. World Bank Africa Database CD- orangutannetwork. African conser- africanwebsites.net). ROM. Washington, D.C. (World vation organisation links are collected Bank) 2000. Single user: US$ 95, onAfrican Websites http://www. ISBN 0-8213-4387-4. Network user: africanwebsites.net. The Pan-Afri- Activities US$ 190,ISBN 0-8213-4388-2. can Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) is Up to September 2000, a total of specializing on chimpanzees (http:// £ 2,600 has been raised in the current International Panel of Eminent www.andkeys.com/pasa). joint fund-raising drive with Volcanoes Personalities Tours, DFGF Europe and IBCP. One Special Report to Investigate the third of this sum was transferred to us, 1994 Genocide in Rwanda and the Jobs and Opportunities earmarked for the purchase of ranger Surrounding Events. OAU 2000. for Volunteers equipment. This fund-raising drive will Available online in English (http:// continue: publicity material will be dis- www.oau-oau.org/Document/ As war continues in the distribution tributed at the World Travel Market in ipep/report/Rwanda-e/EN-III-T. area of the mountain gorillas, there are London in November 2000 as well as htm) and French (http://www.oau- currently no opportunities for volun- on the ITB in Berlin in March 2001. oau.org/Document/ipep/report/ teers in mountain gorilla conservation For the future, we want to become Rwanda-f/FN-III-T.htm). projects. In principle, the Berggorilla active in schools through giving talks & Regenwald Direkthilfe attempts to or through fund-raising activities. We involve local scientists and conserva- are also thinking about arranging part- News from the Internet tionists, as they can communicate nerships between German and African Previous issues of the IUCN Red List more easily with the local population schools. Our assistant William Mu- of Threatened Species were pub- and cope better with local difficulties. gisha has already made contact with lished as books, but now it is available Vacancies are usually advertised a school in Kisoro. The African for free in the internet at http://www. publicly, for example on the Primate schools are to receive support to ob- redlist.org. The activities of the Jobs webpage (http://www.primate. tain teaching materials. Both German Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project wisc.edu/pin/jobs), the international and African students are to be made are presented on the Morris Animal job market for primatologists on the more familiar with the concept of na- Foundation's website at http:// internet. Generally, a degree is re- ture conservation. www.MorrisAnimalFoundation.org/ quired (mostly in biology or veterinary Iris Weiche Mountain_Gorilla.html. medicine) and very good command of Information about forestry – espe- English, also of French in the case of We thank each person and company cially for the timber industry – can be Rwanda or Congo. Moreover, appli- that has supported us during the pe- found on the ForestWorld website cants usually should have field experi- riod from 1. June to 31. October 2000. (http://www.forestworld.com). ence in the tropics. Larger contributions were given by Some new websites are dealing However, sometimes there are also Jane and Steuart Dewar, Horst Engel, with the bushmeat crisis. The new opportunities for people to become in- Wolfgang Ettel, Angela Meder, Aga- site for the Ape Alliance is now run- volved who do not have a scientific the Paech, Michael Reibenspies, Er- ning at http://www.4apes.com. The background but possess a strong in- win Rosenkranz, Patricia Schmidt, European Association of Zoos and terest in animals and nature conserva- Juliana Ströbele-Gregor, Karl-Otto Aquaria (EAZA) has also started a tion, are able to cope with great physi- Weber, Susanne and Helmut Zeitler. bushmeat campaign (http://www. cal and psychological stress and are Erwin Fidelis Reisch (Gentner Verlag EAZA.net). You can read the news willing to commit themselves. For Stuttgart) took charge of the costs of release of the IUCN resolution on example, people who want practical reproduction and composition for the bushmeat at http://www.iucn.org/ experience are always needed at the Gorilla Journal. Many thanks to all info_and_news/press/bushmeat.html. Limbe Orphanage in Cameroon. You the above mentioned and all the other For FFI (Fauna and Flora Interna- can read more about this on their donors for their confidence in our tional), the new web address is http:// website: http://members.nbci.com/ work. We hope that you will continue www.fauna-flora.org. The Orang- _XMCM/limbe/staff.html. Vacan- to support us in 2001!

22 Gorilla Journal 21, December 2000 A NEW SAFARI ALTERNATIVE Mgahinga Safari Lodge is a new luxury lodge, perched at the tip of a peninsula jutting into the waters of Lake Mutanda, in southwestern Uganda. The lodge is the ideal setting from which to track the mountain gorilla in nearby Mgahinga Gorilla National Park; venture deep into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest; search for savannah antelope in Lake Mburo National Park; or visit Lake Bunyonyi – renowned as the ‘lake of little birds and sweet water fish’. The lodge complex consists of a main building – which houses the reception, restaurant, lounge and bar – and six spacious, twin-bedded tents. All equipment at the lodge is of the highest European standard. The tents are en suite, with hot showers and flush toilets, and have continental quilts and pillows. Soft drinks and laundry service are provided. The restaurant serves a high standard of continental and traditional cuisine accompanied by a selection of local and international wines and spirits.

For further information contact: Niedermeier Verwaltungs- und Touristik GmbH Kurt Niedermeier, Seeshaupter Str. 17, D-81476 Muenchen/Germany Tel: +49-89 759 79 626 Fax: +49-89-759-79-627 E-mail: [email protected]

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