Gorilla Journal of Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe No. 19, December 1999 Slaughter of Goril- Conservation Cross River Goril- Western Lowland las in Kahuzi-Bi- Efforts in Kahuzi- las – a Neglected Gorillas in Odzala ega National Park Biega Subspecies and Nouabalé- Ndoki BERGGORILLA & REGENWALD DIREKTHILFE Authors of this Issue Florence Magliocca is presently CONTENTS fi nishing her dissertation. She works Democratic Republic of Congo 3 Kanyunyi A. Basabose is working with Annie Gautier-Hion at the Univer- Poaching in Kahuzi-Biega 3 for the CRSN at Lwiro. Since 1994, sity of Rennes. In particular, she has Slaughter of Gorillas 4 he has been researching the ecology studied gorillas, elephants, buffaloes, Conservation of Resources 6 of gorillas and chimpanzees in Kahuzi- sitatungas, giant forest hogs and red Present Research in Kahuzi-Biega 7 Biega. In 1996, he took part in the river hogs in the Maya Nord clearing. Involvement of Local People 7 gorilla census in the original part of the Richard Parnell began his research The New Gorilla Reserve at Mbuhi 8 Kahuzi-Biega National Park. at Mbeli Bai, Nouabalé-Ndoki Nation- Uganda 10 Jane T.R. Dewar has a degree in al Park, in 1996. Between 1989 and Gorilla Tourism in Uganda 10 linguistics. Gorilla Haven was estab- 1995, he studied gorillas in the Lopé Fires in Bwindi 10 lished in 1997 "To make every captive Reserve, Gabon. A Different Conservation Concept 10 gorilla’s life as enriched and natural Mbake Sivha worked in the IZCN/ Our Assistant in Uganda 11 as possible, and to promote education GTZ conservation project at Kahuzi- Rwanda 12 about gorilla conservation in zoos and Biega National Park. Since 1994, she News from Rwanda 12 the wild". It is funded by the Dewar was responsible for sensitization and From the Mountain Gorilla Wildlife Trust, a non-profi t organization research. Since September 1999, she Veterinary Program 12 funded by J. and S. Dewar. has been working in Goma as Program Operation Amy 13 Dr. Ute Eilenberger worked as a Offi cer of IGCP for Congo. Gorillas 14 veterinarian and carried out fi eld stud- Tomoaki Nishihara has studied go- Cross River Gorillas – ies in the D. R. Congo. She studied rilla ecology in Nouabalé-Ndoki forest a Neglected Subspecies 14 the health status of gorillas and people since 1989. From 1995, he realized a Limbe Wildlife Center, Cameroon 16 in Kahuzi-Biega. Since 1999 she has training program for primate research. Gorillas in the Odzala Park 19 led, with her counterpart, the Mountain Since 1997, he was the park base man- Gorilla Studies in Nouabalé-Ndoki 21 Gorilla Veterinary Center. ager of the WCS Project. Now he par- The Mbeli Bai Gorillas 22 Pierre Kakule Vwirasihikya has ticipates in the Megatransect Project Reading 24 been a senior warden in the Virunga by Mike Fay. Bushmeat Poster 25 Park since 1988. He took part in gorilla Prof. John F. Oates is a member News from the Internet 25 monitoring and is now the chief of the of the Conservation Committee of the Gorilla Art Exhibition 25 Kabaraza station in the park. He is in International Primatological Society Berggorilla & Regenwald partnership with EarthWatch in the D. and of the Steering Committee of the Direkthilfe 26 R. Congo. IUCN Primate Specialist Group. He Helping Hands for the English Gorilla Jean Claude Kyungu led an eco- has been studying the ecology of tropi- Journal 26 logical NGO (SEPRONA – Symbiose cal forest primates since 1964. Donations 26 of Ecologists for Nature Protection) Dr. Esteban Sarmiento is a func- Emergency Appeal 27 from 1994 to 1999. Since 1997, he tional anatomist in the American Muse- has been the North-Kivu consultant for um of Natural History. His primary re- biodiversity in Congo. He is a fi eld as- search interest involves the skeletons Organization Address: sistant for research in the North-Kivu of hominoids. He has taught in the Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe University Center. USA, South Africa and Uganda. c/o Rolf Brunner Chantal Shalukoma has been Lerchenstr. 5 Gorilla Journal 19, Dec. 1999 working for the Kahuzi-Biega National 45473 Muelheim, Germany Editor: Angela Meder Park since 1992. She is especially en- Fax +49-208-7671605 Augustenstr. 122, D-70197 Stuttgart gaged in public awareness campaigns E-Mail [email protected] Fax +49-711-6159919 for nature conservation. Web Site: E-mail [email protected] Dr. Juichi Yamagiwa has been in- http://www.kilimanjaro.com/gorilla/brd Translation: Ann DeVoy, Bettina and volved in fi eld work of eastern gorillas Bank Account: Andrew Grieser Johns, Jennifer Scott since 1978, mainly at Kahuzi-Biega. Account number 353 344 315 Design: Edwin Artho, Angela Meder He worked at Karisoke from 1981 to Stadtsparkasse Muelheim Production: Gentner-Verlag, Stuttgart 1982 and conducted surveys at Ma sisi Bank code number 362 500 00 Cover: Kahuzi-Biega gorillas and Itebero from 1987 to 1991. 2 Gorilla Journal 19, December 1999 D. R. CONGO Poaching in the Old not known how many animals they have killed. All these groups know and Part of the Kahuzi-Biega occasionally visit each other. Eventu- National Park ally, they also cooperate. Between April and July 1999, poaching in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park in- Gorilla Hunters creased considerably. During the war Mr. Mulinga, the chief of the village that started in October 1996, many ani- Kakenge, is a renowned hunter with mals were killed, but the more recent dogs, spears and wire snares. His data that we collected during this in- group killed a young gorilla on July vestigation are very alarming too. The 3, probably a member of the Mugo- armed poachers were mainly targeting li group. When they were arrested, large mammals – elephants and goril- the meat of this animal was just being las in particular. Moreover, the consid- cooked. The hands and feet of the go- erable number of snares that the rang- rilla were the proof of the poaching and ers are always collecting during their consequently, the poacher confessed. patrols are evidence that poaching with Mr. Misarhi, a pygmy, is working for the wire snares is also still common. chief poacher. To fi nd out more about the poach- Mr. Kalyagizi and his team killed ing, we collected evidence ourselves Chantal Shalukoma with the 6 gorillas on June 19. These animals or sent informants to those villages poacher Chomère probably also belonged to the Mugoli where we expected persons that were Photo: Chantal Shalukoma group. In April Corporal Tip shot a go- involved in the poaching or knew de- rilla. This man is working for the team tails about the poachers, especially dan refugees of the Ka shu sha camp. of Georges Chamoka which killed 12 elephant and gorilla hunters. The ar- Then he started elephant poaching for gorillas in June. rested poachers and the respective lo- ivory, by order of a Mr. Tshimbombo in In total, 3 teams of gorilla poachers cal chiefs were interrogated in the park. Bukavu. The poacher told us that he are well-known; they killed 20 gorillas We collected further information in the has killed 7 animals. altogether. They hunt with dogs and villages. Besides that, we had talks in Georges Maperu Chamoka from Ka- guns. In the case of the Mulinga team, the park station, reports from the group vumu leads a large group of poachers the gorilla meat is mainly consumed by "human-elephant confl ict" and more in- who have regularly been very active in the poachers themselves. formants. Our investigation conducted the park – on behalf of persons who We were especially interested in one at the beginning of June yielded the live in Bukavu and across the border. question: Do the hunters kill gorillas following results. This poacher told us that he has shot just for meat or is there another reason 10 elephants. why they are hunting these apes in par- Elephant Hunters Ivory and meat are often transported ticular? We have to investigate deeper They work in a complex and wide net- to different recipients. For Georges to fi nd the answer. work. Two poachers were arrested Chamoka's team, the buyers or their and interrogated. They said that large representatives often visit the villages Summary and Conclusions trees are often felled for the smoking to pick up the tusks. The ivory is ex- Within a few months, 2 groups of hunt- of elephant meat. This means that ported and the meat is taken to Bu- ers killed 17 elephants. Since April, elephant poaching also destroys the kavu in vans. Sometimes tusks are 20 gorillas have been shot, and ac- park's vegetation. Sometimes the also transported with the meat. On cording to the poachers 12 belonged poachers spend a week in the forest. the other hand, Chomère supplies local to the same family, Mugoli. Poaching Chomère Bugondo has been active markets. The meat is usually bought in the old part of the Kahuzi-Biega Na- for more than 20 years and has al- by the women of Inera, Kavumu and tional Park has increased, especially ready been arrested in the park three Lwiro, and they supply the merchants regarding elephants for ivory trade in times. He said that he does not master in Bukavu. the Great Lake region. Meat from goril- any other occupation besides hunting. Apart from these 2 big elephant las that have been killed is consumed Originally he had set snares until he and poacher teams, 4 more groups are by the poachers' families and only a his group received a gun from Rwan- known to be involved. However, it is small quantity is sold to neighbours. 3 Gorilla Journal 19, December 1999 D.