Gorilla Journal Journal of Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe No. 21, December 2000 Attack on a The Situation in A Visit to the What, if Anything, Kahuzi-Biega Maiko National Mountain Gorillas is Taxonomy? National Park Park in Rwanda Meeting BERGGORILLA & REGENWALD DIREKTHILFE Authors of this Issue ciety) and of the Steering Committee CONTENTS of the IUCN Primate Specialist Group. Democratic Republic of Congo 3 Dr. Thomas Butynski has con- He has been studying the ecology of News from Kahuzi-Biega 3 ducted wildlife research in Africa since tropical forest primates since 1964. Attack on a Kahuzi-Biega Meeting 3 1971. From 1978 to 1993 he studied Jean-François Segers is an eco- Attempt to Re-introduce a Young primates and worked on rain forest nomist who manages several com- Gorilla to the Kahuzi-Biega Forest 3 conservation in Uganda. Now he panies in Kivu and travels to Bukavu Visit to Kahuzi-Biega 4 works for Zoo Atlanta. Since 1995 he every month. He is the president of The Situation in Maiko 4 has made surveys in endangered Nouvelles Approches, a Belgian NGO Mt. Tshiaberimu News 6 montane forests in the eastern Demo- that supports the protection of the en- Attack on Vital Katembo 7 cratic Republic of Congo. vironment and has several projects in Sarambwe Protection 7 Klaus Griegel is a geologist and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uganda 8 worked in Mozambique for 3 years. Claude Sikubwabo Kiyengo has Our Assistant 8 He has a special interest in environ- conducted a gorilla survey in the Scabies again 8 mental and nature conservation. Maiko Park from 1989 to 1992, and in Sewing and Knitting for Dr. Colin Groves wrote his PhD 1994 he took part in the gorilla census Conservation 8 thesis on gorilla osteology and tax- in Kahuzi-Biega. Since 1995, he has Rwanda 9 onomy, and in 1971 he visited the been working for the ICCN (Institut Conservation NGOs unite for mountain gorillas at Karisoke. After Congolais pour la Conservation de la "Peace" 9 working at American and British uni- Nature) in Goma. Mountain Gorilla Veterinarians 10 versities, he emigrated to Australia in Dr. Juliana Ströbele-Gregor Journey to Uganda and Rwanda 10 1974. Now he is teaching primatology studied Ethnology and Cultural An- Visit to the Gorillas in Rwanda 10 and human evolution at the Australian thropology of the Americas. She Gorillas 12 National University, and he is doing works as a free-lance consultant in What, if Anything, Is Taxonomy? 12 research on various animals. German developmental aid. An Overview of Apes in Africa 15 Vital Katembo Mushengezi at Dr. Jo Thompson has been study- Cross River Gorillas 18 first worked in the Ituri Forest for WCS ing wild bonobos at the Lukuru Wild- Bushmeat Action 19 (Wildlife Conservation Society) and life Research Project since 1992. The Great Ape Event 20 has been active in the Virunga Na- She conducts survey and educational Reading 21 tional Park since 1994. Now he is campaign expeditions. Since 1997 Berggorilla & Regenwald project leader for Mt. Tshiaberimu and she has incorporated research, con- Direkthilfe 22 field assistant for DFGF (Dian Fossey servation and education efforts within News from the Internet 22 Gorilla Fund) Europe in North Kivu. the South Block, Salonga Park. Jobs and Opportunities for Prof. John F. Oates is a member Iris Weiche started her work with Volunteers 22 of the Conservation Committee of the primates, in the wild and in zoos, in Activities 22 ISP (International Primatological So- 1990. At the moment she is finishing her doctoral dissertation on female gorillas in zoos. Since 1994 she has Organization Address: Gorilla Journal 21, been active for the Berggorilla & Re- Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe December 2000 genwald Direkthilfe, and in May 1997 c/o Rolf Brunner Editor: Angela Meder she joined the Board of Directors. Lerchenstr. 5 Augustenstr. 122, D-70197 Stuttgart Dr. Liz Williamson began to study 45473 Muelheim, Germany Fax +49-711-6159919 gorillas in Gabon from 1984 to 1990. Fax +49-208-7671605 E-mail [email protected] She was involved in gorilla surveys in E-Mail [email protected] Translation: Ann DeVoy, Bettina and Congo/Zaire and Cameroon in 1994 Web Site: Andrew Grieser Johns, Jennifer Scott and 1995. Currently she is the Direc- http://www.kilimanjaro.com/gorilla/brd Design: Edwin Artho, Angela Meder tor of the Karisoke Research Centre. Bank Account: Production: Gentner-Verlag, Stuttgart Sylvia Wladarz is a zoo animal Account number 353 344 315 Cover: Sylvia Wladarz and William keeper. She has been a member of Stadtsparkasse Muelheim Mugisha with Mgahinga rangers the Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkt- Bank code number 362 500 00 Photo: Klaus Griegel hilfe for one year. 2 Gorilla Journal 21, December 2000 D. R. CONGO News from Kahuzi-Biega baby Bitorwa has since died, probably due to an infection. On 19 May 2000, the Kahuzi-Biega In June, a survey was begun of go- rangers were returned their arms and rillas and elephants in the mountain resumed patrolling. The ranger posts part of the park, as it was not clear Mugaba and Tshibati were re-manned how many animals had survived the after this. Unfortunately, the Tshivan- wars. The survey team was headed ga post was attacked by armed rebels by the Congolese biologist Omari on the night of 17 June. One ranger Ilambu and accompanied by more was injured. In spite of this, park staff than 50 soldiers. They found 130 go- continued to control this part of the rillas (a few months ago, only 70 sur- park. However, they have stopped viving gorillas had been estimated), The orphan Bitorwa spending the night at the post. but not one elephant was left. Photo: Carlos Schuler Thanks to the work of the rangers, Park staff started to act against no more gorillas were killed by poach- illegal land utilisation in the corridor volved in the Bitorwa case never be- ers in June. The team working on the connecting the two parts of the Kahu- trayed their sources, not even to the illegal live animal trade succeeded zi-Biega National Park after the Gover- national police. This shows that they in confiscating one gorilla baby, one nor had annulled the 11 certificates of had some sort of safeguard. baboon and one red-tailed monkey occupation in May. They expelled all The gorilla, a male, was captured in in Bukavu. Unfortunately, the gorilla illegal occupants, burned charcoal ov- the montane forest after his family had ens and confiscated cattle grazing in been killed. He was about 2 years old the park. Unfortunately, certain crimi- and had been fed fruit (mainly ba- Attack on a Kahuzi- nal government employees tried to in- nanas) during his captivity. timidate and menace the park staff. About 10 days after his capture, the Biega Meeting Meanwhile, approximately 10% of infant still knew the taste of leaves and During an Interahamwe attack the park's area is under the control of fruit that he had eaten in the forest on a meeting on 5 September the guards again. (Myrianthus, Urera, Pennisetum ...) 2000, 10 people died and many and the park decided to try and re- people were injured, some of introduce him to the forest to give him them seriously. Contrary to first Attempt to Re-introduce a chance to survive in his natural envi- media reports, no members of a Young Gorilla to the ronment. It was attempted to intro- the park staff were among the Kahuzi-Biega Forest duce him to the group led by the dead. The rebels took five hos- silverback Mugaruka that consists of tages whom they set free near Since 1996, the Kahuzi-Biega Na- 6 individuals. However, the re-intro- Kalonge. The hostages reported tional Park has been under severe hu- duction was difficult because of the that the attackers belonged to man pressure because of the troubles silverback's behaviour; he reacted ag- the "Army for the Liberation of that shook the region. Networks of gressively to the young gorilla three Rwanda". poachers developed; they support the times. The infant panicked and rush- The attack took place on the trade in gorilla babies and other pri- ed back to the team that had taken last day of a meeting between mates as well as various trophies of him to the group. A few days later, the park staff, government repre- large mammals. Elephants and goril- solitary youngster died in the forest. sentatives, traditional chiefs and las are the targets most sought after. It seems that the confiscation and representatives of the local In May 2000, a team of the Kahuzi- re-introduction of wild animals to their population. The aim of the nego- Biega Park that was in charge of de- natural habitat does not solve the tiations was to develop solutions stroying poachers' networks in the problem that threatens the large ani- for the conservation of the se- area confiscated a young gorilla from mals of the Kahuzi-Biega National verely threatened corridor be- poachers. According to the poachers, Park. The ICCN (Institut Congolais tween the mountain and the low- an expatriate, an agent of an interna- pour la Conservation de la Nature) and land sector of the Kahuzi-Biega tional organisation in Bukavu, had the park management are fighting National Park. given the order to capture the gorilla. against the transport of animals from However, the people who were in- the park into town (gorilla babies, 3 Gorilla Journal 21, December 2000 D. R. CONGO guenons, leopard cubs, ...) and tro- for columbite (niobite (Fe, Mn)Nb2O6 phies (ivory, gorilla skulls, ...) in order and tantalite (Fe, Mn)Ta2O6), an to destroy the poachers' networks that ore that represents an important re- are systematically looting animal and source of the region.