Gorilla Journal Journal of Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe No. 32, June 2006

The Stories of Bwindi-Impenetra- The Cross-Sanaga Humans and Go- Mugaruka and ble: 15 Years as a Gorillas: North- rillas – what Kind Chimanuka National Park ernmost Gorilla of Relationship? Populations BERGGORILLA & REGENWALD DIREKTHILFE

Authors of this Issue a scientifi c assistant at the Inst. of Bio- CONTENTS science at the University of Rostock. D. R. Congo 3 Stephen Asuma is a Field Offi cer Jean Claude Kyungu Kasolene Trip to Kahuzi-Biega 3 for IGCP in Uganda. led an ecology NGO, the Tayna Gorilla Attack on the Mugaba Patrol Post 3 James Byamukama has worked Reserve and the Walikale Community Le Gorille Magazine 2006 4 for IGCP as a Field Offi cer since April Gorilla Reserve and is now Project Ma- The Stories of Mugaruka and Chi- 2004. Since 1991 he has worked with nager for Tshiabirimu Gorilla Project. manuka ... so far 4 the Uganda Forest Department and Dr. Eric Leroy is a virologist and the The Silverback Mugaruka 5 with UNDP/GEF. chief of the “Emerging Viruses Unit” in New Patrol Post at Mt. Tshiabirimu 6 Prof. Dr. Raymond Corbey is a the Centre International de Recherch- Uganda 8 philosopher and anthropologist who is es Médicales de Franceville, Gabon. Bwindi-Impenetrable: 15 Years 8 connected to the Dept. of Philosophy of Dr. Alastair McNeilage is currently HuGo – the Uganda Experience 10 Tilburg University and the Dept. of Ar- the director of the Institute of Tropical Cross River 13 chaeology of Leiden University. Forest Conservation in Bwindi. He has Trip to Nigeria 13 Prof. Dr. Dr. Jean-Paul Gonzalez been involved with gorilla research and Investigating Killing of “Gorillas” 14 is the Director of UR178 at the Insti- conservation for the past 17 years. The Cross-Sanaga Gorillas 16 tut de Recherche pour le Développe- Dr. Angela Meder studied captive Gorillas 19 ment, Mahidol University at Salaya, gorillas and now works as a book edi- Ebola: from Bats to Gorillas 19 Thailand. tor. Since 1992 she has been a mem- Humans and Gorillas 20 Prof. Colin P. Groves teaches pri- ber of the Board of Directors of B&RD. Who Is the Beauty and Who Is matology and human evolution at the Dr. Bethan Morgan has been work- the Beast? 20 Australian National University and does ing for the Zoological Society of San Di- Lessons of Dian Fossey and research on various mammals. ego’s CRES in Cameroon since 2002. Establishment of POPOF-Japan 21 David Jay has worked with the Ape Robert Mulimbi is the chef de gui- Gorillas as Others 23 Alliance since 1998 and since 2001 for des for the ranger teams who lead tou- Another View of Gorilla GRASP as well as for the Born Free rists to the gorillas in the Kahuzi-Biega Relationships 24 Foundation’s Primate Program. National Park. A Step Away from King Kong 26 Richard Johnstone-Scott spent 10 Denise Nierentz worked for one Other Nations 28 years at Howletts Zoo Park. In 1979 he year at the Endangered Primate Res- Smiling Gorillas 28 returned to Jersey and was promoted cue Centre in Cuc Phuong, Vietnam, Reading 29 in 1997 to Head of Mammals. and is now a zoo animal keeper. Berggorilla & Regenwald John Kahekwa has been working at Dr. Xavier Pourrut (DVM) is an epi- Direkthilfe 30 the Kahuzi-Biega National Park since demiologist who works in the research Members’ Meeting 2006 30 1983. He founded the Pole Pole Foun- program “Ebola reservoir”. Finances 31 dation in 1992. Dr. Martha Robbins, a research as- Dr. Ursula Karlowski worked in rain sociate at the Max Planck Institute for forest conservation in southwestern Evolutionary Anthropology, has been Organization Address: Uganda. Currently she is working as studying gorillas for 14 years. Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe Dr. Kelly Stewart studied the goril- c/o Rolf Brunner Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 las at Karisoke during the 1970s and Lerchenstr. 5 Editor: Dr. Angela Meder early 1980s. She is a research asso- 45473 Muelheim, Germany Augustenstr. 122, 70197 Stuttgart, ciate in the Anthropology Department, Fax +49-208-7671605 Germany University of California at Davis. E-mail [email protected] Fax +49-711-6159919 Jacqueline L. Sunderland-Groves Website: E-mail [email protected] started a gorilla survey in Takamanda http://www.berggorilla.org Translation and Proofreading: Ann in 1997, and after 2000 she studied Bank Account: DeVoy, Bettina and Andrew Grieser Cross River gorillas in other areas. Account number 353 344 315 Johns, Colin Groves Prof. Dr. Juichi Yamagiwa has Stadtsparkasse Muelheim, Germany Design: Edwin Artho, Angela Meder been involved in fi eld work on eastern Bank code number 362 500 00 Cover: Boy and gorilla in Bukima gorillas since 1978, mainly at Kahuzi- IBAN DE06 3625 0000 0353 3443 15 Photo: Christian Kaiser Biega.

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Trip to the Kahuzi-Biega Luhoho National Park Kalehe Attack on the Mugaba Patrol Post At the end of January 2006, I visited Lemera Musenyi the Kahuzi-Biega National Park ac- Lake The attack on the patrol post took companied by the photographer Chris- Lwiro Kivu place during the night of 10 to Bitale Kahuzi tian Kaiser. We also visited projects Tshibati 11 April, 2006, commencing at in the surroundings of the park that Mugaba 11.30 pm. It was carried out by have been supported by Berggorilla Madiri Tshivanga the Mai-Mai division of Colonel & Regenwald Direkthilfe over the Mabolongo, “alias 106”, and Hutu KALONGE Miti last few years. Carlos Schuler had Biega rebels under the leadership of organized everything perfectly and was Fendula “Chuck Norris”. The post was NINDJA Kasirusiru a wonderful host during our stay. Cyangugu attacked by approximately 50 The offi ce of the ICCN/GTZ project, troops, with another 50 on stand- Ihembe parts of which burnt down last year, Mulume- Bukavu by in the vicinity of the post. was in the process of being rebuilt. I Munene Ruzizi The outcome was that one presented a computer to park director soldier of the FARDC (Forces Bernard Iyomi Iyatshi; this will provide Walungu Armées de la République Dé- park staff with permanent access to the mocratique du Congo) was killed Internet. The computer was funded by and one was injured; 4 of the sol- employees of the bank Kempen & Co. now been educated for some years – it diers’ wives and 26 men were kid- in Amsterdam; they collected this do- is only thanks to the PNKB/GTZ project napped and taken into the for- nation at a Christmas auction for us that they can go to school at all. The est; these people happened to be and we received it via the Apenheul school in Lukananda has admitted 16 on a lorry that was looted at the Primate Conservation Trust, the con- of these children (a total of 300 stu- post. On the side of the attackers, servation foundation of the Apenheul dents are taught there). 2 rebels were killed and a major primate park. Volker Jährling paid for part of the received a bullet wound. The post Of course, we also wanted to see tuition fees and for costs of teaching was looted: 2 AKA rifl es with 60 the gorillas, and we decided to visit materials for 200 Pygmy pupils in 2005. rounds of ammunition, one GPS, the Chimanuka group, hoping to catch The company ESGE in Albstadt, Ger- one Motorola phone, one solar a glimpse of the twins. Unfortunately, many, has fi nanced their 2005/2006 panel and the food rations of the the mother was not interested in meet- academic year in its entirety, to mark guards were stolen. ing us; but we spent a long time watch- the occasion of the company’s anniver- During our visit to the patrol ing Chimanuka feed and also observed sary; on behalf of the students, we ex- post, one of the women hostages some other group members. tend a heartfelt “thank you” to manag- returned – having been freed on The next day, we visited one of the ing director Karl Eugen Maag, who has 13 April. The other 3 women and schools where Pygmy children have most of the men were also freed in the meantime, but some still are with the attackers. According to the information given by the returning woman, the objective of the attack had been to abduct the guards and the troops stationed at the post and incorporate them into the rebel force; unfortunately for the attackers, they encountered re- sistance. Since the attack, only Books that were donated to the new Pygmy children in the Lukananda 7 soldiers and 6 guards remain at library after our appeal school, with their new benches the Mugaba patrol post. Photo: Carlos Schuler Photo: Angela Meder

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Unfortunately, we found that the or- Le Gorille Magazine 2006 phanage, which currently houses 20 chimpanzees and numerous small- In the Gorilla Journal No. 30 we asked er monkeys, is in a pitiful state. Food, you to donate money for the magazine medicine and new enclosures are re- Le Gorille. This magazine is distributed quired urgently. Gorillas are not kept in free of charge in the vicinity of the Kahuzi- Lwiro – they would not survive the con- Biega National Park. After our call for help, ditions there. several people donated varying amounts of Angela Meder money. Thanks to their help, we could pay for some of the printing costs and ensure the future publication of the magazine. The Stories of Mugaruka Many thanks to all the donors! They have and Chimanuka ... so far made a signifi cant contribution to the 13th edition of the magazine, which was Mugaruka and Chimanuka are eastern published in January 2006. Angela Meder lowland (or Grauer’s) gorilla silverbacks, has some copies for interested parties; if living in the high altitude sector of you would like to receive a copy (and make Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Despite a donation to cover the mailing costs), please contact her. We also received the work of the dedicated park staff, funds for the publication of the 14th edition: a generous donation from the the pressure on the park is intense, Bank Kempen & Co. in Amsterdam will cover part of the printing costs. The and since the civil unrest that began money was transferred through the Apenheul Primate Conservation Trust, in the mid-1990s protecting these to whom we would also like to offer our sincere thanks. animals has been an uphill struggle. Their slaughter for trophies or meat, or simply out of fear, has affected many of park. The POPOF offi ce was com- the gorilla families in the park and the pletely looted during a robbery in 2004 wider area. and most of the equipment has not yet Telling the story of just two animals been replaced. As a contribution from that are habituated and well known to the “Zoo-Mobile” fund-raising drive at the rangers shows how the sociopoliti- Stuttgart Zoo, I was able to present a cal problems in the area have an on- digital video camera to POPOF, and a going effect even on the animals that solar storage battery charger courte- survive. Our sincere thanks go to Car- sy of Mr and Mrs Winkler, who played los Schuler and Bernard Iyomi Iyatshi a decisive role in the zoo fund-raising for providing the information on which campaign. this article is based, and for the energy John Kahekwa and POPOF The last part of the programme was and commitment with which they work colleagues enjoy the new camera a visit to the Lwiro research station. for the protection of Kahuzi-Biega and Photo: Christian Kaiser its gorillas. Mugaruka was born in July 1987, ensured the education of these chil- a son of the silverback Mushamuka. dren for a further year with this gener- At the age of only 3, he was caught in ous donation! It has also helped to ad- a snare and lost his right hand, giving dress some of the worst problems in him his characteristic stump. He had 5 the school’s facilities. During our visit to elder brothers by the same father: Mu- Lukananda, new school benches were balala, Nindja, Bwana, Lambchop and delivered for one class. Mint Sauce, all born between 1973 and In addition, we visited a local NGO, 1981. These were all dead or missing the Pole Pole Foundation (POPOF), by 1999, with 4 known to have been which was founded by the ranger John Young chimps in the Lwiro killed by poachers or soldiers. Musha- Kahekwa in the surroundings of the orphanage Photo: Christian Kaiser muka died in 1997, and from 1999 on

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Mugaruka acted as the group leader, young child Maendeleo. He was left although he was not yet fully mature. with only one female Lushasha and his In 2000 at age of 13 he became a older son Chubaka. A few months later, fully developed silverback, and for the however, he encountered Chimanuka next few years defended his group suc- again, losing the fi ght once more, and cessfully against several other aggres- his one remaining female also switched sive males. On June 8th, 2000 he had to his rival’s group. This left Mugaruka a son, named Chubaka, and then sev- with no females, but still accompanied eral months later another called Maen- by his 2 year old son – a very unusu- deleo. With a large group of females al social arrangement! He spent all of and two offspring, Mugaruka’s scarred 2003 in this way, but in 2004 he had a childhood was healing into a healthy very fortunate encounter with a group adult life. In September 2002, however, of females that had no silverback, and Mugaruka Photo: Carlos Schuler he had an encounter with Chimanuka. of which he consequently came to be Chimanuka was born in 1986 to the leader. These females had probably silverback Maheshe, who occupied the been the group of Mishebere, a silver- The Silverback Mugaruka same area of the park as Mushamuka. back who went missing in early 2003, Maheshe was one of the most well- and whose body was found shot sev- Nowadays park activities are not limited known gorillas in the park, was visited eral months later. to community conservation – they also by many tourists and fi lm crews, and in Once again Mugaruka had a group and especially include activities for 1991 he appeared on the 50,000 Zaire of his own, but before he had time to the protection of the gorillas. In this note. In 1993, however, he was killed produce any offspring, he separated article, we would like to report on one by poachers who took his head and at- from them in mid-2005 and began trav- silverback whose life has already made tempted to sell it for 200 US$. Maheshe elling alone, apparently after a chal- history. had not tolerated any sub-adult males lenge from one of the blackbacks in Those who have the chance to vis- in his group while he was alive, and af- the group. This time Chubaka stayed it the Kahuzi-Biega National Park will ter his death the lack of a potential lead- with the females, leaving Mugaruka in recognize the silverback Mugaruka by er caused the group to gradually dislo- the traditional role of a lone silverback. his missing right hand. Born in 1987, cate and fall apart. Chimanuka ended Despite challenging another silverback into the Mushamuka family, he got his up living on his own as a blackback un- on Christmas Day 2005, at the time hand caught in a snare in 1991. He car- til he matured into a silverback and be- of writing this article this was still his ried the snare around with him until his gan searching for females with which situation, whilst Chimanuka remained hand withered and fell off. In 1997, the to form his own group. In September at the head of a large and productive male Nindja left the group peacefully 2002 he found Mugaruka, fought with group. However, the story of these two (i.e. without interaction) taking with him him, and won, thus taking charge of a young adult males, still only 20 years 4 females, one of which was Mugaru- group of 14 individuals including many old, shows how the fate of these ani- ka’s mother. fertile females. mals can turn for better or for worse On October 30th, 1997, Nindja was Mugaruka was the clear loser of this at any time. The rivalry between Mu- killed near Kakala by a Rwandan sol- battle, which also took the life of his garuka and Chimanuka is typical of the dier who had stayed in the Tshivan- life history of the species as we under- ga guard post the previous night. The stand it, and they seem to be acting, surviving gorillas re-grouped under the and breeding, as normal. It must give lead of a female called Mugoli (which us hope to see individuals whose ear- means “queen”) because Mugaruka ly lives were so devastated by human was not yet old enough to lead the intervention now exhibiting natural be- family. haviour, and we can all thank the dedi- In 1999, Mugoli conceded power to cated and professional park staff (past Mugaruka even though he was still a and present) for providing these ani- blackback male. In the same year, his mals with the opportunity to live as go- family started to tolerate the presence rillas should. of human visitors. Several representa- Chimanuka Photo: Christian Kaiser David Jay and John Kahekwa tives and actors from international tel-

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evision channels have visited the fam- istrative and military) to contribute to − Surveying the area to choose the ily since. the restoration of peace in general, and appropriate site; During the period from 2000 to within the park in particular – each ac- − Clearing the site; 2004, the peace and quiet of the Mu- cording to their means and abilities. − Purchasing and transporting the garuka family was disturbed, when the This will help to guarantee the pro- construction materials; silverback male Chimanuka attacked tection of the Kahuzi-Biega National − Sensitizing the local population, in- Mugaruka several times. During these Park. cluding the local chiefs, and ensur- skirmishes, Mugaruka lost several Robert Mulimbi ing that they participated in the con- members of his family. On May 9th, struction of the post; 2000, 2 of Mugaruka’s females decid- Latest news of Mugaruka: occasionally − Recruiting carpenters and stone ma- ed to stay with Chimanuka. On October he joins his old family led by the black- sons; 21st, 2002, all his remaining females back male Mankoto, who seems to be- − Beginning the carpentry and mason- transferred to Chimanuka, except for come stronger and stronger. At times ry work. Lushasha, the mother of the young the group splits, leaving Mugaruka and Chubaka. On January 7th, 2004, Chi- Mankoto each leading some of the fe- Almost all the work has been carried manuka returned and left with this last males, whilst at other times they live out by the population living adjacent to female, too. peacefully in one big group or Mugaru- Mt. Tshiabirimu, who have taken time For a while, Mugaruka lived alone ka ranges on his own. off from their usual work. with his son Chubaka. On May 19th, We all wait to see how the situation The Kikyo patrol post includes two 2004, he succeeded in taking over the will develop when Mankoto will grow up chalets. Each chalet is semi-detached, surviving Mishebere family and in form- to a silverback; most probably he will and each half contains three rooms. ing a new group of 10 individuals. defend his own group and not tolerate The post will house 4 guards or track- On July 17th 2005, Mugaruka sepa- Mugaruka in the same family. ers and their families. Each house is rated himself from all his new females 9 m long and 4.5 m wide and has a bal- and Chubaka. For reasons yet un- cony on each entrance. known he became solitary. Construction of a Many people have participated in or On January 20th, 2006, Mugaru- New Patrol Post at Mt. facilitated the construction of the Ki- ka interacted with a group of females Tshiabirimu kyo patrol post, either physically or by who had been abandoned in July 2005 providing moral support, and we are and who were led by a blackback male The construction project at Kikyo patrol very grateful to them. Among these are: called Mankoto. Very curiously, this in- post is closely associated with the the chiefs of Ngitse-Kaliro, the youth of teraction was entirely peaceful: Manko- urgency of saving the gorilla Kanindo. Ngitse and Kaliro, a group of the Sev- to submitted himself to Mugaruka’s In March 2005 this silverback sepa- enth Day Adventists of Kaliro, the gen- dominance. rated from the Lusenge family and be- eral population of Ngitse, Kaliro and The reader might wonder how we came solitary, ranging in the extreme Ngunuikira, etc., and the workers of the succeed in collecting a family history south of Mt. Tshiabirimu. He leaves DFGF-E/Mt. Tshiabirimu Project. like that of Mugaruka. As mentioned the park regularly and roams the above, the work of park staff is not lim- adjacent fi elds, where he encounters ited to development activities, but also goats, sheep and cows. He has peace- includes surveillance of the gorillas. ful encounters with passers-by on the Our guides and trackers follow these Kaliro–Vuveylac road, to whom he has gorillas every single day. An identifi ca- now habituated. tion kit based on nose-prints (diagrams However, this gorilla is at risk: he of the distinctive shape of each gorilla’s may contract or pass on diseases, he nose) has been developed to help rec- may be killed or cause an accident on ognize individuals. the road. The construction of a patrol This daily work can be conducted post at Kikyo is urgently required to only if security within the park is guar- protect Kanindo from possible harm. anteed. For this reason we appeal to Construction started on April 18th, Young people carry material for the everybody concerned (i.e. donors and 2005. Activities have included: construction of the patrol post – decision-makers, both political-admin- 5 hours walking distance!

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Equipment Needed Although the Congolese rangers are our priority because they need material The rangers of the Virunga National most urgently, it is not only in Congo Park and the Sarambwe Reserve where rain gear is needed – as the urgently need: Rwandan national park authority has – uniforms (in total: 200) told us, the Rwandese rangers also need – rain gear new clothing urgently. Unfortunately, – tents we do not have any funds to help them, – dishes but with your help we may be able send – water bottles this material to Rwanda. It would cost Above: Conservator Mashagiro – food for patrols in Sarambwe us about 3,000 Euros additionally. with some of his rangers in – funds for the repair of vehicles Bukima, Virunga National Park – at least 10 walkie talkies We have already ordered the uni- Address for cheques: Below: Claude Sikubwabo forms; they are being sewn in Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe Kiyengo, explaining the diffi cult Congo at the moment. We have c/o Rolf Brunner situation in the Virunga Natio- also promised rain gear and Lerchenstr. 5 nal Park to Angela Meder sweaters as well as food for patrols 45473 Muelheim Photos: Christian Kaiser and funds for vehicle repair. If we Germany receive additional funds, we will be able to provide more equipment Bank Account: – we would need at least 10,000 Account number 353 344 315 Euros more to provide the most Stadtsparkasse Muelheim, urgently needed material. Germany Bank code number 362 500 00 Please help us to equip the IBAN DE06 3625 0000 0353 3443 15 Congolese rangers! SWIFT-BIC SPMHDE3E

Kyungu’s initiative to erect signs. This has the support of the administrative Bwindi Gorilla Census and customary authorities of Butembo and the other communities surrounding In April 2006, a new gorilla cen sus Mt. Tshiabirimu. The inauguration cer- commenced in Bwindi Impene- emony of these signs was a great suc- trable National Park (see also cess attracting 5,000 participants! The page 9). The funds are not yet ceremony was accompanied by tradi- suffi cient to cover all the costs. tional folk dances and a concert. and Alastair McNeilage asked us DFGF-E is grateful to the artist Sau- if we will cover part of the costs. veur Mulwana for his performance, to Please help us to support the the musician Popla, to Makasi from fourth Bwindi gorilla census! It will Inauguration ceremony for the tourism and to all the tribal chiefs; last not only tell us how the gorilla monument but not least, thanks to the traditional population has progressed, but dancers from Tshiabirimu. also help to plan effi cient con ser- A second activity that demonstrates Jean Claude Kyungu vation activities. We will of course that the DFGF-E (Dian Fossey Gorilla report the results of the census Fund Europe) project is reaching the when it is complete. heart of the community is Jean Claude

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Bwindi-Impenetrable: 15 es immediately adjacent to the forest. Trust (MBIFCT) provides sustainable Human use of the forest was extensive funding for local community projects, Years as a National Park in the past with pitsawing for timber, park management, and research and Bwindi Impenetrable forest, located in mining and agricultural encroachment monitoring. southwest Uganda, is perhaps best causing the greatest damage. Since A large proportion of the conser- known as home to half the world’s Bwindi became a national park, all pit- vation initiatives in and around Bwin- remaining population of mountain sawing and mining has been banned, di have focused on reducing confl ict gorillas. It was initially gazetted as and the boundaries of the park have between park and local communities a forest reserve in 1932, and was remained intact. through a combination of sustainable managed as both a game reserve and Past hunting and logging still have utilisation of forest resources, equita- forest reserve from 1961 to 1991. With an ongoing impact on the park, with ble sharing of benefi ts, and bringing lo- increased pressure and illegal use and greatly reduced canopy cover and few cal communities into conservation as in order to protect the gorilla population large herbivores; pressure on the for- active stakeholders. Through a proc- and rich biodiversity, the forest was est remains high, and illegal use con- ess of negotiation between UWA and gazetted as a national park in 1991. tinues, albeit at greatly reduced levels. local communities facilitated by CARE, It was also inscribed as a UNESCO When the forest was gazetted, local agreements have been reached where- World Heritage Site in 1994. communities lost access to forest re- by registered resource users in seven The park covers approx. 331 km2 sources on which many had depended pilot parishes neighbouring Bwindi are of extremely rugged terrain charac- for livelihoods. This gave rise to a great permitted to harvest controlled levels terised by numerous steep-sided hills deal of confl ict between the park and of specifi c medicinal plants and weav- and narrow valleys, with an altitudinal local communities, which threatened ing materials from designated “multiple range between 1,160 and 2,607 m. In the existence of the forest and the abil- use zones”. In other parishes, similar addi tion to the mountain gorillas, Bwin- ity of the park authorities to manage it. agreements allow bee-keepers to keep di has exceptionally high biodiversity Furthermore, the legacy of human im- beehives within the forest. and many restricted-range and endem- pact on the forest raises serious ques- This programme has gone a long ic species. While turning Bwindi into a tions about the ability of it to survive way towards improving relations with national park was a positive step for its and regenerate in the long term. local communities. Some questions conservation, it by no means resulted Since it became a national park, still remain as to whether the bene- in an overnight change in the protection Bwindi has received more attention fi ts received by communities will be afforded to the area. The conservation from conservation agencies than many enough in the long term to compensate challenges were and still are great. other protected areas. Bwindi is now for the costs of conservation which they Bwindi is a small island of forest sur- managed by the Uganda Wildlife Au- bear, particularly the poorest farmers rounded by some of the highest rural thority (UWA),(UWA), and receives assistance living next to the park boundary who population densities in Africa (averag- from a number of major conservation suffer most from crop-raiding by wild- ing around 300 people per km2). Ap- partners. The International Gorilla Con- life. But the fact that they have been proximately 100,000 people, nearly all servation Programme (IGCP) has sup- brought into the management systems subsistence farmers, live in the parish- ported park management, particularly of the park, and channels of communi- in the area of gorilla-based ecotour- cation and dialogue between park and ism development. CARE’s Develop- surrounding communities have been ment Through Conservation has sup- opened up, has certainly been a major ported community conservation, park achievement of itself. management and planning and rural Another form of sustainable re- development. The Institute of Tropical source use (or at least resource use Forest Conservation (ITFC – Mbarara which aims at sustainability) which has University of Science and Technology) been developed is gorilla-based eco- undertakes ecological monitoring and tourism. Since 1993, small groups of applied research, aimed at assisting tourists have been taken to see habit- park management, as well as providing uated groups of gorillas. Tourists pay technical advice and training opportu- a good deal of money (currently US$ A view of the Bwindi forest nities. Lastly, the Mgahinga and Bwin- 360 per person per one hour visit, in Photo: Christoph Lübbert di Impenetrable Forest Conservation addition to the park entrance fees) for

8 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 UGANDA

the privilege, and this generates con- ing and frequent responses to peoples’ More academically based research siderable revenue for UWA, as well as actions. We still know very little about on the ecology and behaviour of the bringing additional money into the lo- the effects of these threats, although Bwindi gorillas is showing that they are cal economies. Currently four groups of ongoing research in Bwindi is further a unique population and emphasizes gorillas are habituated for tourism, with investigating the impacts of gorilla tour- the diversity of gorilla behavioural ecol- a maximum number of 8 tourists visit- ism and habituation. ogy. ing per day. At full capacity of 11,680 Another benefi t to the local commu- In conclusion, Bwindi has been a foreign tourists per year, this translates nities from tourism is revenue sharing, pioneering example of different con- into a maximum of US$ 4.2 million an- in which a portion of the UWA revenues servation and sustainable use strate- nual income. are shared with local people to sup- gies, but can it be regarded as a suc- While gorilla tourism has been gen- port specifi c community development cess? Do we know if the future of the erally regarded as a great success as projects. In 2006, approximately US$ forest is assured? Certainly, the out- a conservation strategy in generating 80,000 will be divided among the 21 look for Bwindi is much better now than revenues and providing fi nancial jus- parishes surrounding Bwindi. This has 15 years ago. A gorilla census in 1997 tifi cation for conservation, we do not an important impact in demonstrating found 300 gorillas in Bwindi, which is yet know all the impacts on the gorillas the value of conserving Bwindi and its approximately the same number as themselves. Consider that each group gorilla population to the people living there were when the park was gazetted of gorillas could be visited by nearly alongside the gorillas. in 1991. The population increased to 3,000 different people each year. Evi- As already mentioned, the fi rst for- approximately 320 gorillas in 2002 and dence from the Virungas, where gorilla est conservation trust fund in Africa a census being conducted in April–July tourism has been underway in Rwanda was set up in southwest Uganda with 2006 will show if the population has in- and Democratic Republic of the Congo funding from GEF, USAID and the Roy- creased even further. Surveys of the for over 20 years, indicates that groups al Dutch government. MBIFCT’s goal knowledge and attitude of local people visited by tourists have at least as many is to strengthen conservation though in recent years have shown a defi nite immatures as unhabituated groups and direct support to park management improvement in support for conserva- have not suffered any serious impacts. and applied research, and by reliev- tion of the forest among local people. Indeed, the close monitoring received ing pressure on the park and providing Despite active law enforcement efforts, by the gorillas that are followed each alternative benefi ts to local communi- however, illegal activities continue and day for tourism or research probably ties through support of small scale de- many people still feel that the costs brings signifi cant benefi ts, in terms of velopment projects. As it works with of conservation outweigh the benefi ts. protection and veterinary care. None- local communities, the trust is a con- While the gorilla population is stable, theless, gorillas are likely to be sus- stant reminder to people that the bene- if not increasing, there is a signifi cant ceptible to human diseases, and recent fi ts which they are receiving have been area of habitat in the park which they research has shown that the presence made possible because of the exist- do not yet occupy. Crop-raiding, includ- of people does have an impact on their ence of the parks, and the support the ing by gorillas, continues to be a bone behaviour, with reduced rates of feed- international community is willing to of contention between park and local give to their conservation. communities. Clearly, many problems Research is another import compo- remain to be solved. nent of conservation by providing in- Given the small size of Bwindi, its formation to make informed manage- immense biological richness and sig- ment decisions. Research conducted nifi cance, the history of disturbance by the ITFC is addressing some of the to which it has already been subject- key issues for park management, in- ed, and the intense pressure from sur- cluding assessments of the sustaina- rounding people, we must be exceed- bility of multiple use and tourism pro- ingly careful in how we manage the re- grams, studying key issues for the sources it contains. We clearly cannot conservation and management of the ignore the interests of the surround- gorilla population, and improving our ing human population, and conserving understanding of the relationship be- the forests without their support would tween conservation and development be almost impossible. Despite all the A blackback Photo: Martha Robbins in the area. different initiatives which have made

9 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 UGANDA

great progress in recent years in in- gorillas, like bananas, favoured the Solutions a, b, d and f have since been creasing support among local commu- re tention of the areas within gorillas’ piloted in Uganda. The HuGo aims nities for conservation of the forest, we home ranges. to increase the level of community still have some way to go before we The result was that there was spatial support for gorilla conservation by can claim to have found this balance overlap of human activities and gorilla monitoring gorilla group movements, and can rest assured that its future is home ranges outside the park bound- and responding whenever gorillas safe. While there may be room for cau- aries, and the gorillas destroyed peo- move out of the park boundaries. tious optimism in Bwindi, there is no ples’ crops, stopping people from work- When HuGo? The implementation room for complacency. ing in their gardens and at times in- of the February 1998 workshop rec- Alastair McNeilage fl icting injury to the people: thus the ommendations in Uganda began in and Martha M. Robbins human–gorilla confl ict. September 1998 (Macfi e 2000). Go- It was only after the Uganda Wildlife rilla Monitoring and Response Teams Authority (UWA)(UWA) started earning mon- (GMRTs), which follow gorillas when- Human–Gorilla Confl ict ey from gorilla tourism that the com- ever they range outside park boundar- Resolution (HuGo) – the munities started demanding compen- ies and gently chase them out of fi elds Uganda Experience sation for the losses incurred due to and out of harm’s way, were formed in gorilla crop raiding (Macfi e 2000). At- Mukono and Nteko parishes with the This study was conducted in the Bwindi tempts were made to minimise the con- primary aim of chasing gorillas when- Impenetrable National Park, located in fl ict by giving a token of appreciation to ever they would roam out of the Bwindi southwestern Uganda between latitude the farmers who did not harm the goril- Impenetrable National Park (BINP). 0° 53’ to 1° 8’ south and longitude las during crop raiding, but these failed The chasing was not very successful 29° 35’ to 29° 50’ east (UWA 2001). because of gross abuse of the proce- in Nteko because the Nkuringo gorilla It covers an area of 321 km2 on the dures; besides, it was found to be un- group was under habituation and there edge of the Western Rift Valley oc- sustainable and also contravened the were many wild groups. A decision was cupying the highest blocks of the UWA policy of compensation. consequently reached to buy the park Kigezi Highlands. The park lies along Why HuGo? It was envisaged edge land in Nteko, the Nkuringo buffer the border of the Democratic Republic that the collapse of the compensation zone. Education has been an ongoing of the Congo and is about 29 km by scheme was likely to have some neg- activity since September 1998. road to Kabale town and 30 km north ative impacts on the conservation of of Kisoro town. Adjacent to the park are the critically endangered mountain go- What Has Been Achieved? 21 parishes. rillas, among them notably the follow- Capacity building of GMRTs. There Historically, local communities have ing: there would be long-term nega- are 42 GMRTs in 9 villages surrounding used Bwindi forest as a source of tim- tive community attitudes towards con- BINP. They received training, and ber, minerals, non-timber forest re- servation of mountain gorillas, and equipment and food rations. sources, game meat and agricultural also perhaps increased possibilities of The GMRTs had initial training in land. These activities led to continued transmission of communicable diseas- chasing methods, which included ring- signifi cant losses of forest cover up to es from humans. ing bells, whistling, shouting and herd- the late 1980s. Since 1991, the for- In February 1998, a workshop of key ing. They also had training in fi re man- est’s tourism potential (mainly gorilla stakeholders to discuss the problems agement and business development. tourism) has been demonstrated as an came up with several solutions, includ- Additional training was to be provided important additional direct economic ing: in GPS use, intelligence gathering and value. communication skills. According to Weber & Vedder (1983, a) education, The International Gorilla Conserva- cited in Macfi e 2000), the reduction in b) chasing, tion Programme (IGCP) and UWA sup- lower altitude forests reduced the go- c) problem animal levy (levy on gorilla plied equipment to the GMRTs, ranging rillas’ home ranges signifi cantly. Fur- permits), from gumboots, rain gear and pangas ther, Butynski (1984; cited by Macfi e d) hiring gorilla monitor response to GPS. In the calendar year ending 2000) indicated that the presence of teams, 2005, UWA supplied them with 4 GPS some mosaic forest patches left out- e) development of a policy by UWA on while IGCP supplied them with 42 pairs side the park boundaries, coupled with problem gorillas, of gumboots, 50 sets of rain gear and the growing of new crops palatable to f) land purchase on the forest edges. 30 pangas.

10 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 UGANDA

The effi ciency of the monitoring sys- with them. The health assistants will tem was still limited by ineffi cient data also be the key persons in the health sheet fi lling. The GMRT required train- and sanitation completions. ing in the proper handling and fi lling of In addition, we would wish to have datasheets. these GMRTs be a model for the link Health and sanitation. The GMRT between public health and conservation volunteers, by the nature of their work, for the improvement of public health ini- are always in constant touch with the tiatives within communities surround- GMRTs in their biannual meeting gorillas. If levels of hygiene and sanita- ing the gorilla parks and beyond. tion in their homes are indaequate, the Enterprise. Gorilla Monitoring In addition to equipment, UWA pro- disease transmission risk to the goril- and Response Teams are communi- vides food rations (beans and maize las increases. For this reason, a health ty volunteers; they have been doing fl our) to the GMRTs whenever they are and sanitation survey was carried out this work since they were selected by on duty. in the homes of all the 42 GMRTs in No- their communities in September 1998. The GMRTs from the 9 villages hold vember 2005. To keep their morale up, AWF/IGCP biannual meetings, facilitated by IGCP The results indicate poor perform- gave each member a grant of 400,000 and UWA. During these meetings, they ance in sanitation and personal hy- Uganda shillings for a business ven- share experiences on their work and giene. Most (71%) took a bath less ture, so a total of 16,800,000 USh (ap- the challenges, and chart a common than 3 times a week and over 90% had prox. 9,333 US$) was disbursed to the way forward for the next 6 months. no refusal disposal means, while 69% 42 members. Projects included rearing Training has also been conducted dur- had pit latrines that were less than 5 m of sheep, goats and pigs, and some ing such meetings. away from their homes. have bought cattle. Monitoring system and evaluation Access to clean and safe water was During the household surveys con- of chasing methods. A HuGo monitor- another limiting factor in personal hy- ducted in November 2005, the grant ing system was put in place. Every time giene; only 2.4% of the households had assessment was also carried out. Re- the GMRTs go out, they fi ll out a moni- access to safe and clean water at a dis- sults indicated that 29.1% of the grant toring sheet. The major data on this tance of less than 0.5 km, possibly ex- was invested in domestic problems like form include the GPS point, the type plaining why most household members sickness and bride price. We learned of crop eaten and to what extent, any went many days without a bath. from this that the GMRTs required more injuries encountered during the chas- Assuming an average of 7 persons training in business development. ing, the chasing methods used and per household, 204 persons out of 297 The GMRTs agreed in their Decem- the GMRT team composition. Using (81%) over all households suffered at ber 2004 meeting to form a community- that data, trends (number of times out, least once from communicable diseas- based organisation (CBO) which would crops destroyed and areas frequently es. This constitutes a high risk of such unite them and also work as a vehicle visited) are analysed. diseases spreading to gorillas high. for development. Through this CBO, Using the same data, an evaluation Success in chasing gorillas back into they have been able to pull together re- was done of the methods frequently the park, therefore, was highly compro- sources (mainly fi nancial) on a month- used and their success. Results indi- mised by this poor state of hygiene ly basis. The collection from the group cate that the following methods are the and sanitation. We therefore launched is given to one or two individuals on a most commonly used and are most a competition to motivate the GMRTs rotational basis. Some have used the effective when used in combination: to improve their hygiene and sanitation. money to buy more sheep and goats, shouting, making a cut line to stop fur- There will be biannual competitions for thus improving their business ventures ther forward movement, and whistling. prizes rewarding the most improved and livelihoods, and consequently their One of the fears of chasing gorillas and best performance positions. morale for voluntary gorilla chasing im- was that they might get habituated to We shall use the results to appeal proved. chasing methods (Macfi e 2000). The to local government intervention, as it Nkuringo buffer zone. This is results of the evaluation are therefore is their mandate to ensure good health a 12 km by 350 m stretch (4.2 km2). used to assess which methods are fre- and sanitation within the communities. It consists of a 2.4 km2 stretch that quently being used and which the goril- We hope this will be possible as we will remain intact, while the remaining las resist, so that new chasing innova- involved the local health assistants in 1.8 km2 on the outer part would be tions can be put in place. the survey and have shared the results used by the communities to grow crops

11 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 UGANDA

which are not palatable to the gorillas of exotic plants that are palatable to and other problem animals. A number the gorillas. of such crops have been piloted. These include: Lessons Learnt – The GMRT are a widely recognised – Artemisia annua. This is an annual institution in the communities act- crop that provides an active ingredi- ing as a bridge for confl ict resolution ent for the manufacture of antimalar- over gorilla raiding. ial drugs. – Confl ict resolution solutions devel- – Wheat. A variety that is not eaten oped by all stakeholders in a partici- by birds was to be grown in rotation patory manner are sustainable. with Artemisia annua. – The association of the GMRTs has Artemisia annua – Pasture. Under this programme, increased their organisational ca- 8 in-calf heifers are to be given to pacity and sense of belonging/own- – The socio-economic implications of households in the frontline commu- ership. purchasing land from the communi- nities on a revolving basis. The fi rst – The volunteer spirit of the GMRTs ties are not known – sustainability? benefi ciaries would give the fi rst calf can only be kept moving through – Active involvement of the communi- to the second benefi ciaries and so motivation schemes that improve ties in buffer zone management is on. household livelihoods. an uphill task. – Community-based solutions need a The effectiveness of these crops in lot of patience and tolerance. Conclusion/Recommendations keeping away problem gorillas and oth- – The skills of the GMRT in monitoring The HuGo pilot interventions employed er problem animals from the communi- need to be improved if the success in Uganda are a great successful, ties is yet to be assessed. story of HuGo is to be adequately re- but the following areas should be If these crops are found effective, corded. improved: they would contribute greatly to the re- duction of the human–gorilla confl ict as Challenges – Monitoring of data collection and well as the improvement of the peo- GMRTs analysis. ples’ livelihood. We hope that such a – Incentive to keep the GMRTs moti- – Sustainable motivation scheme for combination will do a great deal to in- vated over a long period of time in the GMRTs are put in place. crease community support for conser- a poverty stricken environment was – The health and sanitation of the vation. not sustainable. GMRTs homesteads was improved Other activities tried out in the buff- – Balancing livelihoods and chasing to the level where they would act as er zone are the growing of Mauritius when the gorillas stay out for long role models in their communities. thorn hedge that would form a barrier periods left the CMRT’s spirit of vol- – The socio-economic impacts of the to the problem gorillas and other ani- unteerism wanting. land purchase for the buffer zone mals, and the removal from the buffer – Ensuring high health standards (hy- was done and evaluated. giene and sanitation) in their homes James Byamukama and should reduce the risk for cross in- Stephen Asuma fection of contagious diseases with the gorillas. References Butynski, T. M. (1984) Ecological Survey of the – Active training in gorilla regulations Impenetrable (Bwindi) Forest, Uganda, and and GPS use is necessary. Recommendations for its Conservation and – Ensuring entrepreneurship skills Management, Wildlife Conservation Interna- may require a lot of work. tional, New York Zoological Society Macfi e, L. (2000) Human–gorilla confl ict reso- Buffer zone lution Recommendations for Component with- – The presence of forest patches with in IGCP Uganda Programming (unpublished) abandoned banana plantations out- UWA (2001) Bwindi/Mgahinga Conservation side the buffer zone still attracts go- Area General Management Plan. Kampala Weber, A. W. & Vedder, A. (1983) Population Banana fi eld after the visit of a rillas, and they are hard to chase Dynamics of the Virunga Gorillas: 1959–1978. gorilla group from such areas. Biological Conservation 26: 341–366

12 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 CROSS RIVER

Trip to Nigeria Andrew Dunn works, has been active in that area since 1986. The sanctu- From 13 January to 17 February I ary covers 32 km2 (lying within the for- visited Nigeria. Up to 1983, gorillas est reserve of 380 km2), approximately were believed to be extinct in Nigeria; 1,300 m above sea level. in that year the Cross River gorilla Reaching Afi is not easy: it is an was rediscovered, although it is still impenetrable area with steep slopes, critically endangered. This is both which has surely helped the survival the northernmost as the westernmost of about 30 gorillas there, but makes occurrence of gorillas. working there rather diffi cult. The area The Cross River gorilla was fi rst de- is characterized by a long dry season, scribed in 1904 by Paul Matschie of the during which the animals fi nd fewer Humboldt University Zoological Muse- fruits and roam the forest on a north– um in Berlin, who classifi ed them as a south axis. Every 3 months WCS fa- new species, based on the character- cilitates a sweep census when biolo- istics of a short skull, short molar row, gists and rangers distributed at differ- palate shape, and skull base shape. ent camps survey the whole area and Decades of disagreement followed un- record all nests and faeces they en- Andrew Dunn Photo: Denise Nierentz til the 1990s when Esteban Sarmiento counter. I was lucky to be at Afi during and John Oates defi nitively confi rmed such a census, and met among others the past 5 years. The management of it as an valid subspecies, Gorilla gorilla WCS research offi cer, Inaoyom Imong this area is carried out by the surround- diehli. There are less than 300 individu- and the Conservation Coordinator of ing villages. Currently the demarcation als left, making it the most threatened the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, Ubi of borders for a core protected area is gorilla subspecies. Only one single ani- Sam. Usually biology students from the under way. SPACE (Sustainable Prac- mal is in captivity at the moment, a con- nearby University of Calabar join those tices in Agriculture for Critical Environ- fi scated gorilla living at the Limbe Res- censuses which gives them a good op- ments) is doing a considerable amount cue Centre in Cameroon together with portunity to gain fi eld experience. They of education in those villages. Since rescued western lowland gorillas. all participated with great enthusiasm 1990 there has been a proposal to in- I visited above all the projects sup- and interest. tegrate Mbe into the national park, but ported by Berggorilla & Regenwald Another very important area is Mbe, so far no action has been taken to im- Direkthilfe. In Calabar, I met Andrew since it represents a corridor between plement this. Population increase and Dunn, with whom I had exchanged Afi and the Okwangwo Division of the thus pressure on the forest are the many emails in the past; he had al- Cross River National Park (CRNP). main problems at Mbe. ready put together a full program. I also Without offi cial protection status it is up Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe met Chris Agbor, the Permanent Sec- to the WCS eco-guards to patrol this fi nanced the renovation of ranger posts retary of Forest Commission for the forest and thanks to their work there at Mbe and Afi . The building materials Cross River State, and we discussed has not been any gorilla poaching in needed to be carried up the mountains the protection and possible further de- one by one, and when I saw those steep velopment of the park. I learned that slopes I began to understand why this both the Afi and Mbe Mountains are has taken quite some time; but as all now very well protected thanks to the the materials have now arrived at the reliable work of rangers and scientists, site it will not take long to complete the whose continuing presence prevents job. The Afi ranger post has been com- poaching in both areas. pleted in the meantime. Our fi rst destination was the Afi The Cross River National Park is a Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary. In May so-called biodiversity hotspot, meaning 2000, part of the existing Afi River For- that it is an area with many species, in- est Reserve was established as a wild- cluding many endemics; it is extreme- life sanctuary, mainly to protect the ly endangered because of poaching, Cross River gorilla. The Wildlife Con- New buildings at the Afi ranger clearing, road construction and popula- servation Society (WCS), for which camp Photo: Ubi Sam tion pressure. The park consists of two

13 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 CROSS RIVER

parts: the Oban Division in the south (approximately 3,000 km2), which is connected with the Korup National Bumaji: Construction of a New Ranger Post Park in Cameroon, and in the north the Okwangwo Division (approximately To improve conservation in the Cross River 640 km2), connected to the Takamanda National Park, the construction of a ranger post Forest Reserve in Cameroon. The two in Bumaji is desirable. After having supported parts are separated by 63 km, and tak- the construction of a ranger camp in Afi (p. 13) en together they contain 80% of all wild and Mbe, we promised to contribute to this primate species in Nigeria. In 1991, the important conservation measure. area was recognized as national park. Alhaji Abdulsalam, the director of We need your support for this effort! CRNP, arranged for the rangers at An- ape to show us the area around their Bank Account: region. Kolmården Zoo has funded the Account number 353 344 315 construction of a ranger post at Anape Stadtsparkasse Muelheim, which I was interested in visiting. There Address for cheques: Germany are still numerous villages in the forest Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe Bank code number 362 500 00 which makes effective protection enor- c/o Rolf Brunner IBAN DE06 3625 0000 0353 mously diffi cult. It is therefore important Lerchenstr. 5 3443 15 to continue supporting education and 45473 Muelheim, Germany SWIFT-BIC SPMHDE3E protection efforts throughout CRNP. Anape is near Obudu, which is out- side of the national park. In 1959 a fi rst class hotel was established here, which fore help to reduce exploitation of natu- Investigating a Recent has now been further extended by lux- ral resources; they could fi nd jobs as Report of the Killing of ury lodges. Fulani living in that area still rangers and work on the construction burn the vegetation from time to time of the ranger station. “Gorillas” to provide grass for their cattle. Fortu- Last year Berggorilla & Regenwald In February 2006 a report was received nately it is also in the interest of the ho- Direkthilfe donated tents, backpacks at the Wildlife Conservation Society tel operators to preserve natural habi- and sweaters for the rangers. In Feb- (WCS) offi ce in Calabar that a gorilla tat around the Obudu Plateau, as the ruary a new Director of CRNP was ap- had been killed at Bumaji, a group of surrounding forests are a tourist desti- pointed; in Nigeria Park Directors are remote villages near the northwestern nation. As the area is huge with many regularly rotated. Andrew Dunn will dis- corner of the Okwangwo Division of hills and valleys, only a fraction can be cuss further conservation efforts with Nigeria’s Cross River National Park, controlled from Anape and there are the new man in charge, Steven Haru- some 180 km from Calabar. The hunters plans to establish another ranger post na. of Bumaji have a long history of hunting in Bumaji. This would also give locals As reported in the last Gorilla Jour- gorillas, and with fewer than 100 Cross an alternative way of living and there- nal, Nigeria, which was one of the fi rst River gorillas remaining in Nigeria this countries to join the international trade was serious news indeed. It was also agreement CITES in 1973, is temporar- an area where we had recently been ily being excluded from it because of attempting to assist park authorities numerous illegal smuggling incidents. in improving levels of protection. For It is thus essential to continue to work instance, in 2005 a ranger post was for protection of the remaining areas constructed at Anape, roughly 10 km and the animals living there; Berggoril- east of Bumaji, with funding assistance la & Regenwald Direkthilfe has pledged from Kolmården Zoo. We wasted to support further conservation efforts no time in passing the report to the in Cross River National Park in 2006. Director of Cross River National Park, Anape ranger post Denise Nierentz and provided some resources for park Photo: Denise Nierentz rangers to investigate the matter.

14 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 CROSS RIVER

Park rangers subsequently went to national park to collect edible leaves la monitoring unit and to create a “lo- Bumaji and, after conducting inquiries, (Gnetum africanum) and was distur- cal advisory committee” to improve di- quickly arrested a man who apparently bed, or perhaps even chased, by two alogue between local communities and admitted killing two gorillas inside the large animals, probably apes. A hun- park authorities. park in October 2005. The man, a well- ter who happened to be nearby heard WCS is working closely with the new known hunter, was brought to the Park her screams and came to her aid, kil- Director and his senior staff to produ- Headquarters in Akamkpa for further ling both animals. These animals were ce a management plan for the park. investigation, but he subsequently de- then butchered in the forest, with va- The management plan aims to make nied any involvement in the killing and rious body parts carried back to the vil- improved protection for the park’s re- was later released on bail. The case lage for sharing amongst family mem- maining gorillas a top priority. Levels of has yet to come to court, and unfortu- bers and for sale. None of these body protection in the park can be improved nately with no evidence such as a skull parts were subsequently found in the with external assistance and support. or skin available, any prosecution is un- village. Obviously park rangers need fi eld rati- likely to be successful. An accurate description of the ani- ons, equipment and better training, but Meanwhile doubts began to be ex- mals was not available but they were experience has shown us that effective pressed concerning the authenticity of said to have reddish hands and brown protection also requires proper supervi- the reported gorilla deaths. The name faces. Based on this evidence we think sion, planning and high levels of disci- “gorilla” is also applied to chimpanzees that the animals killed were possibly pline. Ranger posts are needed so that in Nigeria, and information of all kinds chimpanzees and not gorillas, although rangers are located in the most strate- can be notoriously unreliable. It was it is likely that we will never know for gic positions along the park boundary, suggested to us that the poaching inci- certain. Like the Cross River gorilla, the and from where they can easily access dent may have been reported to the au- local form of chimpanzee (Pan troglo- the interior of the park itself. thorities as a result of some local villa- dytes vellerosus) is also regarded by We have recently secured funding ge-level feud. Others expressed doubt IUCN as critically endangered. from the WWF African Great Ape Pro- as to the validity of the man’s origi- What is more certain is that levels of gramme and from Berggorilla & Regen- nal confession. If gorillas were in deed protection for wildlife in the Okwangwo wald Direkthilfe to help the park build killed in October 2005, why did the Division of Cross River National Park a ranger post at Bumaji. We are also news only leak out in February 2006? remain inadequate. With only a hand- working closely with the U. S. Fish and In an attempt to gather more reliab- ful of ranger posts situated along the Wildlife Service and Fauna and Flora le information, therefore, we arranged park boundary, the majority of rangers International to improve levels of infra- our own enquiry, acknowledging that are stationed at the Divisional Head- structure at other key Cross River go- this incident happened some 5 months quarters in Butatong. Given the fact rilla sites in Nigeria. previously and it would be diffi cult to that the park is remote and inacces- A third international workshop on the gather any fresh evidence. sible, and has few functional vehicles conservation of the Cross River gorilla Jonas Attah (WCS fi eld assistant, available, large areas receive little at- is planned for April 2006. During this Mbe Mountains) and Columbus Ikpe tention at all. workshop we will formulate priorities (Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Soon after this unfortunate incident for a Conservation Action Plan for the Becheve Nature Reserve Manager) vi- a new director of Cross River National Cross River gorilla to complement tho- sited the area to further investigate the Park was appointed. The new Park Di- se already produced by IUCN for West matter. Unfortunately they found local rector, Steven Haruna, has made im- African chimpanzees and Central Afri- people to be hostile and many had al- proving community relations a priority, can apes in 2005. The workshop will ready sworn an oath not to divulge any recognizing that support and coopera- also review proposals for the creati- information about the incident to stran- tion from surrounding communities is on of a trans-boundary protected area gers. The two investigators were ad- essential for the long-term future of the spanning the Okwangwo Division of vised to leave the community or risk park. He has already visited the area in Cross River National Park in Nigeria personal injury. Under such circum- order to restore peace and stability and and Takamanda Forest Reserve (cur- stances it was hardly surprising there- agreed with local community leaders to rently proposed as a national park) in fore that only scanty information was establish a ranger post in the Bumaji Cameroon. made available to the team. area as soon as possible. It was also Wildlife Conservation Society What Attah and Ikpe were told was agreed to recruit a number of commu- that a pregnant woman had entered the nity rangers to assist the park’s goril-

15 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 CROSS RIVER

The Cross-Sanaga endangered, with a total population ted case and the fi rst report received Gorillas: the Northern- of less than 300 individuals, split into since 2003 in Cameroon, but with such at least 10 subpopulations. Primarily a small population even the killing of most Gorilla Populations located in highland forest, Cross River one individual is still a major cause for The gorillas north of the Sanaga River in gorillas throughout their range are concern. Cameroon inhabit a fascinating region. scattered across a broad landscape Mount Cameroon is the highest peak The Cross-Sanaga landscape is one of which totals approximately 3000 km². in West-Central Africa and is part of an the most biologically diverse expanses Despite the fragmentation of this extensive chain of volcanic activity from in Africa, with many areas showing population, there still exist large tracts Bioko, the offshore island of Equatori- evidence of having been forest refuges of forest linking subpopulations which, al Guinea, northwards to the Bamenda during the last ice age. At the same if they can be maintained, will continue Highlands. The northern section of this time, fertile soils throughout much of to provide access routes to connect mountainous region provides habitat to the region have encouraged human groups as well as accommodating any the largest proportion of Cross River population growth and resettlement, so future range expansion which could gorillas. that it is also one of the most the most support a growth in population. Cameroon has approximately se- highly populated areas in West-Central The main threats to the future sur- ven of the Cross River gorilla subpo- Africa. vival of Cross River gorillas are hun- pulations, one of which is a true trans- Gorilla populations throughout the ting, habitat loss and fragmentation. boundary population, spending time in northern section of this region are ex- Through community education out- both Cameroon and Nigeria. The lar- tremely patchy, scattered into several reach activities and increased law gest of these is believed to be around subpopulations and restricted, in most enforcement measures, hunting over 25 weaned individuals and the smal- cases, to the remaining areas of higher the past 7 years has become almost a lest subpopulation may total as few as altitude forest where human pressures secondary threat. Gorilla hunting has 10–15. The most current estimate of are less. It is likely that this habitat frag- not been totally eradicated and a re- the total population within Cameroon is mentation is a relatively recent pheno- cent report from Cameroon suggests around 180–200. Presently, no Cross menon, although some particularly fer- that one animal was killed in the last River gorilla subpopulation in Camero- tile areas of the northwestern area of 6 months. This appears to be an isola- on is located within a protected area Cameroon have been farmed intensely for several hundred years. It is certainly Protected Areas 1: Afi River and Mountain Nigeria true that habitat fragmentation and de- 2: Cross River NP gradation are still increasing, although 3: Takamanda FR Obudu Takamanda - Mone TOU 4: Mone FR the advent of several conservation ini- 5: Kagwene Mountain 6: Deng Deng FR Cameroon tiatives in the past decade is now bea- CROSS RIVER Atlantic POPULATIONS ring fruit and there is now a more posi- 1 2 3 5 tive outlook for some areas. Bamenda S 4 a Mamfe n a . There are three main gorilla popu- ross R C g (M BECHATI a r a R. a lations north of the Sanaga river – the n g y n u a P ) highly fragmented subpopulations of R. DENG R. m Cross River gorillas straddling the Ca- DENG 6 Lo meroon-Nigerian border; the Ebo goril- las, probably a single population of go- NANGA EBOKO Belabo

Y

o rillas less than 100 km north of the Sa- Kumba SANAGA n R. g ri EBO YONG naga river; and the Deng-Deng gorillas, u R. Bertoua o Mt Cameroon R. W in the area between the Lom-Pangar o 4100 m b R. E g a Gorilla population river system and the river Yong, west S a n a Douala Protected area of Belabo. Limbé Yaoundé 50 km The Cross River Gorilla Population in Cameroon and Nigeria Gorilla populations in Cameroon. Populations are indicated by capitals. The Cross River gorilla Gorilla go- Protected areas include national parks (NP), and forest reserves (FR). rilla diehli is classifi ed as critically Map: Daniel Slayback

16 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 CROSS RIVER

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), establishment of the research station. working in conjunction with park ma- At the time of writing, no one has been nagement, and efforts over the past apprehended for this crime. few years have been on monitoring, law enforcement and direct protection. The Gorillas of the Belabo Region In both Cameroon and Nigeria, stu- Approximately 320 km northeast of dies of gorilla ecology have been con- the Ebo forest are the forests of the ducted. Gorilla monitoring is current- Belabo region. Here, a population of ly undertaken on both sides of the in- gorillas was surveyed by Eno Nku ternational border. In Nigeria all three and Sunderland-Groves in 2001/2002 subpopulations and the transboundary (Fotso et al. 2002), and appears to population are monitored on a regular be restricted to three forest blocks in basis and in Cameroon there are immi- the region – the Deng-Deng Forest nent plans for a recensus of all subpo- Reserve, the area around the Sanaga- pulations (the last estimate of the entire Yong chimpanzee sanctuary and a Cameroon population was conducted small patch of forest situated to the in 2001; J. L. Groves 2002). northeast of Nanga Eboko. Transect surveys in the three forest The Gorillas of the Ebo Forest blocks indicated signifi cant gorilla den- The Ebo forest is situated just north of sities, particularly in the Deng-Deng A view of the Ebo forest the Sanaga River and covers almost Forest Reserve, and good numbers of Photo: Bethan Morgan 1,500 km2 of rugged, boulder-covered chimpanzees. However, as in other re- mountains and steep valleys, with gions, the main threat is hunting for the although there are plans underway to undisturbed closed canopy forest on commercial bushmeat trade. rectify this. the mountain tops and disturbed old Recently, a further sub-population of secondary vegetation at the valley Taxonomy gorillas was located in the Bechati-Fos- fl oors (Morgan 2004). The Ebo Forest Sarmiento and Oates (2000) confi rmed simondi-Besali forest, a non-classifi ed Research Station was established in the Cross River gorillas as a distinct forest area bordered by a long-term the heart of the forest in April 2005, with sub-species based on a comprehensive logging concession. This gorilla sub- the aim of studying the small gorilla analysis of cranial material in museum population is likely to be small. Cur- population as well as the ten other collections. An additional 34 Cross River rent research is being conducted by diurnal primate species existing at the gorilla crania (10% of the total surviving a Cameroon-based NGO, the Environ- site. population) have been collected by ment and Rural Development Founda- Evidence has been found of gorillas Sunderland-Groves and co-workers tion (ERuDeF), with funding from Fau- in the central region of the forest where over the past decade, and it is hoped na and Flora International (FFI) and the there is at least one group of up to 12 that these additional crania, all of which Taiwan government. weaned gorillas, and a solitary male were collected without payment, can be The other three forest blocks inhabi- gorilla. Recently, ground nests have used for future morphological studies. ted by Cross River gorillas are in Nige- also been recorded to the west of the The one cranium in existence from ria. Two of these are located inside pro- Ebo river, 22 km west of observations the Ebo region suggests more morpho- tected areas: the Cross River National in 2002 (Morgan et al. 2003). It seems logical similarities with western lowland Park, which was established in 1991, likely that this subpopulation of gorillas gorilla populations south of the Sanaga and the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctu- is very small. River than with the Cross River goril- ary, established in 2000. The other, These gorillas are under threat from las. Interestingly, a recent article in Go- geographically intermediate, populati- hunting pressure, which is particularly rilla Journal (C. P. Groves 2005) has on is located within the Mbe Moun- high in this region due to its proxim- raised the possibility that the Ebo go- tains where negotiations are underway ity to large cities such as Douala and rillas may be a relict population of a to establish a community-owned pro- Yaoundé. On February 3rd 2006, go- formerly more widespread population tected area. Preparation of a manage- rilla meat originating from the Ebo for- living north of the Sanaga River, based ment strategy for the Cross River Na- est was sold in Douala. This is the fi rst on Discriminant Analysis of the Ebo tional Park is being undertaken by the known poaching of a gorilla since the cranium comparing it to Cross River,

17 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 CROSS RIVER

Cameroon coast and Cameroon pla- In Nigeria two of the three forest supported by the international commu- teau gorilla crania. blocks where Cross River gorillas oc- nity, will gather strength, and that these Genetic work is currently being con- cur are already offi cially protected and, important gorilla populations will have a ducted on many of these gorilla po- as mentioned above, there are plans secure future. pulations. Microsatellite DNA analysis underway to create a community-led Bethan J. Morgan and from faecal samples of the majority of conservation effort for the remaining Jacqueline L. Sunderland-Groves Cross River gorilla subpopulations is area, Mbe. being undertaken by Rich Bergl of Cen- Although research and monitoring The Cross River Gorilla Project in Ca- tral University of New York in collabo- continue in both countries, empha- meroon is funded by the Wildlife Con- ration with the Max Planck Institute for sis over the past few years has shif- servation Society, United States Fish Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. ted to direct conservation action. The and Wildlife Service through the Great Faecal samples from the Ebo forest WCS Cross River gorilla conservation Ape Conservation Fund, WWF Afri- gorillas are being analysed by Oliver program supports range state govern- can Great Apes Programme, the Mar- Ryder and colleagues at Conservation ments working with local communities got Marsh Biodiversity Foundation and and Research for Endangered Species to increase the survival prospects of Columbus Zoo. (CRES), at the Zoological Society of Cross River gorillas and other endan- The Ebo Forest Research Project is San Diego, and hair samples are being gered species through supporting law funded by Conservation and Research analysed by Nicola Anthony of the Uni- enforcement efforts, community edu- for Endangered Species (CRES) of the versity of New Orleans. cation outreach programs and ma- Zoological Society of San Diego, the nagement planning. United States Fish and Wildlife Ser- Conservation Outlook The establishment of a permanent vice through the Great Ape Conserva- With ever increasing human develop- research station in the Ebo forest in tion Fund, the Margot Marsh Biodiver- ment activities, conservation in this early 2005 has already yielded some sity Foundation and the Offi eld Family region is challenging, but solutions protection against hunting in the centre Foundation. must be sought. of the forest, although there is increa- Over the last year, two areas inha- sing pressure from hunters to recom- References Fotso, R. et al. (2002) Distribution and conser- bited by Cross River gorillas in Cam- mence their activities in the research vation status of gorilla population in the forests eroon have been proposed for new or area. The Ebo forest is due to be gazet- around Belabo, Eastern province, Cameroon. increased protection status – the Ta- ted as a national park by the Govern- Unpublished report, Cameroon Oil Transporta- kamanda Forest Reserve (currently a ment of Cameroon in 2006, with tech- tion Company (COTCO) Groves, C. P. (2005) A note on the affi nities production forest) has been proposed nical assistance from WWF Camero- of the Ebo forest gorillas. Gorilla Journal 31, as a National Park and the Kagwe- on Coastal Forests Programme, which 19–21 ne Mountains as a Gorilla Sanctuary. aims to achieve active protection of the Groves, J. L. (2002) Good news for the Cross Once created, three of the seven Ca- area, which is currently under severe River Gorillas? Gorilla Journal 24, 12 Morgan, B. J. et al. 2003. Newly discovered meroon Cross River gorilla subpopu- hunting pressure, especially at its pe- gorilla population in the Ebo forest. Littoral lations will be located within these pro- riphery. Province, Cameroon. International Journal of tected sites. Proposals to protect the Plans are currently being reviewed Primatology 24 (5), 1129–1137 Morgan, B. J. (2004) The gorillas of the Ebo fo- remaining subpopulations located on for the status and management of the rest, Cameroon. Gorilla Journal 28, 12–14 the periphery of Takamanda, the Mone areas encompassing the Belabo gorilla Sarmiento, E. E. & Oates, J. F. (2000) The Forest Reserve and the Mbulu forest, population by the Government of Ca- Cross river gorillas: A distinct subspecies, Go- are under review within a larger land- meroon. rilla gorilla diehli Matschie 1904. Am. Mus. No- vitates 330, 1–55 scape approach through the creation In summary, the northernmost goril- Sunderland-Groves, J. L. (2005) Habitat Pro- of a Technical Operations Unit. This in- las in existence are split into numerous tection for Cross River Gorillas in Cameroon. itiative has been developed through a small, isolated subpopulations. The Gorilla Journal 31, 14–15 consortium of partners consisting of the threats from hunters, together with the Government of Cameroon, WCS, GTZ, increasing pressures posed by habitat the German Development Bank KfW fragmentation and degradation, lead to and others. This landscape plan will al- an uncertain future for these gorillas. low for both protection and sustainable We hope that efforts by range state go- use of forests, ensuring the unique bio- vernments and the conservation com- diversity is maintained. munity in the Cross-Sanaga region,

18 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 GORILLAS

Ebola: from Bats to near the border with Cameroon, gorilla numerous bats and gorillas may for- and chimpanzee densities fell dramati- age in the same trees for food, and Gorillas cally between 1994 and 1998. EBOV transmission to great apes may Two hypotheses have been pro- occur directly through infected fl uids The Ebola virus (EBOV), together posed to explain the transmission of such as saliva, blood or foetal enve- with Marburg virus, belongs to the EBOV in wild great ape populations. lopes. In Asia, bats are the reservoir Filoviridae family, a group of linear The fi rst is that the virus spread be- for the Nipah and Hendra viruses, both RNA viruses. Four different genetic tween gorillas from the same or from of which belong to Paramyxoviridae, a subtypes have been described in Africa neighbouring groups, creating a sin- virus family that shares strong genet- (Sudan ebolavirus, Zaïre ebolavirus , gle wave outbreak spreading outward ic similarities with the Filoviridae. Viral Ivory Coast ebolavirus) and in Asia in the forest. The second hypothesis transmission from bats to vulnerable (Reston ebolavirus). Ebola remains is that large-scale, independent viral species (pigs and horses) can occur one of the most mysterious emerging transmission occurred from a reser- either by saliva (Nipah) or by placenta diseases, although very important ad- voir species to individual gorillas, cre- (Hendra). vances towards elucidating its origins ating numerous but limited spot out- A better understanding of viral trans- and its mode of transmission have breaks. Viruses isolated from great ape mission from bats may help to develop been made in recent years. carcasses showed genetic differences strategies to prevent Ebola outbreaks that supported the second hypothesis, in great apes and humans. Outbreaks in Great Apes although horizontal transmission from Ebola causes severe hemorrhagic one animal to another remains pos- Therapies and Vaccines fever in humans and apes. After an sible. During the last ten years, intensive incubation period of 4–7 days, the research has been done to develop infected person rapidly develops high Bats as Reservoirs effective medical therapies and vaccines fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, respiratory Since the fi rst report of Ebola outbreaks against Ebola infection. Recombinant disorders and haemorrhaging. Death in DRC and Sudan in 1976, extensive nematode anticoagulant protein c2 can occur within a few days. The case- surveys have tried to identify the (rNAPC2) and Phosphorodiamidate fatality rate is about 80% for the Zaïre reservoir which is the original source of morpholino oligomers (PMOs) both ebolavirus subtype, which is the most the virus. Thousands of animals were gave good results when used to treat pathogenic strain in Gabon, Republic collected in many countries and tested experimentally infected macaque of the Congo (RC), and Democratic for the presence of the virus. Despite monkeys. Interesting results were also Republic of the Congo (DRC). these efforts, no conclusive result was obtained with recombinant vaccines In Africa, there have been 15 out- obtained until recently. using adenovirus and vesicular sto ma- breaks of Ebola with 1,300 deaths from During the outbreaks in Gabon in titis virus (VSV) vectors, which gave 1,850 infected persons. Accidental 2001 and RC in 2003, bats, birds and good protection against EBOV infection transmission of the disease to humans small terrestrial vertebrates (mainly ro- in macaques. occurs by direct contact with infect- dents) were captured. We have shown Although vaccines against Ebola are ed dead animals, mainly great apes. for the fi rst time that fruit bat speci- promising, their use in wild animals may Chimpanzees and gorillas are very vul- mens were asymptomatically infected be unfeasible, because great apes live nerable to Ebola virus infection. Dur- with EBOV, suggesting that they may in large, remote areas where access is ing Ebola outbreaks in 2001 and 2003 be the reservoir. There was evidence diffi cult, if not impossible. in the Gabon/RC region, a considera- for Ebola virus (antibodies and viral Xavier Pourrut, Eric Leroy and ble number of ape carcasses were re- RNA) in three frugivorous bat species, Jean-Paul Gonzalez covered, and it is now well established Hypsignathus monstrosus, Epomops that the Ebola virus was responsible for franqueti and Myonycteris torquata. If the rapid and dramatic decline of great bats are a reservoir for EBOV, it is very References Leroy, E. M. et al. (2004) Multiple Ebola virus apes in areas where Ebola outbreaks important to understand how the virus transmission events and rapid decline of occurred. Wild populations of gorillas can be transmitted to other species. central African wildlife. Science 303: 387–390 decreased by 50%, and those of chim- EBOV outbreaks mainly occur dur- Leroy, E. M. et al. (2005) Fruit bats as reservoirs panzees by 80%, as a result of these ing the end of the dry season, which of Ebola virus. Nature 438: 575–576 Pourrut, X. et al. (2005) The natural history of outbreaks. Similarly, in the Minkebe is the birthing season for bats. At this Ebola virus in Africa. Microbes and Infection forest block in northeastern Gabon time, fruit is scarce in the forest and 7: 1005–1014

19 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 GORILLAS

Humans and Gorillas splendor. On a popular level, the allure is likely because the gorilla is viewed – what Kind of as an animal that can be extremely Relationship? dangerous, yet can also be gentle and human-like. Why was a gorilla chosen Everybody who studies gorillas for a as the monster in King Kong, and not long time experiences intense moments an elephant, leopard, or chimpanzee? of closeness to their study “objects” that This complex attraction can be summed changes his or her relationship to the up by the two questions I am most apes forever – even if hardly anybody commonly asked as a scientist studying has published those anecdotes. gorillas: Are they dangerous? Has one It also happened to me when I ob- ever touched you? While the answer served gorillas in zoos. After thou- to both of these questions is yes, they sands of observation hours, their be- basically miss the point of what, in haviour was almost as familiar to me my opinion, makes gorillas interesting as human behaviour – but neverthe- and why they should be studied and less I knew that I could never really conserved. understand how gorillas feel or think. This fascination with gorillas is large- There may be an appealing closeness ly held by people who do not have them but also a distance between gorillas as their neighbours. Gorillas are at risk and humans; and there has always of extinction today because of habitat been a very special relationship be- Pertinax and the author destruction, logging, disease, poach- tween these two species. Gorillas are Photo: Angela Altmann ing and the bushmeat trade. Ultimate- regarded as beasts, gentle giants, “just ly all conservation issues boil down to animals” or almost-humans; they are discusses the closeness of the genet- confl ict between humans and wildlife. neither of those and all of those at the ic relationship between humans and Add in the reality that gorillas live in 9 same time. gorillas. Richard Johnstone-Scott de- African countries that suffer from pov- In this issue of Gorilla Journal, sev- scribes his relationship to captive go- erty, corruption, and political instability eral experts who know gorillas from rillas. And fi nally, Kelly Stewart, who and the situation appears bleak; but all various viewpoints write about the re- worked with Dian Fossey to study the these countries are making remarka- lationships between humans and go- mountain gorillas, explains how impor- ble conservation efforts considering the rillas as they have experienced them. tant it is to keep a distance and treat economic and development challeng- Martha Robbins summarizes the differ- the apes with respect. es they face. The costs and benefi ts of ent ways how people and gorillas get Angela Meder gorillas to different people vary hugely. along in the wild. Juichi Yamagiwa de- For example, consider the disparity in scribes his personal experiences as a perception toward gorillas among the researcher and a partner for conserva- Who Is the Beauty and following: tion, and he explains how the tense re- Who Is the Beast? lationship between the sister species in – A subsistence farmer, earning less the range countries may be improved. There is little question that many than US$ 500 per year and residing The diffi culties of the local population people living in developed countries on the border of a park where goril- with wild gorillas has already been dis- are fascinated by gorillas. Most people las live, who has suffered from loss cussed from the Ugandan experience reading this article will strongly believe of crops due to raiding by gorillas by James Byamukama and Stephen that everyone should be intrigued by and not received compensation. Asuma on page 10. and care deeply for gorillas as individ- – An ecotourist who wants to be Raymond Corbey writes about the uals, populations, and species. This touched or charged by a gorilla so perspective of Europeans and Ameri- is likely the case because of some he can take home the photo and the cans, who often see gorillas from a combination of their close relatedness story from his once in a lifetime ad- distance – not as living beings, but as to humans, their intelligence and be- venture. His permit fees contribute symbols for their own fears or dreams. haviour, their size and strength, and to gorilla conservation, but is he bet- The next contribution by Colin Groves ultimately their magnifi cence and ter informed about the conservation

20 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 GORILLAS

should take this opportunity to recon- with local people, since the major obsta- sider her work and the conservation of cle to achieving conservation was con- gorillas. I worked on mountain gorillas fl ict: confl ict between gorillas and hu- at the Karisoke Research Center in mans, and confl ict between groups of 1981 and 1982 under her supervision people in the struggles for life. POPOF after my preliminary survey of eastern aimed to mitigate such confl icts and to lowland gorillas at Kahuzi in 1978. promote the peaceful coexistence of I learned many things from Dian. people and gorillas. Her methods of habituating gorillas Gorilla tourism at Kahuzi-Biega Na- were different from those I had learned tional Park achieved great success in for habituating Japanese macaques: I generating signifi cant revenues (from had to immerse myself in the gorillas’ 1989 to 1993 about US$ 210,000 per behaviours, communicating with them year, see Butynski & Kalina 1998); but in their manner. She made it very clear after the outbreak of riots in Kinsha- challenges and any more likely to that both continuous conservation ef- sa, the number of tourists and the rev- make fi nancial contributions directly forts and long-term studies were vital enue from tourism declined drastical- to conservation organizations? to supporting a healthy population of ly, and starvation, the proliferation of – A government offi cial from a country gorillas. But her murder in 1985 also small arms, and the collapse of park where gorillas reside, who may have taught me the importance of harmo- protection during the civil war in 1996 little understanding of gorilla biology nious relationships with the local hu- and 1998 all contributed to the increase and conservation, but must recon- man community; although it was the in hunting for bushmeat (Yamagiwa cile the benefi ts of gorilla tourism most effective way to save gorillas at 2003). In 1999, gorilla meat was on money and recognition to his coun- that time, her “active conservation” pro- sale at US cents 25 per kg (equivalent try against the demands of the local voked the hostility of local people. to half the price of beef) in several local populace. When I resumed my fi eld work on markets surrounding the park. wild gorillas in the eastern Democratic The incentive to hunt gorillas in the Juxtapose these situations with the Republic of the Congo in 1986, I tried to park may have grown gradually with fact that that the movie King Kong can extend my experience and the lessons the collapse of the Mobutu regime in generate US$ 500 million in revenue I had learned at Karisoke to the new Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the from wealthy, gorilla-loving countries study sites. I implemented two policies Congo), the infl uxes of refugees from and at the same time conservation or- in my research project: fi rst, to con- neighboring countries, and the two ganisations across Africa are struggling duct long-term studies with Congolese subsequent civil wars. The resentment to keep their programs afl oat. The scientists, and secondly to raise the felt by local people toward the park and challenge is to further capitalize on the awareness of local people of the need its authorities may have contributed to attraction that people from developed to conserve gorillas and their natural their willingness to engage in illegal ex- countries have with gorillas (and habitats. Fortunately, I became associ- ploitation of wildlife resources within other charismatic megafauna), while ated with two gifted colleagues, Mwan- the park, thereby complicating conser- providing information about the realities za Ndunda and A. Kanyunyi Basab- vation efforts. on the ground. If gorilla conservation is ose, who worked with me as Congo- For many locals, the park was a to succeed, we must better understand lese scientists at Kahuzi. source of resentment and confl ict (Ba- and reconcile the relationships that John Kahekwa established an NGO sabose 2001). In creating the park in everyone has with gorillas. called POPOF (Pole Pole Founda- 1970, the national government had Martha M. Robbins tion), consisting of people living near forced many local villagers to abandon the park in 1992. He worked as a go- their lands and to refrain from using the rilla tourism guide in the Kahuzi-Biega new reserve’s natural resources. Lo- Lessons of Dian Fossey National Park and was a core member cal villages were ordered to absorb the and Establishment of of the local NGO. I joined POPOF as people who were evicted from the new POPOF-Japan an external adviser from the beginning. reserve, and they were prohibited from I thought that the most important re- shooting the elephants that frequent- The 20th anniversary of Dian Fossey’s quirement for research on gorillas and ly raided their crops. Rapid population death was on 26 December 2005. We thus their conservation was to work growth in the area helped to sharpen

21 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 GORILLAS

Although many people including univer- ly reduce biodiversity and deprive the sity students, school teachers, artists tropical forests in Central Africa of its and zoo keepers joined our voluntary fauna. Bushmeat is, however, a major activities, the Japanese Government dietary component of people in rural has warned us against visiting Congo, areas, and the bushmeat trade consti- due to political instability and insecu- tutes a large part of family income for rity. Instead of working with POPOF at both rural and urban households. Until Kahuzi, we organized exhibitions to in- alternative food resources are supplied troduce POPOF activities in Japan and as affordable and palatable protein sold POPOF goods such as post cards, substitutes, the bushmeat trade will not wood carvings and pendants made by signifi cantly decline. Logging compa- John Kahekwa and David Bisimwa hands of POPOF members. nies, mining companies, government in the Yakushima Forest with We also invited John Kahekwa and agencies, conservation organizations Japanese people who are working David Bisimwa, an artist of POPOF, to and foreign donors should collaborate for conservation and eco-tourism Japan in 2001, where they participat- to increase employment and to raise ed in several conferences and sym- awareness of the bushmeat crisis in the confl icts between the traditional vil- posia on conservation of natural en- order to promote sustainable use of lage residents and the immigrants. vironments and eco-tourism. They natural resources in both urban and ru- After the outbreak of the fi rst war, introduced POPOF and discussed ral areas. A variety of measures needs most foreign businesses evacuated the community-based conservation in the to be applied, using both top-down and country, and foreign aid and cooper- World Heritage Sites. In Yakushima, bottom-up approaches. ation were suspended. Hospitals and which was added to the list of World It is important to increase the par- clinics faced severe shortages of med- Heritage areas in 1993, many eco-tour- ticipation of rural populations in forest icines and supplies. The payment of ism guides listened to the story of the conservation and management. This salaries to civil servants was stopped Kahuzi gorillas and discussed the im- may activate local economies and act or delayed for long periods. To keep portance of environmental education as a brake on the migration of people schools and colleges open, parents of and tourism. David and I made a pic- and their heavy reliance on bushmeat. students had to organize themselves to ture book with a story of human chil- Products and profi ts resulting from for- pay the wages of teachers. These con- dren and juvenile gorillas in the for- est management should belong to local ditions have forced people to exploit est of Kahuzi for Japanese children. communities. A considerable portion natural resources and to seek bush- We are planning to translate it into the of park revenues generated by goril- meat in the park. After the abrupt in- Swahili language for children living at la tourism should be used for devel- crease in the price of coltan (columbium Kahuzi in the future. opment activities in communities near tantalite) in 2000 (from US$ 40 to US$ The recent negotiations among the the park. 500 per pound), thousands of miners major stakeholders seem to have es- Although eco-tourism is a promising entered the park to mine it, and hunting tablished a lasting peace in Congo, but method for sustainable use of natural has signifi cantly increased to support the end of the war does not mean the resources in the protected area, ha- these mining camps (Hayes 2002). end of the problems facing conserva- bituation of great apes may increase POPOF tried to mitigate the in- tion efforts. So far, most of the conces- the risk of disease transmission from creased confl icts between the lo- sions outside of the protected areas human to apes and may weaken the cal people and the park authorities. A have fallen into the hands of foreign log- viability of their population (Woodford tree nursery, a handicraft center and ging companies; the termination of war et al. 2002). Special precautions and a school for women and children were may have actually increased logging strict regulations are needed in pro- established for community-based con- and promoted the bushmeat trade on moting eco-tourism of the great apes servation education. POPOF played an a wider scale. The conservation agen- in cooperation with local communities. important role in the spread of conser- cies need to establish mutually benefi - The genetic proximity of non-human vation knowledge and in the reduction cial relationships with logging compa- primates to humans means that trans- of poaching during the war. nies and local people through dissemi- mission of animal-borne diseases to I established POPOF-Japan (a nation of conservation knowledge and humans is also becoming a great risk branch offi ce in Japan) in 1994 to sup- the revival of relationships of trust. when a number of primates are put on port the activities of POPOF in Kahuzi. The bushmeat crisis will drastical- sale. Along with the efforts to dimin-

22 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 GORILLAS

ish the bushmeat trade, an interdisci- became part of the then prevailing image iens confronted by an attractive female plinary study is urgently needed to ex- of the great apes which, with some in Ridley Scott’s fi lm Alien (1979) and amine the process and the possibility of exceptions, was quite negative: lustful, its sequels, and closer to the positive disease transmission. brutish, and aggressive. Their huge depiction of the chimpanzee in Peter The role of local NGOs is particularly size and the – from the human point of Høeg’s brilliant 1996 morality tale The important for widespread awareness- view – aggressive nature of encounters Woman and the Ape. raising and conservation education as in the wild contributed to this image. A colonial propaganda fi lm made in a bottom-up approach. During the war, These were exactly the same sort of the 1950s in the Belgian Congo on be- national institutions and the effects of characteristics that were attributed time half of the Belgian government was still legislation were weakened, and local and again to non-Caucasian “races”. typical of the traditional negative atti- people have increasingly made deci- Emmanuel Frémiet’s bronze statue of tude towards apes. It circulated widely sions affecting natural resources ac- a gorilla snatching an African female, in Belgian cinemas, programmed on cording to their personal and local inter- displayed at the 1859 Salon de Paris, Sunday afternoons for families with ests. POPOF took a role in reinforcing sums up the stereotype pretty well (see children. The footage shows in great conservation knowledge among local below). and, by present-day standards, shock- people and providing alternatives to This statue also plays upon the ing detail how scientists of the Royal destructive activities. None of the con- Beauty-and-the-Beast theme, already Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences servation measures taken will be suc- present in the ancient theme of syl- shoot and kill an adult female goril- cessful without the interest and support van satyrs abducting shepherdesses, la carrying young. Subsequently, the of the local people. Foreign countries which resurfaces on many occasions body is skinned and washed in a near- and international NGOs must support in the European imagination. The goril- by stream, with the distressed young- them in their efforts to save people and la stereotype is in tune with the charac- ster sitting next to it. The adult’s skel- endangered wildlife from the ravages ter of Caliban in William Shakespeare’s eton, skin and other body parts were of war. The Tempest (161 (1611).1). Caliban, a wild collected for scientifi c study and con- Juichi Yamagiwa native of the tropical island upon which servation, while the live young gorilla Europeans are shipwrecked, is a quin- was sent to the Antwerp Zoo. References tessential bestial European Other, an Just a decade later, such a cruel Basabose, A. K. (2001) Causes of poaching, consequences, proposed solutions and agen- avatar and condensation of earlier fi g- scene had come to be unthinkable as cies that could implement them. Gorilla Jour- ures such as the Plinian Races and the nal 22: 6–8 Wild Man. It is an ambiguous being, a Butynski, T. M. & Kalina, J. (1998) Gorilla tour- monster, as the text states some 40 ism: a critical look. Pp. 294–313 in: Milner- Gulland, E. J. & Mace, R. (eds.) Conserva- times, “a thing most brutish”, a “thing tion of Biological Resources. Oxford: Blackwell of darkness”, “as disproportioned in his Science Ltd, Oxford manners [as] in his shape”. Caliban, Hayes, K. (2002) Update on coltan mining in the Beast, lusts after the young and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Oryx 36: 12–13 attractive Miranda, the Beauty, and is Woodford, M. H., Butynski, T. M. & Karesh, W. enslaved by her father, the prince and B. (2002) Habituating the great apes: the dis- scholar-magician Prospero, a paragon ease risks. Oryx 36: 153–160 Yamagiwa, J. (2003) Bush-meat poaching and of civilized European humanness. the conservation crisis in Kahuzi-Biega Na- The interaction of Anne Darrow and tional Park, Democratic Republic of Congo. an apish monster in Merian Cooper’s Journal of Sustainable Forestry 16: 115–135 1933 fi lm King Kong or in Peter Jack- son’s 2005 remake fi ts in this tradition. Gorillas as Others Here however, the monster’s nature is more complex, more ambiguous; it has Gorillas were discovered by the positive aspects as well. In addition, Western world somewhat later than the Jackson refers extensively to the his- other great apes. Chimpanzees and tory of human indifference to and ex- subsequently also orang-utans had ploitation of the apes, and plays with been arriving in Europe on merchant traditional gender stereotypes. This ships since the 17th century. Gorillas King Kong is unlike the monstrous al-

23 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 GORILLAS

suitable for Western families with chil- ary. Cambridge and New York: Cam- has of chimpanzees (or orangutans, for dren. The publicity around fi eld stud- bridge University Press that matter). ies of and language studies with great Half a century after Yerkes & Yerkes, apes since the 1960s brought about primatologists and comparative psy- signifi cant changes in the way West- Another View of Gorilla chologists reacted with astonishment erners felt about them. A forceful new Relationships when it was shown that chimpanzees icon was the picture of a young Jane could recognise their own refl ections in Goodall and an equally young chim- Here, as at all other points on the coast, a mirror, but shook their heads in puz- panzee reaching their fi ngers to one the orangs [apes] are believed by the zlement when Suarez & Gallup (1981) another, as portrayed in a 1967 is- natives to be human beings, members reported that, although orang utans sue of National Geographic. This was of their own race, degenerated. could also recognise their mirror re- reinforced by the photos and fi lm of Rev. T. S. Savage, 1847 fl ections, gorillas were unable to do so. Dian Fossey, overwhelmed with emo- The fi rst – it may be called the supreme Other studies have refuted this stark tion as the wild gorilla Digit chooses to – question in regard to the gorilla is, its claim, but it remains true that, so far, sit beside her and examine her note- place in the scale of nature, and its true fewer gorillas have passed the mirror book and pen – an interaction so sen- and precise affi nities. Is it or not the self-recognition test than other great sitively recreated in the fi lm Gorillas in nearest of kin to human kind? apes (about 30% of gorillas that have the Mist. Likewise, psychologist Pen- Richard Owen, 1859 been tested, compared to over 40% of ny Patterson’s sign language research chimpanzees and 85% of orangutans and friendship with female gorilla Koko Several authors have favoured the – Swartz et al. 1999). provided another, well-publicized chal- idea that gorillas are more closely It is molecular work that has now lenge to traditional stereotypes. Both related to humans than are any other shown conclusively that chimpanzees fi lmmaker Jackson and fi ction writer ape. Richard Owen, though he was not are closest, and gorillas next (followed Høeg are trying to come to terms with operating from an evolutionary point of by orangutans, then gibbons). Wild- such positive appreciations against the view, concluded that the apes “recede man et al. (2003), who included the background of relentless oppression from the human type in the following chimpanzee in the genus Homo along and exploitation by humans. order, – gorilla, chimpanzee, orangs, with humans because their ancestors Through the ages, the Caliban char- gibbons...” (Owen 1859). Some later separated only 5–6 million years ago, acter has been portrayed as a brute anatomists, such as Elliot Smith calculated that the gorilla’s ancestors primitive, a noble savage, the missing (1924), still argued that the gorilla is would have separated from the com- link, an unemancipated slave, a colo- closest. It is now clear that it is the mon ancestor of human and chimpan- nial native, and a postcolonial citizen. chimpanzee which is in fact closest to zee only a little before this, between 6 The chimpanzee appears as a noble humans (although one maverick author and 7 million years ago. Watson et al. Caliban in Jane Goodall’s and Dale Pe- still insists that the orangutan is the (2001), pointing out that the DNA dis- terson’s book Visions of Caliban: On closest: Schwartz 2005), but the gorilla tance between gorillas and the chim- Chimpanzees and People (1993) – a comes next. panzee/human grouping is less than far cry from the ferocious orang-utan The fi rst psychological research that between some pairs of species in Edgar Allan Poe’s The Murders in Yerkes & Yerkes (1929) also ranked customarily placed in the same genus, the Rue Morgue (1841). Early hominins the gorilla as closest to humans, espe- enlarged the genus Homo still further too started to appear in illustrations and cially in cognitive traits, although chim- by including the gorilla; they have been museum dioramas as peaceful human- panzees seemed as close to humans the only authors to go this far, although like beings in idyllic natural settings, in affective traits – although let it be not- it is indeed now becoming increasingly although pictures of monstrous brutes ed that the Yerkes & Yerkes had been common to include the chimpanzees wielding clubs persist to some degree, able to study only one (young) goril- in Homo. More recently Raaum et al. as did less positive views of apes, es- la. Research since then in compara- (2005) have recalibrated the hominoid pecially baboons. tive psychology has, however, tended molecular clock; they accepted a chim- Raymond Corbey to rank the gorilla after the chimpan- panzee/human separation time of 6 mil- zee, and equal to (or even after) the or- lion years, but made the gorilla’s sepa- For more on this subject, see R. CorCor-- angutan, in similarity to humans (John- ration older, between 7 and 9 million. bey: The Metaphysics of Apes: Ne- son et al. 2002), although there has still This is still comparatively recent, but gotiating the Animal-Human Bound- been less testing of gorillas than there outside the limits which authors such

24 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 GORILLAS

as Goodman et al. (1997) would accept rillas and chimpanzees would be as as those of a single genus. plausible as that between gorillas and What does the fossil record say humans, and arguably (!) less ethical- about all this? The earliest convincing ly fraught. For quite some time, there representative of the human lineage have been suggestions that such hy- is Orrorin tugenensis, from the Tugen brids exist, but these have turned out Hills in central Kenya, which is 5.9 mil- to be either unusual-looking chimpan- lion years old. Until recently, the gorilla zees or adult male gorillas which have had no convincing fossil antecedents, never developed a sagittal crest. The but now a case has been made that most persistent candidates for such hy- some fossil teeth from the same lev- brids are what have been called the els are proto-gorillas (Pickford & Se- koolookamba; two authors (Cousins nut 2005). 1980; Shea 1984) have independently Even if they are not as close to hu- examined the evidence and conclud- mans as chimpanzees, and even if they ed very fi rmly that koolookambas are separated 7–9 million years ago, rather simply large, black chimpanzees with than 6–7 million, gorillas are nonethe- some superfi cially gorilla like facial fea- less very humanlike in many ways. So: tures, such as large brow ridges and could we and they interbreed? wide, padded nostrils. Yes, cried at least three lurid mov- and gorillas are very similar indeed. Ac- Up to now we have no evidence of ies. A pretended documentary, Ingagi cording to the two most detailed com- hybrids between gorillas and either (1930), said that women went off to parisons (Yunis & Prakash 1982; Dutril- chimpanzees or humans. All we can have sex with gorillas in the jungle, and laux & Couturier 1986), major structural say is that it does theoretically seem so did the 1937 Love Life of a Gorilla. changes are few; humans and goril- possible, because on any criterion The last of these “sexploitation” fi lms las have only 12 points of reorganiza- – anatomical, psychological, genetic, was the 1948 Forbidden Adventure – tion, although there are some minor dif- geological – we are very close indeed. claimed to be based on a fi lmed Afri- ferences as well – mainly, the greater Colin Groves can expedition of 1912, but, incredibly, amount of telomeric heterochromatin References set in Angkor! (And, on a loftier cultural in the gorilla. For comparison, there Cousins, D. (1980) On the koolookamba – a plane, did the original King Kong mean are 24 chromosomal reorganizations legendary ape. Acta zool. pathol. Antverp. 75, to suggest this too?) between baboons and the blue mon- 79–93 Dutrillaux, B. & Couturier, J. (1986) Principes There has actually been one attempt key Cercopithecus mitis (Dutrillaux et d’analyse chromosomique appliquée à la phy- to breed hybrids between humans and al. 1986) – and these are known to hy- logenie: l’exemple des Pongidae et des Homi- other apes. In the late 1920s, a Sovi- bridize (Gray 1972). Hybrids between nidae. Mammalia, 50 (Suppl.), 56–81 Dutrillaux, B. et al. (1986) Relations chromo- et biologist, Ivanov, traveled to Guin- a siamang and a Bornean gibbon have somiques entre sous-ordres et infra-ordres, et ea where he inseminated three female been bred (Myers & Shafer 1979); schéma évolutif général des Primates. Mam- chimpanzees with human sperm. No the chromosomes of these two spe- malia 50 (Suppl.), 108–121 pregnancies resulted; in two of the cas- cies are so different that it has so far Elliot Smith, G. (1924) The Evolution of Man. London: Oxford University Press es the terrifi ed chimpanzees were held proved impossible to homologize them. Goodman, M. et al. (1997) Toward a phyl- down, struggling, and there was almost On chromosomal grounds, therefore, it ogenetic classifi cation of Primates based on no possibility that the sperm was inject- seems perfectly possible that humans DNA evidence complemented by fossil evi- ed far enough in to reach the uterus. and gorillas could interbreed (and of dence. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 9, 585–598 Further attempts were contemplated, course the possibility of human-chim- Gray, A. P. (1972) Mammalian Hybrids: A but apparently never realized – these panzee hybrids is even greater, given Check-List with Bibliography (2nd edition). included one project to inseminate that the chromosomal differences are Farnham Royal: Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux women with the sperm of an orangutan still less). Johnson, V. E. et al. (2002) Bayesian analy- (Rossiianov 2002). Considering the chromosomal data, sis of rank data with application to Primate in- The possibility of hybridisation would and that humans and chimpanzees telligence experiments. J. Amer. Stat. Assoc. depend in the fi rst place on how similar shared a common ancestor subse- 97, 8–17 Myers, R. H. & Shafer, D. A. (1979) Hybrid the chromosomes are. And the chro- quent to the separation of the goril- apes offspring of a mating gibbon and sia- mosomes of humans, chimpanzees la lineage, hybridisation between go- mang. Science 205, 308–310

25 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 GORILLAS

Owen, R. (1859) On the classifi cation and In captivity many factors infl uence ble, and hoot vocalisations which in the geographical distributions of the Mammalia. the way they are managed. The practi- case of an adult male will often culmi- Appendix B, On the orang, chimpanzee and gorilla. Pp. 64–103 in: Lecture on Sir Rob- cal and fi nancial constraints are numer- nate in a display bout of tension-re- ert Reade’s Foundation, delivered before the ous, but even when these are minimal, leasing chest beating. Gorillas are also University of Cambridge in the Senate-House, intelligent and sensitive great apes like playful and surprisingly ticklish, regard- May 10, 1859. London: John W. Parker & Son Pickford, M. & Senut, B. (2005) Hominoid the gorilla with their complex and var- less of age or status, and boisterous teeth with chimpanzee- and gorilla-like fea- ied personalities can markedly infl u- bond-strengthening interactions will tures from the Miocene of Kenya. Anthrop. Sci. ence plans that are made for them. invariably produce audible “chuckles” 113, 95–102 In addition to the effects of individual and “gurgles” of pleasure. Raaum, R. L. et al. (2005) Catarrhine pri- mate divergence dates estimated from com- history and temperament, relationships Being able to mimic a gorilla vocali- plete mitochondrial genomes. J. Hum. Evol. within a group change constantly as sation that is relevant to a particular 48, 237–257 births take place, maturity is reached, situation can serve to enhance com- Rossiianov, K. (2002) Beyond species: Il’ya Ivanov and his experiments on cross breeding and some animals leave the group munication, but more often than not the humans with anthropoid apes. Science in Con- whilst others are recruited. recognisable sound of a trusted keep- text 15, 277–316 Although much can be learned gen- er’s voice is suffi cient. Once familiar Savage, T. S. (1847) Notice of the external erally by closely monitoring group be- with their names gorillas will respond characters and habits of Troglodytes gorilla, a new species of orang from the Gaboon River. haviour, establishing a relationship to being called as they will to certain Boston J. Nat. Hist. 5, 417–426 based on a mutual trust with each commands or enticements. This is not Schwartz, J. H. (2005) The Red Ape: Orang- member is both essential to good man- to give the impression that they will un- utans and Human Origins (2nd edition). Cam- agement, and for gaining a better un- thinkingly cooperate, although for the bridge, Mass.: Westview Press Shea, B. T. (1984) Between the gorilla and the derstanding of the individual. Key to most part I have found that the majority chimpanzee: a history of debate concerning the success of achieving this mutual tend be responsive to a good natured, the existence of the kooloo-kamba or gorilla- transfer of trust is exercising patience, patient, and common sense approach. like chimpanzee. J. Ethnobiol. 4, 1–13 Suarez, S. D. & Gallup, G. G. (1981) Self-rec- and the communicatory abilities of the Much of my keeping experience ognition in chimpanzees and orangutans, but keeper. Whilst some gorillas invite fa- has been literally “hands on”, and be- not gorillas. J. Hum. Evol. 10, 175–188 miliarity, others may initially be reluc- ing able to share the company of go- Swartz, K. B. et al. (1999) Comparative as- tant to do so, and subsequently will rillas in their enclosure remains both pects of mirror self-recognition in great apes. Pp. 283–294 in: The Mentalities of Gorillas and require more time to become accus- an ultimately satisfying experience, Orangutans (eds. Parker, S. T. et al.). Cam- tomed to changes be they surround- and an habitual lesson in humility for bridge: Cambridge University Press ings, conspecifi cs or keeping staff. me. When in close proximity to any of Watson, E. E. et al. (2001) Homo genus: a re- view of the classifi cation of humans and the Over the 40 years or so that I have my gorillas, whether inside or outside great apes. Pp. 311–323 in: Humanity from worked with gorillas I have learned con- the enclosure I always offer the cour- African Naissance to Coming Millennia (eds. siderably more from them than I could tesy of a greeting with either a belch Tobias, P. V. et al.). Florence: Firenze Univ. possibly teach them. However what I grumble or with some appropriate fl at- Press Wildman, D. E. et al. (2003) Implications of do try to convey when in their presence tery, and the acknowledgement, usu- natural selection in shaping 99.4% nonsyn- is confi dence, but also a reassurance ally a deep resonant grumble, is nearly onymous DNA identity between humans and coupled with my deepest empathy and always instantaneous. At other times chimpanzees: enlarging genus Homo. Proc. respect. Given that in gorilla society the response may be of a more sub- Natl. Acad. Sci. 100, 7181–7188 Yerkes, R. W. & Yerkes, A. W. (1929) The Great the most profound communications are tle nature, a brief glance or a brush Apes. New Haven: Yale University Press often mute, actions and posture are of a shoulder, but suffi cient to indicate Yunis, J. J. & Prakash, O. (1982) The origin of all subject to interpretation, and subse- a comfortable awareness of my pres- man: a chromosomal pictorial legacy. Science 215, 1525–1530 quently are of equal signifi cance to any ence. With younger individuals the re- vocalisation. Of the 15 different rec- sponse is often an immediate invitation ognised sounds that comprise the vo- to play, and these highly enjoyable mo- A Step Away from King cal repertoire of the gorilla, those most ments are invaluable for initiating the Kong commonly heard are the “belch grum- basis on which to form a solid relation- ble” emitted in the anticipation of food ship for the future. Only those who know and understand or denoting contentment, the “cough By contrast, tense or stressful sit- gorillas well, and they are but a privileged grunt” signifying annoyance or mild ag- uations can test fully the relationship few, can even begin to appreciate the gression, screams, barks and/or high between gorilla and keeper especially qualities of this remarkable species. pitched roars in the event of a squab- when human intervention is required.

26 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 GORILLAS

Despite being predominantly good na- I spoke to them constantly, and also was accepted by Kishka and Sakina, tured, gorillas will often react impulsive- used frequent belch grumbles in an at- and despite the latter still visibly trem- ly, and although I have, albeit vainly, tempt to reassure them, and contin- bling with emotion both emitted belch always strived to become a human ex- ued with the barrow towards N’Pongo grumbles before moving off. Admin- tension within their society, I have nev- who was lying on her back about half istering the feed that evening, I was er been, or considered myself to be, way down the enclosure. Kishka, one aware that the group, including our sil- above reprimand, either vocal or physi- of the gentlest gorillas I have known, verback Ya Kwanza, were still extreme- cal. Emotionally upsetting or excruci- and who had become the dominant fe- ly unsettled by N’Pongo’s absence. atingly painful as these rare agonistic male about 2 years earlier walked si- I made a point of staying late, and encounters can be, I have never expe- lently beside me, and when Sakina at- spent much of my time making a fuss rienced long-term resentment. On the tempted a second strutting run in my of Hlala Kahilli. Despite my actions of contrary, in many cases after the event direction she confronted her daughter earlier that day her behaviour was quite the resumption of trust has been al- with cough grunts forcing her to retreat. reconciliatory. The bite she infl icted I most immediate. On reaching N’Pongo I bent down to described as mouthing, as whilst still Although I have been reluctant to examine her; her body was still supple, painful, it lacked power and seemed include anecdotal accounts I will de- but cool to the touch. She was heavy more of a token reprimand, which given scribe one of the most diffi cult and to move, but age and illness had tak- the circumstances was at the least re- emotionally charged incidents I have en toll of her weight, and by turning the markable. When interacting with them experienced. It was the day I had to re- barrow on to its side, rolling her in to it, the gorillas’ restraint of power has al- move the dead body of the then oldest and then pushing it back upright I was ways impressed me, it’s almost as if female N’Pongo from the group. It was ready to transport her out of the area. they sense that physically they are su- late summer, and some of the gorillas, But during my efforts to lift her moth- perior, yet, although capable of great mostly females and their offspring had er, Hlala Kahilli again began cough ferocity, it is not in their nature to be ag- been left with overnight access to their grunting and promptly mouthed me se- gressive without good reason. 2,000 m2 outside enclosure. 42 year verely around the small of my back; In 1986, Jambo, the Trust’s much- old N’Pongo had been off colour for when I turned, reciprocating her vo- loved silverback, became world-fa- several days, and on medication, but cal threat she let out a scream, but mous for the gentle behaviour he ex- despite her illness she had showed a then suddenly redirected her aggres- hibited towards a 5-year-old boy who marked preference for remaining in the sion onto Sakina and a brief squab- had fallen into the gorilla enclosure. It group. On the morning of 24th Sep- ble ensued. Kishka intervened imme- was a display that suggested genuine tember, 1999, I arrived to fi nd that she diately by chasing both the younger fe- concern was being shown for a fellow had passed away, and her condition males off, and so I took the opportunity creature, and one that helped dispel suggested that death had been recent. to make my way to the service door, the myth of gorillas as fearsome and fe- She was surrounded by the females which was being manned by one of my rocious. It came across as such a pow- and young including her own daughter, staff. From a short distance away Hlala erful image and story that it will surely and grand offspring all of whom were Kahilli commenced a series of mourn- endure for all time, and with it the mem- clearly stressed by her demise. ful hoots as I was closely escorted on ory of a truly gentle giant. Ten years All efforts to coax them inside were route by Kishka who movingly reached later a similar occurrence took place in ignored as they were entirely focussed out and touched one of N’Pongo’s limp Chicago’s Brookfi eld Zoo, when a boy on the inert form of the founder female, arms as if testing for a last reaction. was recovered from the gorilla com- and so I had no choice but to attempt I spoke to her, and grumbled several pound by a young female gorilla named to retrieve her body in their presence. times, but she remained silent. Hlala Binti Jua by carrying the unconscious I entered the area with a wheel bar- Kahilli, clearly the most distraught, con- 3-year-old to a service door, and hand- row and a scatter feed in the hope that tinued to call, which in turn was tak- ing him to keeping staff. I could distract at least some of them, en up by her three and a half year old The naturally relaxed and inoffensive but this was not to be. At my approach son Mapema who until the squabble behaviour demonstrated by Jambo and N’Pongo’s daughter, 11 year old Hlala had erupted had virtually shadowed my his family throughout the original inci- Kahilli, and her half sister Sakina, then every move, showing particular interest dent helped to confi rm the arguments 13 years of age, began strutting and when I was examining N’Pongo. of experts who had long maintained cough grunting, then Sakina shoulder- Before making my exit I offered the that gorillas are not the monsters of charged the barrow knocking it over. remainder of the scatter feed, which popular myth. In the words of interna-

27 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 GORILLAS

tionally renowned television zoologist, at the Karisoke Research Center in the privilege is to have a wild gorilla turn its Sir David Attenborough: “Human be- 1970s and 1980s. Of course, research- back on you. It rests on our shoulders ings grow up with the notion of beauty ers do not aim to form bonds with the not to betray this trust. and the beast and that was the theme animals, quite the opposite. We want Kelly Stewart successfully traded on by fi lms like to infl uence them as little as possible, King Kong … Sadly logic shows us that staying on the outside, looking in. But the exact opposite actually applies. It is when you spend hour after hour, day human beings who are the aggressive in and day out, in the midst of a go- Smiling Gorillas primates!” rilla group, you do sometimes feel like Richard Johnstone-Scott you’re one of the gang. From November to December To some extent, this feeling is inevi- 2005, artist Chisato Abe presented table, given how many traits our spe- her latest gorilla paintings in Other Nations cies share. So much of what gorillas Ginza, Tokyo; the exhibition was do is familiar – the way they move their called “smiling gorillas”. It was For the animal shall not be measured hands, for example, or the expressions well received and also reviewed by man. In a world older and more in their eyes. When I crawled along their in several newspapers. complete than ours they move fi nished trail on my hands and knees, I was see- Asahi Shimbun: “Everything and complete, gifted with extensions of ing their world much the way they did. started when she saw the smile of the senses we have lost or never at- I particularly recall my sense of affi nity a gorilla when she was young. ... tained, living by voices we shall never during long, cold rainstorms. Then, the Now, she can fi nd not only smiles hear. They are not brethren, they are gorillas and I got into the same posi- but also various looks, like sad- not underlings, they are other Nations, tion, hunkering down with feet tucked ness, anger etc. in faces of go- caught with ourselves in the net of life underneath us, arms folded across our rillas.” and time, fellow prisoners of the splen- chests, heads bowed, and shoulders Kohchi Shimbun: “Chisato Abe dour and travail of the earth. hunched against the chilly, pelting rain. graduated from Osaka Art Uni- Henry Beston, 1928 Comrades in misery. versity and her work refl ecting the I must admit that part of me was great individualities of gorillas has Nearly 30 years ago, in one of TV’s most drawn to the notion that I had been ac- been in the spotlight internation- unforgettable broadcasts, Sir David At- cepted as one of the group. But I knew ally. She paints only gorillas that tenborough, crouching amidst a group this was a fantasy. I think the gorillas she has met all over the world in of mountain gorillas in Rwanda, said in saw me, as they do all human observ- more than 20 years. ... She said an awe-struck whisper “There is more ers, as an animal that spent a lot of time ‘In gorilla faces I can fi nd various meaning and mutual understanding in following them around, but posed them manifestations of emotion, which exchanging a glance with a gorilla than no danger. I imagine that they recog- Japanese may be losing recently. any other animal I know.” nize something familiar in our ape- I try to describe the details of their The moment perfectly captured how like qualities, but I saw no evidence expression of emotions on their people feel in the presence of gorillas that they viewed me as another gorilla, faces.’ Mirrors were put on the – not just reverence and awe, but a or felt any kind of “connection”. I was wall next to her paintings for the psychological and emotional connec- largely irrelevant. When a gorilla gazed visitors to check their own facial tion to another species. But how mutu- into my face with its thoughtful brown expression as a human being.” al is this feeling? Do gorillas recognize eyes, it was looking at its refl ection in Based on translations by a kindred spirit in us? Certainly captive my glasses, not searching my soul. Hiroko Yoshida gorillas can develop close reciprocal We modern humans, living so far bonds with humans that blur the spe- removed from Nature, are seduced by cies boundary. But these are animals the idea of being one with the animals, whose natural lives have been stolen, of being their friends. It’s the allure be- and for whom humans are surrogate hind Tarzan and Mowgli. But our at- conspecifi cs. What about wild gorillas? tachment to wild animals is one-way, Consider the scientists who study and of course, this is how it should be. the habituated mountain gorillas of Gorillas “accept” us only in the sense Rwanda, Uganda and Congo, like I did that they cease to fear us. The ultimate

28 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 READING

Julian Caldecott and Lera Miles Diane K. Brockman and Carel P. van volume boxed set, hardcover, US$ World Atlas of Great Apes. UNEP Schaik (eds.) 150. ISBN: 0792238818 World Conservation Monitoring Seasonality in Primates: Studies Centre. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London of living and extinct human and non- Thomas P. Odom (University of California Press) 2005. human primates. Cambride (Cambridge Journey into Darkness: Genocide in 456 pages, more than 200 colour University Press) 2005. 604 pages. Rwanda. College Station (Texas A&M pictures, nearly 50 maps. Hardcover, US$ 120. ISBN 0-521-82069-3 University Press) 2005. XIII, 297 pages. US$ 45.00, £ 29.95, ISBN 0-520- Paperback, £ 21.95, US$ 24.95. ISBN 24633-0. Frans de Waal 158544457X This publication was compiled Our Inner Ape: a leading primatologist by members of the UNEP program explains why we are who we are. John Iliffe GRASP; it describes the basis of Riverhead Hardcover 2005. 288 pages. The African Aids Epidemic: A history. GRASP’s work and indicates where US$ 24.95. ISBN: 1573223123 Oxford (James Currey) 2006. 224 the activities should be focused in the Paperback: Riverhead Trade 2006. 304 pages. Hardcover £ 45, US$ 55. ISBN future. The fi rst part summarizes the pages. US$ 15. ISBN: 1594481962 0-85255-891-0. Paperback £ 14.95, distribution, ecology and behaviour of US$ 24.95. ISBN 0-85255-890-2. each ape species, and the second part Anthony D. Pellegrini and Peter K. describes the present conservation sta- Smith (eds.) The December 2005 issue (vol. 32, no. tus as well as the efforts and require- The Nature of Play: Great apes 3) of the IPPL News is a special issue ments to protect the apes – in general, and humans. New York (Guilford published 20 years after Dian Fossey‘s as well as in detail for each range coun- Publications) 2004. 308 pages. Hard- murder. Many of her friends, colleagues try. An especially important element is cover, US$ 40. ISBN 1-59385-117-0 and other people familiar with her work the inclusion of elaborate maps, which write about their experiences. Print or were designed for this book, although Peter M. Kappeler and Carel P. van PDF copies are available free from the symbols on some of them tend to Schaik (eds.) IPPL ([email protected]) be rather diffi cult to make out. Cooperation in Primates and The World Atlas of Great Apes is an Humans. Mechanisms and evolution. Watchlist on Children and Armed impressive volume with a wealth of in- Heidelberg (Springer) 2006. X, 347 Confl ict published the report Struggling formation and many useful summaries pages, 61 illustrations. Hardcover, to Survive: Children in Armed Confl ict in of important subjects related to great Euro 128.35. ISBN 3-540-28269-6 the Democratic Republic of the Congo ape ecology and behaviour. Unfortu- in April 2006. 72 pages, available in nately, the quality of some pictures is Charles Nunn and Sonia Altizer PDF format (2.5 MB) at www.watchlist. not optimal; more expertise in choos- Infectious Disease and Primate org/reports/dr_congo.php ing good photos and improving picture Socioecology. Oxford (Oxford Uni- quality in general would have been de- versity Press) 2006. 240 pages. sirable. Hardcover £ 60, US$ 100, ISBN In summary, however, the book is 0-19-856584-4. Paperback £ 27.50, a great resource for anybody working US$ 49.50, ISBN 0-19-856585-2. with great apes, especially in conser- vation, and the compilers and publish- Stefan Müller (ed.) ers are to be congratulated on produc- Primate Cytogenetics (reprint of ing such a major contribution over just Cytogenetic and Genome Research Gorilla Journal on the Internet a few months. Vol. 108, 1–3). Basel (Karger) 2005. Angela Meder 268 pages, 111 fi gures, 50 in colour, You can download this Gorilla 56 tables. Hardcover, US$ 111. ISBN Journal issue at: Tetsuro Matsuzawa, Masaki 3-8055-7860-1 www.berggorilla.de/gj32e.pdf Tomonaga, Masayuki Tanaka (eds.) as well as the German issue: Cognitive Development in Chim- Mike Fay and Michael Nichols www.berggorilla.de/gj32d.pdf panzees. Tokyo (Springer) 2006. 576 Last Place on Earth. Washington, and the French issue: pages. Hardcover, US$ 89.95. ISBN DC ( National Geographic) 2005. 480 www.berggorilla.de/gj32f.pdf 4-431-30246-8 pages, many colour photos. Two-

29 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 BERGGORILLA & REGENWALD DIREKTHILFE

Members’ Meeting 2006 the Virunga Conservation Area; togeth- er, they visited Kinigi at the entrance of Members of Berggorilla & Regenwald the Parc National des Volcans. Direkthilfe and other interested parties Photographs of the two renovated met at Lützensömmern Manor in guard posts in the Bwindi Impenetra- Thüringen from March 11 to 12, 2006. ble National Park in Uganda showed Geographically, this venue is located that the funding from B&RD has been very centrally for our German members, employed in a useful way: not only the a fact that might have contributed to buildings but also the water supply the high turnout, of approximately have been repaired. 50 participants. The modernised In the area of environmental edu- manor offered comfortable rooms and cation, B&RD funded the printing of Denise Nierentz presented her im- holiday fl ats, conference rooms and a school book for English lessons at pressions and showed photographs il- good cuisine, including vegetarian Ugandan schools. This book, A Day in lustrating her trip to the Cross River meals, all of which helped to create Gorillaland by WaltraudWaltraud Ndagijimana, gorillas in Nigeria. On the recommen- a good atmosphere for a constructive relates in a very sensitive and inform- dation of B&RD, the Kolmården Zoo in meeting. ative way the family life of a group of Sweden had funded the construction of Angela Meder had returned with fi rst- mountain gorillas and the dangers that a ranger station at Anape in the Cross hand information and pictures from her the gorillas face from poaching. River National Park, but more ranger trip to the Democratic Republic of the Dieter Speidel reported on the struc- posts are still required to manage this Congo and Rwanda. Together with na- ture and fi nancial situation of the Ugan- very large area. The most urgent re- ture photographer Christian Kaiser, she da Wildlife Authority (UW(UWA),A), for which quirement is at Bumaji, where nothing had obtained a personal impression of he formerly worked as an advisor. He at all exists as yet; this is therefore an the state of nature conservation work presented overviews showing how area where B&RD intends to provide in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park; she UWA’s income and cost structure is support in the future. had also met with Claude Sikubwabo, currently developing. The end of fund- In the evening, several videos and who had given her information on the ing by the GEF (Global Environment photographs of the mountain gorilla ar- situation of gorilla conservation in the Facility) and World Bank for the project eas were shown, which were greeted Parc National des Virunga. PAMSU (Protected Areas Manage- with lively interest. Angela Meder also met Maryke Gray ment and Sustainable Use) in 2007 will The meeting concluded on Sun- from the International Gorilla Conserva- probably once again heighten the need day with the offi cial general meeting, tion Programme (IGCP) in Ruhengeri, for external support to Ugandan nature which, among other tasks, elected the who brought her up-to-date on the cur- conservation authorities from organisa- new board members: Denise Nierentz rent situation in the Rwandan part of tions such as B&RD. was elected to the board, and Angela Meder and Rolf Brunner were re- elected. Ursula Karlowski

Photos: Christian Kaiser

30 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 BERGGORILLA & REGENWALD DIREKTHILFE

Finances Bwindi/Mgahinga san Götsch, Peter Günther, Hunde- Renovation of ranger posts 4,032.00 leben GmbH, Helga Innerhofer, Hart- Income in 2005 Gorilla book for schools 2,532.00 mann Knorr, Dr. Lore Marholdt, Dr. Subscriptions 15,852.71 Digital cameras CTPH 589.30 Kurt Niemeyer, Karsten Otte, Kurt Donations 25,518.59 Project management Rathfelder, Dieter Peter Schmitz, Jörg Refund from meeting 1,338.20 Project management 5,240.00 Steffen, Dr. Hans-Christian Ströbele, Sales 490.80 Repair of vehicle 5,400.00 Valdiek + Lucas-Valdiek (for Prof. Total 43,200.30 Total Euro 48,281.43 Schüren), Louise Vorster, Christof Wiedemair, Wilhelmabegleiter (Zoo- Expenditure in 2005 Mobil), Elisabeth Zaruba and Helmut Administration 974.50 Donations Zeitler. Our member Irmgard Friedrich Gorilla-Journal 7,879.63 collected donations us during her Subscriptions 15,00 We thank everybody who supported birthday celebration. We are very Items for sale 602.54 us from November 2005 to April grateful for the help of these persons Postage 1,902.40 2006! Major contributions and dona- and institutions and thank them for Pay/top-ups 2,400.00 tions were received from Edwin their contributions – as well as all the Kahuzi-Biega National Park Artho, Horst En gel, ESGE GmbH, other supporters whom we could not POPOF 800.00 Jörg Famula, Jürgen Friedrich, Su- name here! Sweaters 2,170.00 Le Gorille 13 1,500.00 Pygmy schools 10,244.06 Virunga National Park Renovation of ranger post 2,000.00

We are very grateful to Nouvelles Approches for the translation of the Gorilla Journal to French again!

Nouvelles Approches, a Belgian based NGO, works to safe- guard the national parks of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We are the only NGO currently active in Upem- ba and Kundelungu National Parks of Katanga Province and we collaborate with the GTZ in Kahuzi-Biega National Park. The fact that almost every member of our Board of Trus- tees has lived or is still resident in the D. R. Congo, is an as- set that gives us good knowledge of the country. We main- tain permanent contacts in Bu kavu, Lubumbashi, and Kin- shasa. We keep excellent relationships with the ICCN and all national and international organizations involv ed in con- servation in Central Africa. The No. 1 gorilla Michel Hasson Nouvelles Approches a.s.b.l. safari company Rue E. Branly, 9 Boîte 35 1190 Bruxelles, Belgium Fax : (00322) 732 27 08 www.volcanoessafaris.com [email protected] [email protected] www.nouvellesapproches.org UK · T +44 (0)870 870 8480 N° identifi c. nationale: 10281/97

Journey31 Gorilla Journal 32, June 2006 to the Gorillas Africa Adventure Touristik Kurt Niedermeier For further information contact: Mgahinga Safari Lodge is a 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 AFRICA ADVENTURE TOURISTIK to track the mountain gorilla in nearby Mgahinga Gorilla National Park or during a day trip Kurt Niedermeier to Rwanda or Congo. Seeshaupter Str. 17 All our visitors have seen the mountain gorillas! D-81476 Munich/Germany Africa Adventure Touristik will be pleased to design individual safari tours to the Phone: +49-89 759 79 626 mountain gorillas, all over Uganda and neighbouring countries. We offer our services all- Fax: +49-89-759-79-627 in-one, design of tours and reservation/booking in Germany, transportation in Uganda and E-mail: [email protected] neighbouring countries, mainly with own guides/drivers and own cars, operating Mgahinga [email protected] Safari Lodge, situated right in the middle of all national parks where mountain gorillas are http://www.aat-gorilla.com living. We offer tours to the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees, already designed and often Next expected tour for club members: tested. Please have a look at our website and/or contact us. Sept. 4th, 2006

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