Items by IGCP

AWF Blog

• Renewed coordinated patrols to curb poaching in Virunga Massif

  Posted: March 21, 2012, 9:16 pm by IGCP

  In the heart of the Virunga Massif, unhabituated mountain gorillas range. Unfortunately, poachers also range there, setting traps called snares for wildlife. In early February, one of those unhabituated mountain gorillas was found dead, after what was likely several days of struggling in a rope snare.

  Last week, a mixed team of rangers from Virunga National Park, DRC, and Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, conducted a coordinated patrol in the heart of the Virunga Massif in a renewed effort to make the area safe for the critically-endangered mountain gorillas and the other wildlife. According to the Chief Park Warden for Volcanoes National Park, Prosper Uwingeli, the patrol was conducted by 24 individuals including rangers from both parks and community members from areas surrounding both parks.

  The International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP)- a coalition of the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Fauna & Flora International (FFI), and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)- supplied rations to the rangers and community members who conducted this patrol.

  Patrol members destroying a recently set rope snare trap on March 15, 2012, in the Virunga Massif. Photo courtesy of Volcanoes National Park/ Rwanda Development Board.

  This coordinated patrol, the first of many in a renewed effort to curb the number of snares in this area of the Massif, came out of a meeting facilitated by the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration on February 23, 2012, between Virunga National Park and Volcanoes National Park. The meeting was held in Rumangabo, DRC, and the two parks were represented by Dr. Emmanuel de Merode of Virunga National Park and Uwingeli of Volcanoes National Park. IGCP was represented by Dr. Augustin Basabose, IGCP species conservation coordinator.

  The agreed firm commitment between the two parks to renew efforts in together patrolling mountain gorilla habitat will thwart poachersí attempts to freely operate in the Virunga Massif, where in recent months at least two young mountain gorillas have been caught in snares. One survived, the other, unfortunately, did not,î comments Basabose. IGCP is committed to continuing to support these transboundary efforts.

  During the full census of mountain gorillas conducted in the Virunga Massif in 2010, the number of snares encountered by census teams was also recorded. The darker the area, the more snares were encountered. It was in this same heavily snared area that a mountain gorilla was found dead in a snare in early February 2012.

  Location of gorilla groups encountered during the census conducted in 2010. Unhabituated groups, those not accustomed to seeing humans for tourism or research are indicated with a triangle. These unhabituated gorillas range in the heart of the Virunga Massif.

• IGCP Coalition Celebrates 20th Anniversary and Launches Effort to Develop New Strategy

  Posted: March 12, 2012, 5:33 pm by IGCP

  We are pleased to share the news that EugËne Rutagarama, IGCP Director since 2003, will soon lead a task force that will craft a new strategy for the organization. Dr. Augustin Basabose, currently Species Conservation Coordinator, will assist by taking on day-to-day management of IGCP as Interim Director effective April 1, 2012. 2011 marked the 20th anniversary of the founding of the International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP) by the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Fauna & Flora International (FFI), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). IGCP and its coalition members recently met in celebration of this important milestone, and renewed their commitment to this unique collaboration and to continue to effectively address the ongoing and future challenges to mountain gorilla conservation.

  The future context for conservation across the mountain gorilla range presents clear challenges, and requires that IGCP remain innovative and strategic. Following an effective first 20 years, IGCP and its coalition members considered it an appropriate moment to commit to a thorough strategic review.

  As of April 1, 2012, EugËne Rutagarama will hand over day-to-day management of IGCP to Dr. Augustin Basabose so that he can lead a task force that will review the role of IGCP in the conservation of mountain gorillas. “Having been involved in the development of IGCP in different positions for the last fifteen years, I feel privileged to dedicate, for the next months, my full attention to a new strategy that will keep IGCP at the forefront of the ever-changing context of mountain gorilla conservation,” states Rutagarama.

  EugËne Rutagarama has been Director of the International Gorilla Conservation Programme since 2003, and has been with the organization for more than fifteen years.

  This strategic review will be a collaborative process and will involve current and former IGCP staff, representatives from the three coalition members as well as partner organizations and institutions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.

  “EugËne has provided enlightened leadership for IGCP for the past decade, and his history of and commitment to mountain gorilla conservation extends as far back as the 1980s,” remarks Katie Frohardt, IGCP Board Member and Executive Director of Fauna & Flora International (FFI) in the United States. “We are deeply grateful that he has stepped forward to lead this effort, as there simply is no one better qualified than EugËne – with his expertise, experience, and commitment – to forge a bright new plan for IGCP engagement in support of mountain gorilla conservation for the coming decade.”

  Dr. Augustin Basabose, currently IGCP's Species Conservation Coordinator, will serve as Interim Director as of April 1, 2012.

  Filling the role of Interim Director for IGCP effective April 1, 2012, will be Dr. Augustin Basabose, who currently serves as Species Conservation Coordinator for the organization. “I am excited to work alongside my colleagues within IGCP as well as our many partners in the region in this new role for me in the organization,” says Basabose. “With the ongoing support from the IGCP coalition members in the years to come, I am sure that together we will reach our conservation goals.”

  The technical team of IGCP based in Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. Back from left to right: Benjamin Mugabukomeye, Eugene Rurangwa, and Altor Musema. Seated from left to right: Anna Behm Masozera, EugËne Rutagarama, Beda Mwebesa, Wellard Makambo, Augustin Basabose, and Stephen Asuma. Not pictured is Maryke Gray.

• Cleaning Volcanoes National Park: removing remnants from the past

  Posted: November 10, 2011, 7:08 pm by IGCP

  What follows is a post written by IGCP’s Conservation Incentives Officer Benjamin Mugabukomeye. This post was translated from French to English.

  Over a hundred sacks of trash- discarded tins of tomato paste, sacks, clothes, and more- were removed from Volcanoes National Park in just two days of a renewed effort by IGCP to clean the park of waste and exotic plant species left by people.

  Photos courtesy of IGCP

  In 1999, IGCP organized a thorough cleaning of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, primariliy in the central part of the park- Nyange, Kinigi, and Singiro- following a return to security after the conflict in Rwanda in the early 1990s in which many people and militias took refuge in the same forests that were and continue to be a refuge for mountain gorillas.

  Now, in 2011, IGCP is again facilitating, thanks to support from Partners in Conservation, the cleaning of the Volcanoes NP in areas where there is a large concentration of waste- specifically, the Districts of Nyabihu and Rubavu. Large quantities of waste were noted by the teams conducting the census of mountain gorillas last year.

  Some of the larger pieces of trash removed from Volcanoes National Park last week.

  In the last several months, IGCP worked with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) who manages the park to do a more detailed identification of these locations and prepare a distribution map. This map allows us to prioritize and keep track of our work and will feed into the monitoring of the park by RDB.

  The next step was to negotiate contracts with AMIZERO, an association of former poachers, and finally we started the activity itself.

  The President of AMIZERO, Mr. FranÁois Ndungutse registers participants before their briefing.

  Before entering the Park participants receive a briefing on the behavior inside the park but not only that but also the importance of this activity and the impact of exotic species on biodiversity in the park.

  The cleanup of the Karisimbi trail began Thursday in theKabatwa area of Nyabihu District at the foot of volcanoes Karisimbi. A team of 48 people participated in this activity. During this first day we cleaned the Karisimbi trail, and its surroundings despite the heavy rain, the participants were collected more waste as you can see in the pictures. During the first day over 48 bags of garbage were collected.

  Members of AMIZERO work with RDB staff to remove trash from near the Karisimbi trail.

  Sacks of trash removed from Volcanoes National Park and properly disposed of outside of the park.

  As you see in the photos that there was a lot of waste because of the movement of people on it. This has made it necessary to establish a long-term strategy to reduce waste within the Park.

  The most common wastes were plastic and canvas bags, boxes and tins of tomato sauce, old clothes, etc.

  On the second day I had the opportunity to participate in cleanup activities in the same area, and more than 60 people were involved. On this day we not only picked up trash, but reduced the number of papaya trees that were growing exotically in the park. On the second day over 60 bags were collected by participants in the same area.

  Benjamin Mugabukomeye, Conservation Incentives Officer for IGCP chops down papaya growing within the park.

  According to information provided by the local population and some former guards of Volcanoes National Park, the spread of this plant has been exacerbated by the insecurity that has prevailed in this area in the years 1997 to 1999 that led some people to take refuge in the park. Papaya being in the forest is also a source of conflict is not good in many ways, especially as children enter the park to look for the papayas.

  Some of the members participating in the cleaning from AMIZERO and RDB.

  Despite the fatigue due to the difficult work, most participants left very happy to have cleaned up the park in collaboration with RDB and its partners, they find this activity as a great lesson to the members of their union by showing them how the environment is very fragile.

  We will report via this blog in the coming months the area cleaned by this effort and the amount of trash removed.

  Thanks to Partners in Conservation at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in the United States for funding this project.

• My first field visit after the war

  Posted: June 1, 2009, 8:32 pm by IGCP

  Hi, everybody!

  I am Wellard Makambo. Makambo means “issues or words” in my mother tongue. Fortunately I don’t have many issues in my life at the moment. I am proud to be the IGCP Enterprise Officer for our Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Programme. I am in charge of developing alternatives for communities bordering Virunga National Park. These alternatives take the form of economic activities that generate income for local communities, thus improving their livelihoods. Which in turn will help us to conserve the mighty mountain gorilla.

  Today I want to share with you my visit to DRC communities after the political upheaval that engulfed the region.

  The gorillas live on the slopes of the dormant Mikeno Volcano

  The eastern DRC near Virunga National Park went through some rough times due to the recent war.  Consequently, field visits have been very limited. I am happy that I can now travel again in this region, which is slowly building its own peace.

  The early morning in Goma (the region’s main town) was colder than usual, but still as dusty as ever… my driver Jerome was making a final check up to ensure that everything was perfect. This was, after all, my first visit after the fighting. We did not know what to expect, yet were excited. In eastern DRC, you should always expect the unexpected.

  One thing we made sure to pack was water: this region suffers from a severe lack of drinking water, and getting even a single bottle of it is a luxury, let alone having it with an actual meal. I was accompanied by a few people, including Papa Mutiri, the Chairman of the local beekeepers.

  Papa Mutiri, Chairman of the local beekeepers

  IGCP supports beekeeping as an important project, since conducting this activity in the National Park is a serious threat to its biodiversity and health. Yes, I admire this man. He is 81 years old but as fit as ever, and always on time no matter what! Amazing! (Embarrassing to some that an old man can be that punctual…).  We were also joined by the Community Conservation Warden from ICCN (the Park authority of Congo), a building contractor and other partners.

  The drive had to start early since we had quite a number of projects to visit and people to meet. By 6:30 am we rumbled out of Goma, passing by the crumbling, but still operational, international airport. A few minutes later our Land Cruiser hit the dusty, bumpy road pointed towards Kibumba village, the location of the honey processing plant. During the war it had been looted, and was currently almost a ghost house, as we had only managed to move a few of the processing machines to Goma before it was ransacked. The building had even been taken over by other enterprising citizens in name of the Local Chief. Windows were shattered, part of the fence wall was brought down, water tanks destroyed, doors broken – one could question whether we were making progress or going backwards.

  Meeting at the Park headquarters in Rumangabo (I am on the far right)

  While the contractor was assessing the damages, I kept wondering how we should repair the house and re-start operations. I looked at a very thoughtful Papa Mutiri, who turned towards us and said: “let us always pray for peace, peace is very important for our development”. I couldn’t put it any better than that. Outside the gate, beekeepers were waiting for us. What a reunion after difficult times!  Hearing the famous word used to refer to me, “chef”, which simply means chief or leader, was music to my ears. Hugging and handshakes ensued, followed by storytelling on how the keepers fled or hid during the conflict. It was a sad and emotional moment, but everyone was optimistic about the rebuilding of lives and the restarting of our activities.

  After Kibumba, we stopped in Rugari village to see a beekeeping project near the National Park in a remote area. We had to leave the car and walk about two kilometres into the forest. This very same place was surrounded by a rebel army about a year ago. We put on our usual honey-harvesting netted hats to protect us from any angry bees (trust me you need them!), and found, fortunately, that everything was intact.

  The Rugari beekeepers with one of their hives

  I will end today on that note — an encouraging starting point for rebuilding the project — and check in again soon to let you know how our other work in the eastern DRC has fared.

• Training Rangers for Tourism in the Congo

  Posted: May 20, 2009, 12:01 am by IGCP

  My name is Alister Mungai and I am the Programme Assistant for IGCP. After ICCN (the Congo government’s national park and nature conservation authority) officially reopened the Mikeno sector of Virunga National Park for tourism on May 1st, IGCP was invited to train the rangers who would be involved in the handling of visitors. As rangers have not dealt with tourists for an extended period of time due to conflict and insecurity in the region, this workshop was vital to help get them back on track. Our team of four IGCP staff (Dr. Augustin Basabose, Maryke Gray, Altor Musema and myself) and a Veterinary Doctor from ICCN (Dr. Arthur Kalonji) arrived at the Bukima ranger outpost on the evening of Monday, May 11th and set up camp on a cold, misty and rainy night.

  Training started the next day. The basic training was a mixture of introduction to tourism, ecotourism, customer care, roles and leadership of a tour guide, the rules of gorilla tourism, among others. Mine was the customer care section. This included the responsibilities of the rangers as customer service agents, and how they should conduct themselves. I was personally amazed at the response, interest and alertness conveyed by the rangers throughout the training. All went well, with the first night topped off with a movie after dinner, which helped everyone relax.

  Training rangers in tourism customer care

  The second day of the training was to start with the rangers demonstrating part of what they had learned. This was done through a gorilla trek with us acting as ‘mock tourists’ and watching how much they put what they learned into practice.

  For the trekking, we were split into three groups. My group visited the Rugendo family. This was my first time gorilla trekking and it was everything I had anticipated! They are such amazing creatures, and being around them makes you realize that videos and pictures do them no justice. We found the family had escaped the Park for a romp in adjacent farms, and followed them as they walked back in. Within our one hour visit we were able to see the juveniles in the group play and feed while the silverbacks stayed in the thickets. After finishing our visit and making our way back to Bukima, our field day was summed up in another classroom session in the afternoon, which stretched well into the evening. There was still a lot to learn!

  Silverback Bukima from the Rugendo group

  On the third day we replicated the field exercise, with different teams going to visit different gorilla families from the previous day. On this day I visited the Humba family. Unlike the Rugendo family, the Humba family was way up on the mountain. We were forced into our rain gear as the drops started to come down while we negotiated our way through damp thickets. We got to see more members of this family eating and even playing. The silverback stayed in the bamboo overgrowth, but we were able to see him resting and at one point even playing with the young ones. On this visit (since we ventured deep into the forest), I was also able to learn a bit more about local medicinal plants, some of which the mountain gorillas eat to keep healthy. Being in a remote damp rainforest had its small price to pay though…like being attacked by angry red army ants! Ouch!

  Part of the feedback received from the rangers was the need for more training, especially in gorilla identification and English as a common language to facilitate communication with guests. IGCP will continue to support ICCN in these areas of training and more as the needs are identified.

  We left the outpost at about 4 pm that day for the long journey down the mountain flush with feelings of accomplishment courtesy of the good response and positive feedback we received from the rangers. We are confident of returning to a professional and knowledgeable crew that will play a primary role in the rehabilitation of gorilla tourism in an area where peace has finally taken a firm foothold.

• The Impact of Climate Change on Mountain Gorillas

  Posted: May 12, 2009, 10:04 pm by IGCP

  Bonjour Everyone!  This is Augustin.  I work for IGCP’s Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Program and also serve as the IGCP Science Officer.  Nowadays, there is a growing consensus in the scientific community that climate change is occurring and is one of many possible causes of biodiversity loss.  Changes in climate can impact biodiversity either directly or indirectly through many different mechanisms.  Having a clear understanding of the exact impact of these mechanisms is crucial from the perspective of evaluating potential management actions.  IGCP is on the frontlines of this rapidly growing science, and we have already initiated a program to document these potential changes in the Virunga-Bwindi landscape, the sole home of the mountain gorilla.

  IGCP is launching a long-term monitoring program to collect relevant data on climate change impacts on ecosystems in order understand the causes and consequences of related ecological changes and ways to cope with them. We have already organized a stakeholder workshop on methods to use for assessing the impact of climate change on mountain gorilla food availability, as well as holding a field training for Virunga National Park rangers on rapid assessment of plants, training 38 rangers.   Their dedication to this important methodology was impressive, as many often worked late into the night!

  Rangers training late into the night.

  Climate variability within mountain gorilla habitat will be assessed through micro meteorological stations established in mountain gorilla range.  It is assumed that due to the forest, we are getting more rainfall within the park, with a resultant cooler temperature than in areas outside the forest.

  During 12 days of field work, rangers set up and monitored plots of trees in the Mikeno sector of the Park, which the gorillas call home.   The global objective of this field exercise was to collect baseline data on the current diversity and distribution of different plant species and monitor changes due to climate change over time.

  A Virunga National Park warden holding meteorological equipment.

  We anticipate this field training will give park rangers the opportunity to familiarize themselves with conducting rapid assessments of plant species in their national park using simple methods. For the long run, rangers will be able to assess the current diversity and distribution of the gorillas’ preferred foods, which will help us build a picture of climate change and the mountain gorilla, leading to new and innovative solutions for mountain gorilla conservation and mitigating climate change in this richly diverse forest habitat. Indeed, we will take this project a step further by also monitoring atmospheric CO2 concentrations, as well as developing a means of determining the potential impact of biomass (tree and plant) burning and volcanic discharge on atmospheric chemistry, assessing whether volcanic activity may influence air CO2 over time.

  Measurements taken on a tree before it is tagged

  IGCP will continue to combine the latest science and technology with our long-term on-the-ground community programs to meet the difficult intertwined challenges of gorilla conservation and climate change now and for the future.  I hope to regularly update you on our progress with this important new initiative.

• 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).

  angels and demons download HD

  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

• 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.

• Gorilla Teeth on a Perfect Morning

  Posted: March 19, 2009, 11:52 am by IGCP

  Benjamin, Augustin and James let out a hearty laugh. “Did you see that? It happened so fast! She definitely doesn’t like us today!” This could have been a scene from a café, where we were sitting having some coffee and all boasting, revisiting our various clumsy attempts to garner some attention. But today I was amazed that their laughs came so easily, and how their good nature and positive attitude always seems to shine. It was a bit more difficult for me because I was still quivering.

  Ten seconds earlier, on a perfect warm and sunny morning I had seen teeth. Huge teeth that looked the size of kitchen butcher knives.

  Bwindi Park Warden James Busiku surveying the Kanyamahene sector of the park where the Nshongi group is often found.

  Our café this morning is actually a dense thicket of vines, mud and miniscule black biting insects in the Kanyamahene area of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park here in Southwestern Uganda. We are here near the smattering of houses known locally as Rushaga Village to visit the Nshongi gorillas – a large family of at least 32 (at last count) which wanders this valley and the steep ridge just ahead of us devouring whatever the fertile soil here can produce.

  A few minutes ago we clung to spindly trees on a ridge that seemed to be at 90 degree angle to watch a huge blackback, pregnant female and several juveniles tear apart a wild banana tree and share the tasty pulp inside.

  Blackback from Nshongi group takes a break from his wild banana tree feast.

  The Nshongi group is named after the river Nshongi, which rushes through the valley here like it is late for an appointment to deposit its silty brown waters into nearby Lake Bunyonyi. The swampy area around the Nsongi, with its huge diversity of plant life, is an ideal spot for gorillas to plant themselves and eat plants: leaves, shoots, bark, stems and fruit, including the tasty wild banana. This group, which includes three huge silverbacks, a cadre of blackbacks, at least eight females, six juveniles and eight infants, is being habituated – sensitized to human presence – and soon visitors will marvel in the presence of these fascinating forest icons.

  But not yet. Kaca (“Bird of Prey”), a female with a baby, today has decided to let us know we are still just visitors. While we are hacking through a wall of vines to get a glimpse of the silverback Kakono, who is mighty impressive despite the local meaning of his name – “Lame Arm” – Kaca sneak attacks us, springing like a grasshopper from the brush behind. Augustin gets a playful slap and in an instant is rolling on his back with his legs up in the air like a comedic scene from an old Charlie Chaplin movie. As Kaca whirs by, Kakono decides to join in, charging from the left, gums and teeth ablaze trampling everything in sight. James calmly orders us to bunch up and hold our ground – never run from a gorilla as they are way faster than you and WILL catch you.

  But Kakona stops about eight feet (three meters) from us. He’s just testing the skinny apes. In the confusion we fail to notice Nshongi, the dominant male silverback, cocooned in another dense thicket to our right. He apparently decides it is necessary to prove he is still boss, and hurdles our way a split second after Kakona backs off.  But he is just testing us as well, stopping in the mud a few meters from our right flank and turning around to casually saunter off into the swamp. Three gorillas weighing more than the six of us combined up close and personal in under 15 seconds!

  Benjamin, Augustin, James and the rangers continue to laugh. It’s addictive, and I am finally able to muster a chuckle too, even though I am still bent over, cowering behind James. This is a normal occurrence with gorilla habituation, and the rangers here are all professionals who know what to do. Close encounters are part of the job. With patience, understanding and respect, the Nshongi gorillas will be ready for visitors soon. Those visitors will provide much needed income to the local area so IGCP can continue to work with the park service and our other partners to build a bright future for the gorillas and their human neighbors. The resulting community projects will, in the end, benefit everyone.

  A sample of the unique and beatiful plant life found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (I never did get the name of this plant... does anyone know?).

  I am honored to participate in this process, teeth bearing and all. A charge from 400 pounds of muscle is a small price to pay for the opportunity to serve and contribute to  sustainable livelihoods. We leave Nshongi and his brood to their banana stalks and emerge from the forest as the sun begins to bake the adjacent potato and cabbage fields from which the people of Rushaga will feed their families.

  A mama with her tiny baby is on guard on top of the adjacent hill to chase away raiding baboons, elephants and other hungry forest inhabitants bold enough to venture outside their verdant home. A long necked heron elegantly soars above us. I still feel a little weak at the knees. But it is a good weakness: equal parts exhilaration and satisfaction.

  Rushaga’s inhabitants are looking forward to the dividends tourism will bring, and my impression is that both forest and village communities here are currently at peace. The future does indeed seem as bright as this late morning Bwindi sun.

• Mysterious Gorilla Death in Bwindi Under Investigation

  Posted: March 18, 2009, 8:27 pm by IGCP

  11/3/2009

  An adult female gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda has died under mysterious circumstances. The female, named Kasongo, was from the Mubare gorilla family, which is habituated and visited by tourists.

  On the evening of March 6th, Kasongo was found dead on public land near the Bwindi Park headquarters in Buhoma. Dr. Ssebide of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project performed a post-mortem examination, results from which showed that Kasongo had a cracked skull, which could have resulted from a deliberate blow to the head. An investigation into her death has been launched by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

  Little else is known about the circumstances surrounding Kasongo’s death at this time. IGCP Uganda Programme Officer James Byamukama is following the investigation, and will report any new findings when they are available. IGCP will continue to follow this story, and will report updates when we know more.

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• Tracking the Twins - Part 2

  Posted: March 14, 2009, 12:29 pm by IGCP

  Here’s more on my experience tracking the Nkuringo gorilla group in Uganda, which I blogged about earlier.

  As I emerge from the scrubby undergrowth of the Park-to-farm transitional forest I am startled by Mama Christmas, and older female who has broken from the pack and is sitting stoically on top of a huge boulder overlooking the squawking birds and bubbling streams of Bwindi below.

  She seems to enjoy the wind, glancing around and up, and then casually tearing off a few leaves from a young bush creeping up the rock and stuffing them into her mouth. As I stop for a photo, she turns and jumps down towards me. I step aside as she heads down the hill to join the family, apparently satiated by the cool breeze and excellent view.

  Gorillas feed on a wide variety of vegetation like ferns.

  The wind is breaking small branches off of trees as I start the long trek up the mountain.  My knees are happier though, and the sun is still bursting through the thin grey clouds.

  Nkuringo Village’s residents were peacefully going about their business in the early morning when I left, the gorillas are doing well and even the gathering gale adds a strangely calming element to Bwindi’s countless peaks and valleys. It is the kind of morning that makes one fall in love with this very special place.

  The Nkuringo community sits on the border of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

  Still on my high in the afternoon, I pass the Park Warden, James Busiku, on a walk up to my favorite viewpoint, which affords a breathtaking panorama of all seven of the Virunga Volcanoes, the never ending expanse of the Great Rift Valley, Bwindi’s carpeted green slopes and, on a clear day, Uganda’s glacial Ruwenzoris – the “Mountains of the Moon.”

  He tells me the story of the local alcohol, usually brewed with bananas, called Warangi.  It originated in World War II, when the fight for Africa saw German and Italian troops invade the area. They needed their drink, and the locals concocted a brew which the soldiers dubbed “War Gin.” War Gin eventually morphed into “Warangi” in the local Bakiiga language.

  “I don’t like Warangi, though,” says James. “It is cheap, easy to make and plentiful, and too many men in the villages here use it to stay drunk all day.” My balloon has been popped.

  I am brought down to earth by this reminder that there is still much work to be done in our partnership with local communities, and though the Nkuringo gorillas are relatively safe, the communities with which they share their home still need respectful, sustainable development. Our collaboration must evolve alongside IGCP’s gorilla conservation efforts. As I take in the viewpoint, I know that Nkuringo’s natural beauty will always remain, but our work with both its forest and village inhabitants is only beginning.

  This is a serious, long-term commitment.

• Tracking Twins in the Wind

  Posted: March 12, 2009, 11:52 am by IGCP

  Jaime here. It’s an uncharacteristically warm day high in the mountains on the Southern edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park here in Southern Uganda. At over 7,000 feet (2,300 meters), the chill during cloudless nights can have a bite, and foggy mornings demand the toasty warmth of a fleece top and thick socks. This morning, as the sun peaks over the horizon, I am in t-shirt sleeves and a groggy smile (mornings have never been my forte), anxious for tracking the twins.

  The forest of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda.

  I’ve come back to Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, IGCP’s innovative partnership project with the local community, to update myself on our work with the villages bordering the park, and hopefully get a glimpse of a very rare occurrence: twin baby gorillas, which were born to mother Kwitonda in November 2008 in the Nkuringo gorilla family, which lives just over the ridge from Clouds on the forest’s edge.

  Even rarer than a mountain gorilla mother having twins is the survival of both into juvenile status and adulthood. It’s still early, but the rangers at the local Park office say that the twins are holding their own so far. I am excited for a peek of even a few seconds of the tiny furry phenoms.

  First though, we have to get down the mountain. Clouds and the Park office are high on the ridge, with the Park boundary deep down in the next valley. My bad knees (three surgeries) are always happier climbing than descending.

  A member of the Nkuringo gorilla group.

  As my guide Silver and I slip down the loose dirt slope, he updates me: the twins are ok, and the family is doing fine, although the second ranking silverback Kisoro, who was my first introduction to the group last time, has left. It seems he was squabbling with some up and coming young male blackbacks, and he eventually decided the constant taunting wasn’t worth it anymore and took off, wandering Bwindi’s thickets for another family to join, or perhaps as a confirmed bachelor.

  Silver is the expert: he habituated (sensitized to human presence) this group over ten years ago, and has been with them ever since. Though Kisoro has not been spotted for about two months, he is confident he’ll be fine.

  After a quick stop at the ranger tracking camp on the forest’s rambling green lip, we plunge into the bamboo, vines and mud in search of dominant silverback Safari and his extended brood. But it turns out to be a dip rather than a plunge: they are only about 600 feet (200 meters) from the camp and moving out of the forest towards the community land on its margins. Apparently, the food pickings are good: a ranger tells me they’ve been hanging around here a few days.

  Rafiki (Friend), a huge blackback male, is the first family member we meet. Or, is it Bahati (Chance)? I am not well acquainted with the Nkuringo family yet, and am too nervous and thrilled to ask the rangers. It doesn’t matter how many times I see mountain gorillas: the anticipation and simple joy of approaching these huge gentle creatures in their thousand-shades-of-green forest home always has my heart beating almost out of my chest.

  After a few minutes we get a glimpse of Safari, and I think Kashotora, who has her nine month old baby clinging to her back while the family chews their way up a steep ridge.  “The advance team hasn’t spotted the twins yet,” Silver informs me.

  As I snap a few shots of Safari sitting in a huge thicket tearing up some young vines for a snack, a ranger whispers, “There are the twins…..over there, hidden.”

  Kwitonda and the healthy gorilla twins. Photo by Caleb Kahima.

  The twins are jealously guarded by Kwitonda and Safari, and sometimes are completely out of sight. Kwitonda, however, has decided to take a rest underneath some bushes on the steepest part of the ridge. Wiping away some branches, I get an obstructed view of two tiny furry lumps, clinging tightly to Kwitonda’s side and breast. They are scrawny, but look healthy, with thick spiked rock star hair and big bright eyes. Kwitonda doesn’t run, but seems determined to keep them out of sight of our prying eyes, inching further under the shady brush. A sturdy wind picks up and screams down the mountainside, prompting everyone to get up and head to calmer corners.

  I am angling for a clear photograph, but I don’t push it. I quickly realize Kwitonda wants – needs – her privacy and the twins don’t need woken up by some hairless ape causing a ruckus tumbling over because he isn’t nearly as good at climbing the forest’s almost vertical slopes as their mother.

  The wind picks up and howls as I scramble up the hill and catch Safari hiding behind a huge tree, poking his massive oblong head out from behind every once in awhile to check on the others. Gorillas love to snack on dead wood, and apparently Safari has found a treasure trove.

  The silverback, Safari, displaying his saddle of silver hair.

  After fifteen minutes I leave him, still munching away, and head back up the mountain, the steady wind now threatening to knock me over backwards.

• Welcome to the IGCP Gorilla Blog

  Posted: March 10, 2009, 2:17 pm by IGCP

  Greetings everyone!  Jamie Kemsey here, and welcome to the new IGCP mountain gorilla blog. I am the Communications Officer at IGCP, and I am excited to share information with you on the dynamic world of the mountain gorilla and our efforts for conservation of this strong, noble and mysterious species.

  As I don’t get out to the field nearly enough, I will often turn the story of the mountain gorilla and our work over to our expert field staff in the mountain gorillas’ range states of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.

  A young gorilla feeding on bamboo in Rwanda.

  IGCP has active programs and a multitude of projects in and surrounding the gorilla national parks of these three countries, and reports will come your way from the verdant cool misty slopes of the extinct volcanoes and rugged mountains the gorillas call home, as well as the crowded community markets and packed meeting rooms where conservation initiatives are hatched and policy is made (gorilla conservation is not all glamour!).

  Along the way, we will introduce you some of our partners and collaborators who work with the gorillas and work with the families and individuals that live near the National Parks where the gorillas are found. Local communities are the heart of mountain gorilla conservation, and we look forward to introducing you to such projects as mushroom farming in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a women’s basket weaving cooperative in Rwanda and a beekeeping and honey production business in Uganda.

  We will also keep you up to date on families of the furry variety, with reports on the gorillas’ movement, welfare and struggle for survival in a strikingly beautiful area where the only constant, in addition to the cool rains that nurture the area’s wealth of wildlife and rich biodiversity, is change.

  We hope you will continue to join us on our journey in this incredible landscape to conserve one of the world’s most endangered great apes. Thanks for joining us, and enjoy the gorilla tracking!

  An IGCP-trained ranger monitoring gorillas.

  IGCP – the International Gorilla Conservation Program – is a coalition of the African Wildlife Foundation, Fauna and Flora International and World Wide Fund for Nature. IGCP has been leading mountain gorilla conservation efforts since 1991.

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