AWF Blog

• Amazing Humba!

  Posted: April 29, 2009, 8:39 pm by IGCP

  This is Eugene Rutagarama, Director of IGCP. I have worked for gorillas for quite a while, but visiting them never ceases to be a fascinating experience. Last Thursday, together with some colleagues, I had another amazing gorilla visit, checking in with the Humba group in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Mikeno sector of Virunga National Park. This visit was significant not only because of the beauty of the area, but also because I was able to visit the 12 strong Humba family and to witness how the local communities are reaping the benefit of the current calm after several months of unrest.

  We started our trip from Goma, located right on the border of Rwanda, proceeding to the Bukima park site early in the morning. Bukima is the stepping off point for visits to Humba and two other local gorilla groups.

  A bumpy ride on the road from the Park headquarters at Rumangabo to Bukima is akin to a rough massage session for the back, but even my old back made it! Fortunately, this difficult road is currently under rehabilitation thanks to the Greater Virunga Transboundary Executive Secretariat (which makes up the three gorilla range countries of DRC, Uganda and Rwanda) support to ICCN (The Congo government’s institute for nature conservation).

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  The day was fantastic! The Bukima site stunningly overlooks what seems like half of Eastern Congo, with an open panorama revealing a breathtaking scenic view of five of the eight main Virunga volcanoes: Karisimbi, Mikeno, Bisoke, Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira.

  We picked up our guide, Mr. Didi, a Park veteran, at Rumangabo. A very confident guide, he was fully in charge all the way and very responsive to our numerous queries.

  From the Bukima site, the trek was three kilometers to the Park entry point. On the way, we chatted with a community member who was a recent victim of gorilla crop raiding. She was angry for having lost a portion of her cornfield during the previous night. She reported to us that despite the noise she made to chase them away, the gorillas wouldn’t move from her field.We consoled her with encouraging words, though we knew that a conclusive solution to this complex problem will take some time.

  The silverback Humba in Virunga National Park.

  We learned from Didi that the Silverback Humba, after which this family was named, has gotten into the habit of raiding crops from his mother’s family, the Rugendo group, which is also known for its forays onto community land outside of the park The Rugendo group was victim of the infamous premeditated murder attack reported worldwide in July 2007, when it lost seven individuals to gunshot wounds.

  As we entered the Park, I realized we need to strengthen even further IGCP’s commitment to both human and gorilla communities in the area, and continue working on new solutions to human-gorilla conflict.

  It only took 500 meters or so to come face to face with the Humba group in very dense vegetation. The boss of the group, the silverback Humba was resting quietly, lying on his back, while the adult female named Magori was nearby, together with her young male offspring, Semakuba. The latter is a very stubborn young guy! He tried to approach and play with us as if we were best friends from way back! Didi intervened softly, however, to “ask him” to allow us to proceed to the thicket of bushes where Magori was also sitting thoughtfully.

  Just then, Humba moved from the place where he was lying down and started eating. This guy had an amazing appetite! He would tear off a liana vine and peel it methodically before swallowing its skin and pulpy contents. He gluttonously gulped down dozens of young vines this way in a matter of a few minutes, while also keeping a vigilant eye on us, showing a bit of agitation from time to time whenever we stood up to get a better view. Noticing such agitation, I sat down and started simulating eating a leaf. When the true boss felt in charge again, he cooled down.

  I simulate eating some vegetation to calm Humba.

  Time gets lost when watching gorillas, and when we finally started thinking of moving from Humba to see other members of the group, our strictly enforced hour visit had already passed. We realized that Humba had almost hypnotized us, showing off his charisma and prodigious eating talents long enough to keep us entranced for the better part of sixty minutes.

  My work has allowed me to see gorillas many times in the three mountain gorilla range countries, but every visit for me is a special and new experience. This experience in the Congo was no different, made all the more extraordinary due to the fact that we were able to make it here in the first place.

  Five months ago this area was overrun with militias, conflict and suffering on a grand scale. Today, we can see Humba and his crew, peacefully chewing their way through the dense green carpet which blankets Mikeno Volcano’s lower slopes. If peace continues to overcome the dark days of war and suffering, perhaps one day soon others will be able to visit a healthy Humba family and this exceedingly wild and beautiful corner of Eastern Congo.

  No matter where the location, however, there is one commonality that always seems to catch my attention during these experiences with gorillas: their eyes. Gorilla eyes seem to always tell me something. See the face of Magori below, and find your own meaning…

  Magori

• Sinohydro Continues to Break Law and Build Illegal Quarry in Amboseli

  Posted: April 29, 2009, 1:05 pm by Paul

  Today we have another guest blogger: Kathleen Fitzgerald, AWF’s Land Conservation Director based in our Nairobi headquarters. transporter 3 HD download

  The week has been a really bad one for residents and wildlife of Amboseli. A construction company began detonating explosives and erecting fences in a sensitive wildlife area near Amboseli National Park. This area is also a community conservancy, which is generating income to local residents through lease payments. With the start of heavy construction and blasting – for a rock quarry and a nearby staff camp – wildlife is threatened and the community might not see any economic benefits.

  AWF is working with partners to secure a wildlife linkage that stretches from Amboseli to the Chyulu Hills and Tsavo West National Parks in southern Kenya. While Amboseli is world renowned for its elephants and magnificent views of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Park is far too small to support viable populations of elephants, predators and ungulates. Wildlife is dependent on the unprotected areas outside the Park for dispersal, which is why we have put our energy into this area.

  The quarry and camp are located in this dispersal area—right smack dab in the middle of the corridor!

  The quarry and camp are to service a road being renovated by a Chinese company called Sinohydro Corporation Limited. Recently, Sinohydro placed a camp in the most sensitive and narrow part of the corridor. In addition, the quarry they started blasting over the weekend is in the middle of the Osupuko Conservancy. Last year, AWF established the 3,000 acre Osupuko conservancy and a 6,000 acre conservancy called Kilitome through lease agreements with community members, key stepping stones for the corridor. These conservancies secure land for wildlife and provide benefits to the community.

  Both the quarry and staff camp are in clear violation of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the road project: camps are not to be located in wildlife corridors, and the site for the quarry is not identified in the EIA!

  We took this issue to the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA). NEMA issued a Stop Order, citing violation and mandating all activity to stop. But the local District Commissioner, wielding more power than he truly has, instructed the blasting to commence immediately.

  Scouts and community members were forced off the property by District Police. Community members were threatened by police action and told not to meet. They have been barred from gathering.

  As I write, Sinohydro continues to ignore the Stop Order. A fence has being built around the quarry site and they are putting up structures.

  Sinohydro and the District Commissioner must stop violating Kenyan law. It is a shame the DC does not recognize the impact this is having on the communities in his district.

  This is an avoidable situation. All of the groups that have expressed outrage at this are not opposed to the road, but want the environment and Kenya’s wildlife to be respected. Sinohydro can easily find an alternative location. There is no excuse. The violations on the environment, wildlife and human rights must stop immediately.

  Help put pressure on Sinohydro to stop. Contact them and urge them to move the quarry.

• Huge Ivory Seizure, Two Men Arrested

  Posted: April 27, 2009, 6:26 pm by Paul

  On Saturday the 25th, two men were arrested for carrying 703 kg (1,550 lb) of elephant ivory in southern Kenya. The seizure, the biggest in recent times in Kenya, was made possible thanks to the efforts by AWF-supported game scouts.

  The two men were traveling by vehicle in Tanzania when they were ambushed by wildlife scouts from the Amboseli-Tsavo Game Scouts Association. The smugglers fled across the Kenyan border, where they were caught and arrested by authorities tipped off by the scouts.

  It's estimated that the ivory came from 50 elephants.

  The arrest was made in the town of Mbirikani, 50 km from the Kenya-Tanzania border. “Initial investigations indicated that the suspects were headed to Nairobi,” a Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) statement said.

  The smuggler's truck with the illegal ivory piled in the back.

  The ivory, valued at an estimated 59-60 million Kenyan shillings ($750,000), has been confiscated by KWS. The men, whose identities have not been released, are being held in custody. “Charges are being prepared to charge the suspects in a Kajiado court on Monday morning,” the statement said.

  KWS rangers weigh the ivory, totalling 1,550 lbs.

  It is unknown where the men obtained the ivory or where they were heading. DNA testing can reveal the origin of the ivory, which is believed to have come from nearly 50 elephants, mainly adult males.

  According to some estimates, a kilogram of ivory can fetch as much as $35-$50 on the black market.

  AWF provides the Amboseli-Tsavo Game Scouts Association with uniforms, equipment, training and office space. We applaud the successful ivory seizure made by the scouts, KWS and local authorities.

  Dr. Noah Wekesa from the Ministry of Environment holds one of the massive tusks.

  Update from Reuters: The two men pleaded guilty on Monday to illegal possession of ivory.

  “The haul represents unspeakable cost to our tourism industry as well as the ecosystems … This is a major setback to efforts by Kenya to recover its elephant population after it dropped from 167,000 in 1963 to the current 33,000,” a KWS statement said.

  The two men will be sentenced on May 4.

  Note: some media is saying the seizure weighed 512 kg but in fact, a later, more accurate measure puts the ivory load at 703 kg.

• Special Guests at the Lomako Conservation Science Centre

  Posted: April 24, 2009, 7:47 pm by Valentin

  Last week, the Lomako Conservation Science Centre (LCSC) has been honored by a visit from prominent national and international institutions. The delegation consisted of the following:

  1. Embassy of Canada in Democratic Republic of the Congo (RDC)
  - Sigrid Anna Johnson, Ambassador

  2. Embassy of France:
  - Olivier Richard, Counselor of Embassy

  3. Institute Congolese for the Nature Conservation (ICCN):
  - Pastor Cosma Wilungula, General Administrator Delegate
  - Jules Mayifilua, Conservator Main Chief of site of the Lomako-Yokokala Faunal Reserve

  4. USAID/ CARPE:
  - John Flynn, Director in DRC

  5. African Wildlife Foundation (AWF):
  - Dr Patrick Bergin, C.E.O.
  - Dr Philip Muruthi, Director - Conservation science
  - Jef Dupain, Director of Congo Heartland
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  - Floribert Botamba, Depity Director

  6. Journalist:
  - Jolie Okako, independent press.

  Our guests en route to the Lomako Conservation Science Centre.

  I led the delegation on a visit into the forest with the help of our two experienced bonobo trackers: Papa Bosco Ikwa and Papa Mange Bofaso. Unforunately, we didn’t have the luck to observe bonobos but we did see other forest species such as:

  Potamochoerus porcus (Red River hog);
  Cephalophus callipygus (Perters’s duiker);
  Lophocerbus aterrimus (black mangabey);
  Colobus angolensis (Angola pied colobus);
  Cercopithecus wolfi (Wolf’s monkey);
  Cercopithecus ascanius (red tailed monkey);
  Guttera pucherani (Crested Guineafowl);
  and the other species of bugs and small birds.

  Our famous guides didn’t miss the opportunity to help our guests discover the diversity of the Lomako Reserve, and showed them the diversity of foods eaten by bonobos as well as wild foods eaten by people who rely on the forest.

  We thank the members of the delegation for their interests in conservation and of AWF’s programs, and also for their courage to travel in the difficult conditions that we have here in the heart of the Congo.

• New Gorilla Babies in Virunga National Park

  Posted: April 21, 2009, 4:49 pm by IGCP

  I wanted to share something with you that gives me hope. Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in our work and our own daily struggles and challenges that we forget what is really important. Then, something makes us pause, and we realize why we are doing what we do.

  The other day was a typical day in the office for me: email and more email. Answering the seemingly endless stream of questions which stack up in my email in-box like bricks, waiting for some mortar to make them whole, give them a purpose.

  As the Communications Officer at IGCP, my job is, well, mainly to communicate. Which means a lot of time on the computer writing, editing and reaching out to the public, our partners, government agencies, the worldwide media and more on the work that we do and why mountain gorilla conservation is vital to not only the people of Virunga Massif in East Africa where the gorillas live, but those in places far away, where our endangered next of kin may be just a concept too remote to even consider.

  Though I still doubt my skills, I consider myself at least an “advanced amateur” writer, and it is easy to get bogged down in all the correspondence and minutiae of making sure everyone receives quality information. Hidden in my voluminous in-box the other day was a short query from our Conservation Science Officer and Democratic Republic of Congo Representative Augustin Basabose. Dr. Basabose is almost always smiling, and his positive outlook and never ending energy has done wonders in the Eastern DRC and Virunga National Park’s Mikeno Sector, where the gorillas have been holding strong despite the long standing conflict and chaos in the area – which currently, thankfully, has subsided and the outlook for peace has garnered much excitement.

  I admit Dr. Basbose’s thorough and much valued reports often make my head spin. As a mere writer and policy person, the formulas and numbers of careful peer-reviewed research often escape me.

  But on this occasion, the query was as simple as can be, “Did you get the photos I sent of Bonane and her new baby?” I went back a week and realized that email had just gotten lost in the mountain I was attempting in vain to answer after being out of the office a few days. I opened the message again, and suddenly a big smile beamed across my face, like morning sun shining golden after the gloom of a day of intemperate clouds and driving rain. A golden sun, albeit one that is fragile, has come to the Eastern Congo in the past few months after the dark days of conflict in years past. And here was Bonane, a proud mother who has survived the Congo’s unrest, cuddling a precious, furry, healthy baby, content, and it looked like to me, even smiling broadly with her bundle of miraculous life.

  And not only Bonane: here was Gato as well, sleeping peacefully with her new baby. Two bundles of life! Park Ranger Innocent Mburanumwe captured the joy and contentment of a mother and her precious offspring with the skill of a professional photographer.

  As a respected gorilla conservation organization with a long-term record of achievements, IGCP must maintain our excellent record of scientific integrity and professionalism. But sometimes our emotional connection to our next of kin just takes over, and reminds us that indeed we are all sharing this earth together and the dawn of new life is something to celebrate. And yes, baby gorillas are cute!

  The wonder of new life represents a new beginning: a bright future where our species and Gorilla beringei beringei live in harmony and grow together organically, supporting a healthy environment and future for all. Yes, it may be somewhat of a utopian view, and yes, the hard work, detailed science and need for impartiality and professionalism remains. But a picture can still say a thousand words and evoke a thousand emotions, and this is what the photos of Bonane and Gato and their babies did to me.

  In the end, I believe, these emotional attachments and what they represent will be just as important to mountain gorilla conservation as the science and policy, rounding out a holistic approach to this great challenge which will in part determine the life we leave for future generations, such as those of Bonane’s and Gato’s babies (who have yet to be named) and their babies (the sex of the babies has not yet been determined, and it often takes a year or more of careful observation to do so).

  This single set of pictures gave me hope, and I hope in turn they will find a tiny corner of your heart as well.  We should not hide the role of our emotional attachment to species such as the mountain gorilla. It is an integral part of our solutions and forward progress in protecting these species and our role in the web of life which makes our planet breathe. Enjoy!

• Update on Gorilla Death in Nkuringo, Uganda

  Posted: April 20, 2009, 6:29 pm by IGCP

  Last month we reported the death of an adult female gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. We’ve been carefully following up on this terrible incident, and we have an update:

  Kashongo died when a farmer threw stones at the gorilla, who was feeding in her banana farm. The farmer said that in the rush to chase the gorilla away and protect her children, she threw some stones, not meaning to directly hit Kashongo.

  Now, tragically, we have learned that Kashongo’s 21 month old infant has died.  Gorilla vets have not yet released full results of the autopsy, but infants that lose their mothers often die of starvation and dehydration.  They usually only have a 5 to 10 percent chance of survival beyond a few weeks.  Though the ranking silverback and a blackback heroically stepped in and took care of the infant, it was found dead in the silverback’s sleeping nest the morning of March 12th.

  IGCP will continue to work with the park authorities and communities to increase awareness of the importance of mountain gorilla conservation to prevent this sort of incident occurring again.  We will, of course, continue to follow this developing story and I’ll post any news as soon as it comes in. Thank you for all your support and thoughts during this difficult time.

• Washing Scat

  Posted: April 6, 2009, 4:37 pm by Nakedi

  So far the cameras haven’t captured any leopard with the new method that we are trying out. Using the biased sampling design, after three weeks (21-22 days) we had already captured three different leopards. The new method therefore must be jazzed up a little (thanks Craig!); hopefully this will influence the chances of capturing leopards. This means that we need to take things one step further, by luring the camera stations.

  I have heard that leopard scat could work, but we need leopard scat for diet analyses. Then there is leopard urine, but I don’t think it is advisable to bring foreign biological material in to the park; that could have some devastating effects on the ecosystem should there be unwanted organisms in there.

  Then there was perfume, yes perfume! So far I have been able to find out that Hugo Boss may be the best one to go for. Apparently there are some very useful pheromones in there. I will as a result try it out. Some other researchers have used it successfully in the past. If anything at all, the lure will at least slow down any cat that will walk past the camera, which would be very helpful when trying to identify captured leopards.

  In the meantime I started washing the scat. After avoiding that part for some time I finally plucked up enough courage get it done. It is a smelly business, but I think it will be less smelly after all the scats have been washed. After just over one year I’ve been able to collect about 50 leopard droppings, mostly opportunistically while driving or walking.

  Going through Theodore Bailey’s African Leopard one picks up that leopards tend to leave their droppings in high places and on the roads to mark their territories. That is if they do not decide to bury the scat. The most difficult scats to identify are the old ones, as there are no fresh tracks to supplement their source. In that case, Singita’s tracking team has been most helpful in identifying them.

  So… how do we wash the scat? Ideally we place them in nylon stockings and wash them in water until all that is left in there are just bones and hair. A few ladies laughed hysterically (some mumbling all sorts of things under their laughs — they think they have a psycho in their midst) at me when I asked for their old stockings, such that I had to go and buy cheap ones from the store myself. Even that was difficult as the lady at the pay point processed the whole event with a wry smirk patched on her face. Walking out of that store was quite a relief.

  The hair and bone fragments will be identified and added to the leopard prey species list in the area. For the hair, I have a catalogue of hair that I have been putting up together for different animals. This will help in identifying hair samples from the scat. A minor glitch here is with regards to equipment to use when identifying hair samples. For that we need a dissecting microscope. If there is anyone out there who has an old dissecting microscope and does not use it anymore, would you consider donating it to us? The list will be used to help us quantify the leopard prey preference in the area and later compared to lion prey preference.

• The Fat Leopard

  Posted: April 2, 2009, 3:32 pm by Nakedi

  I must apologise for the long silence regarding the emergence of the fat cat. Thank you to Rob and Tionette Geddes for willing to share pictures of this lovely creature.

  The leopard looks like he swallowed a three and a half metre long python.

  Enjoy!

  Check out that fat belly!

• Reports of Lion Poisoning and Furadan

  Posted: April 2, 2009, 11:36 am by Kissui

  Thanks to recent coverage by the US television network CBS on lion poisoning in Kenya, many people are becoming aware of the ongoing threats to lions due to poisoning using the agricultural pesticide Furadan.

  In areas where poisoning has occurred in Maasai Steppe, people have used a white powder, which I am not certain is Furadan, but I have a sample that is being tested to find out its chemical composition. Retaliatory killing of lions by spearing is much more common in the Maasai Steppe, and it’s possible that pastoralists use poisoning as a second resort.

  Livestock predation and retaliatory killing of predators is an enormous conservation challenge in the Maasai Steppe and other parts of Africa. Poisoning affects my research by killing animals in the study population. This could have far reaching effects on the population dynamics of both targeted and untargeted animals.

  The number of lions has declined dramatically over the past three decades to less than 50,000 individuals across the African continent. I’ve previously blogged about the methods we are using to combat retaliatory killing such as mapping lion movements in and out of protected areas, reinforced bomas to protect livestock from predation, and surveying local communities.

  Check out the recent CBS news report on lion poisoning. The report attributed recent lion deaths to the misuse of Furadan. The good news is that FMC Corp., the Philadelphia-based company that manufactures Furadan, recently announced it would take measures to stop the misuse of its product—a step AWF welcomes.

  We will continue to keep our readers and supporters informed about the plight of Africa’s lions and our work to protect them. Please join us and support lion conservation by clicking the button on the right side of this blog, or by clicking here.

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