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Baby Mountain Gorilla in the Rugendo Family Killed

It is with sadness that I must report the death a Janja’s baby, Burungani. A week ago, we received news the Rugendo family was eating maize and sorghum crops outside the park near Sarambwe. Such behavior puts the mountain gorillas in grave danger of being injured or killed by angry villagers, so rangers from the Bukima patrol post headed out immediately to find them. When they located the family, the rangers noticed that Janja was carrying the lifeless body of her baby, Burungani. The rangers immediately contacted me at Rumangabo headquarters, but because of the late hour, I had to wait until the next morning to investigate.

The following morning, I headed to Bukima on a park motorcycle and made it there by 09:30. Together with a fellow ranger and a community volunteer (HUGO), I set out to find the Rugendo group. We walked for five hours before finally finding them at Mugogo. The first family members that we saw were silverback Kongomani and sub-adult Christmas. They were outside the park, feeding in a field of sorghum and maize, while the other four remained just inside the park boundary, apparently afraid to leave. When Kongomani and Christmas saw us, they too acted afraid and made a fast retreat back into the park. We calmly followed them and were eventually allowed to approach, but the family was acting uncharacteristically agitated. As the rangers had reported the previous day, Janja was still carrying her dead baby with her. No matter how many times one sees such a thing, it still difficult to witness.

Determined to figure out why this baby died, we scanned the baby over and over again from a short distance away. Finally, when Janja repositioned herself we could see a deep wound on the baby’s arm. The wound was so deep one could see the bones in the baby’s elbow. We all came to the same terrible conclusion: this baby had been attacked by people. Our best guess is that villagers were furious at the gorillas for pillaging their crops and assaulted them. It’s difficult to make sense of such a cruel act, but times are very hard and people will go to desperate lengths to protect their livelihoods. With the killing of the three buffalo and now this, there is reason to be alarmed. We simply must get an electric fence in place quickly to avoid such incidents in the future.

Baby Burungani was less than nine months old. Janja is still carrying him, but we expect she will come to terms with her loss soon. When she does, we will recover his body and the Gorilla Doctors will perform an autopsy so that the cause of death can be confirmed.

Mountain Gorilla tracking is an amazing wildlife safari that can only done in Uganda Rwanda and Congo. Today, Congo is very safe for gorilla tracking and you can plan a gorilla trek with selected Congo Tour Operators. Check out the different tours and safaris offered as special offers by a few selected gorilla tour operators.

Why Gorilla trekking Is Good For Conservation?

To many tourists in Uganda, the most unforgettable part of the safari is encountering the endangered mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga National park in their natural habitat. This encounter and interactions involves touching them, walking with them. Most of the safaris goers have got a great chance to participate in the thrilling wildlife related activity with their own discretion and this means that the tourist can very selective and boycott questionable operations and the activities which may endanger these gorillas.

There are programs where animals are kept and bred in captivity have been under scurrility and it worth questioning whether the tourism activities with the free- roaming the world animals are very ethnically sound. There are abundant of the non- profit and business that offer these wild activities the market in their adventures as being beneficial to the species which are involved and for  wildlife  conservation as a whole, animals encounters are unfortunately not always good for the animals or for conservation.

Investigating the impact of gorilla trekking on the conservation is very crucial because the endangered mountain gorillas are so much critically endangered and the world fund has reported that there are about 880 individual mountain gorillas which have been left in the whole world. This therefore calls for attention which is to be put in mind that the African gorillas have very few natural predators apart from human beings who are the leading driving force for the extinction of the endangered gorillas thus the population of wild gorillas has to be considered

When gorilla trekking is going to be carried   out , permits which are relatively expensive are required  to trek these gorillas in the national parks of Bwindi and Mgahinga which  need to be arranged  in advance   limited number of trekking permits are issued aimed at restricting the number of tourists groups and the size of  the groups, that visit the gorillas.

Before gorilla trekking, the park authorities brief the visitors on the regulations before they can set off with a much trained ranger with the assistants, who help the tourists who trek gorillas to maintain good trekking relations.

During the real activity of gorilla trekking, when a gorilla approaches a tourist,   the instructions have been put across and this means that gorillas and people do get closer to each other than the safe distance required. A maximum of 8 people are allowed to go to trek gorillas at a time, with up to three groups tracking every day and if you sneeze or cough while with the gorillas, you are requested to cover  your mouth  and turn away from the gorillas and where wearing masks improves safety this is responsible  precaution to protect the primates

The Uganda wild life authority has employed many veterinary officers in the conservation areas who keep the endangered mountain gorillas, healthy and gorillas have been successfully treated by gorilla doctors by UWA which is a non-profit organization  which provides a life saving medical care in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. However in the pearl of Africa, conservation through public Health has worked hard to improve health care in local communities and to educate gorilla trekkers and other people about disease transmission, livestock issues, and human health and mountain gorillas. The gorilla trekking industry is largely having positive impacts on the communities around and in the national parks where gorilla trekking is being carried out and there is also a local community/people benefit where gorilla tourism and are enlightened more about these primates in their relationship with these great apes and human –wildlife conflicts in most cases is reduced when the people involved in learning about this understand gorillas better.

3 Basic Facts About Mountain Gorillas

Among the world primates mountain gorillas are the largest, unique and adorable which make them more attractive in the many primate species across the world and even the national parks where they are sited. In Africa, one can see these primates in only Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. These great apes are only found in four national parks Bwindi Impenetrable forest and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in Congo. Because of mountain gorillas, there is a high demand for gorilla tracking holidays each day despite the expensive gorilla permit prices. Being amazing creatures a lot can be noticed and learnt from their lifestyle and daily life as they chill and enjoy the wild surrounding. Interesting, there are two types of gorillas in the wild and the world.

The Eastern gorillas are the most tracked and most desired because of their size and nature. They are huge and sited in Rwanda at Volcanoes National park and Uganda in both Bwindi and Mgahinga national park.They include the mountain gorillas and lowland gorillas. However the second type of the western gorillas is smaller in size and less in number but look similar like the other.

Feeding
No one can live without food accepts the devoted believers and still at some point they break their fast with food and drinks.Same applies to gorillas they love  eating leaves, shoots, roots, vines, berries ,grass, and fruits while in the wild though some people think that assume that they can’t lack strong teeth to chew meat which is the opposite. Small insects spicy up their meal sometimes though often. Eating is one of their daily main activities in the wild because they have large stomach which demand so much in order to get filled up. The funny bit with these animals is that despite the plenty of food around them, still they will always move to other places in search for more .There movements irritate some unfit gorilla tracking tourists but its rewarding experience to fit travelers who visit  different Africa countries for gorilla tracking tours. After knowing the gorilla favorite dishes, gorilla tracking travelers can now start looking at gorillas and new friends in the wild unlike the thinking that they can eat fresh. But always remember to respect all the park gorilla tracking rules and regulations because the gorillas are wild animals that can harm humans in one way or the other. When its food time the primates are right to search for new and fresh leaves a thing which changes diet and keep them health all through.

Gestation period
Gorillas spend 8.5 months in the gestation period which is approximately around 257 days less that for humans’ 265.this period allows the fetus to mature and infant are born helpless as real babies. Its takes a while for them to crawl and walk. Mother gorillas care and nurse their babies for about three year, 2 months to crawl, 8-9 months to walk and the other to adapt to being independent. Normally gorillas give birth to single babies but rare twin birth occurs in them once in a while. Twin birth to gorillas is tough because mothers always find difficulty in raising the two infants. Lot of monitoring has to be done by gorilla doctors and conservation rangers to see that the two infants grow up together and health. Movements of baby gorillas is too minimal that can only be moved from one place to other by the mother gorilla a hassle she faces if they are born two. Wish human travelers could volunteer to mother gorillas as nuns in the wild to change diapers and also feed the infants on bottle milk. However, there are some interesting reflexes in young gorillas which are common in human newborn babies like natural searching for the nipple and the tight fitting reflex. Same characters grow as months pass by and babies cling more to their mothers without help.

Intelligence
When comparing primates’ intelligence, gorillas come first close to humans. Gorillas are peaceful, tolerant and reserved evidenced by the large number of tourists who visit them in the wild daily. Also there has been an increase of gorilla habituated families ready for trackers each day in all the gorilla parks since 1970 a good sign of gorilla intelligence. If intelligence was judged according to size of brain, gorillas would come last because they have the smallest weighing approximately 500g. Chimpanzees have a close look like the gorillas but have completely different characters and level of intelligence. Scientists say that gorillas can recognize themselves unlike other animals and their intelligence delevep according to the environment where they live. Gorillas live in families and usually form groups headed by one silver back male together with several females and infants. However, in mountain gorillas about 40% of groups contain several adult males who are closely related. According to researchers the wild gorilla forest has many roaming male gorillas who count on the gorilla population though the silver backs dominate the group until death. After his death the group dissolves or gets a new silverback but normally the son of the dead leader. The silver back intelligence is just like for a caring father in a home. The silverback makes the decisions on when his group wakes up, eats, moves and rests for the night because protects his family at all times.

Gorillas also have the most fun and interesting time of their life when they play , wrestling, hug, hold each other, and even smile for themselves in the loudest voice ever a thing which keeps them young and health though they are said to live up to 50 years of age. Gorillas also laugh, grumble especially the young ones as the silver back and female gorillas watch over them. The game starts with littles but it ends with adults as well. Even Gorilla conservation doctors say that when gorillas play between themselves, it helps the young ones to be familiar with all the other family members as well as being accepted by others hence a way of biding up together as a family. Above all gorillas are known as unique beautiful creatures in the wild but have you ever wondered why the silver back is too outstanding and attractive?. Their body is mass with striking and fearful face though in the real sense it’s a friendly animal. Looking into their eyes makes you feel feverish if not strong and being close to it is a miracle. The mixed up color hairy body makes tourists admire what nature presents and give thanks to the park conservationist who  keep an eye on the apes and even care for them like their own children.Be one of those to meet the Silverback this year in wild by booking a Rwanda or Uganda gorilla tracking holiday any time of the year.

Planning a Gorilla Trek – Advice for Independent Travelers

Are you looking to taking a gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park? Would you like to meet the gorillas in the wild but you are traveling on a shoestring budget? Here is helpful advice for the gorilla trackers looking to visiting Bwindi on an independent tour.

With improved access to Bwindi Forest, today there are more travelers who travel independently to the park for gorilla tracking.

1. Book your gorilla permits early enough

It is advised to book your gorilla permits early enough so that you may not have surprises of “no availability”. I have seen many tourists traveling to Bwindi and missing tracking the endangered gorillas because of no availability in the peak months of June – September and December – February. If you are “good at risking” atleast make sure that you check for availability a day before the tracking date.

Gorilla permits can be booked at Uganda Wildlife Authority offices in Kampala or through local travel agents listed on this website.

2. Traveling to Bwindi

Given the long distance between Bwindi and Kampala or Kigali, you need to travel at least a day before and stay a night in one of the lodges in the park. From Kampala you can use public transportation – buses to Kisoro or Kabale. It is also possible to hire a car for your trip to Bwindi from local car rental agencies in Kampala or Entebbe.

3. On the D Day

As time for the gorilla trek is approaching, before 8:00 am you are advised first to report to the ranger station either in Mubare, Habinyanja, Rushegura or Nkuringo for registration depending on which group you will be tracking the gorillas.  Talk to one of the many rangers around to brief you about the activity.

Let the guides take you through the trek (½ – 5 hours) into the forest while pushing your way through the undergrowth and parting thick creepers, to track the gorillas.

It will be a memorable feeling spending your time in such an impenetrable forest with the few last remaining (about 650 in the whole world) mountain gorillas our 98% close cousins.

Mountain Gorilla Photos

I’d I not tell you that we of the ruling class owned all the land, all  the forest, everything? Any food-getter who would not get food for us, him we punished or compelled to starve to death. And very few did that.  They preferred to get food for us, and make clothes for us, and prepare and administer to us a thousand a mussel-shell, Hoo-Hoo a thousand  satisfactions and delights. And I was Professor Smith in those days Professor James Howard Smith.

And my lecture courses were very popular that is, very many of the young men and women liked to hear me talk about the books other men had written. And I was very happy, and I had beautiful things to eat. And my hands  were soft, because I did no work with them, and my body was clean  all over and dressed in the softest garments. He surveyed his mangy goat-skin with disgust. We did not wear such things in those days. Even the slaves had better  garments. And we were most clean. We washed our faces and hands often  every day. You boys never wash unless you fall into the water or go  swimming. Neither do you Granzer, Hoo-Hoo retorted. I know, I know, I am a filthy old man, but times have changed. Nobody washes these days, there are no conveniences.

Only the germ is very small, it is so small that you cannot see it. Hoo-Hoo began to laugh.

It is sixty years since I have seen a piece of soap you do not know what soap is, and I shall not tell you, for I am telling  the story of the Scarlet Death. You know what sickness is, we called  it a disease. Very many of the diseases came from what we called germs. Remember that word a germ is a very small thing it is like a  woodtick, such as you find on the dogs in the spring of the year when they run in the forest. Only the germ is very small. It is so small that  you cannot see it Hoo-Hoo began to laugh. You’re a queer un, Granser, talking about things you can’t see. If you can’t see ’em, how do you know they are? That’s what I want to know. How do you know anything you can’t see? a good question, a very good question, Hoo-Hoo. But we did see some of  them, we had what we called microscopes and ultramicroscopes, and we put  them to our eyes and looked through them, so that we saw things larger than they really were, and many things we could not see without the microscopes at all.

very many of the young men and women liked to hear me talk about the books other men had written.

Our best ultramicroscopes could make a germ look  forty thousand times larger. A mussel-shell is a thousand fingers like  Edwin’s. Take forty mussel-shells, and by as many times larger was the germ when we looked at it through a microscope. And after that, we  had other ways, by using what we called moving pictures, of making the  forty-thousand-times germ many, many thousand times larger still.

Mountain Gorillas – How Do Gorillas Sleep?

Mountain gorillas are known descendants of ancestral monkey that thrive in the mountain ranges of the Virunga and the Bwindi Forest! These great apes live in tropical rain forests shared by countries of Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo as well as the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.

Mountain gorillas are the star attraction of the region and that is why many travelers seek for gorilla tours in Uganda and Rwanda all year round. One of the reasons for the development of gorilla tourism is creating awareness about how gorillas live in the wild! Many visitors to the gorilla parks wonder about how mountain gorillas spend their overnights in the environments where they live and a cross section of trekkers would feel mesmerized after encountering these great apes.

It should be noted that gorillas sleep in nests just like their relatives, the wild chimpanzees. The gorilla nests are built in trees or on the ground considering the security and vegetation. Interestingly to note is that gorillas put up new nests every evening and this can be encountered while on gorilla safari and tour in Uganda and Rwanda. Gorillas have to put up new nests even when the ones that they used previous night are very close to them.

Every night mountain gorilla constructs its nest except for young gorillas that put up with their mothers. They enter their nests approximately 1 hour to the dark and at times construct nests for midday rest which can be seen on gorilla trekking safari in Uganda and Rwanda.

A gorilla nest is built by pulling branches of bushes along with other plants to the center where they are joined with one another to form a nest and this is common with ground nests. Other branches are then bent to form the roof of the nest. The tree nests are constructed using tree branches and other materials and have to be strong enough to carry the weight of gorillas. This explains why most of the time young and female gorillas tend to spend their overnights in trees while the male gorillas especially silverbacks dwell much on the ground. These disparities can be encountered while on Uganda gorilla safaris and tours.

Would you like to learn more about the gorillas and how they survive in the wild? Why not take a tour to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the best place to encounter these great apes! Lots of prepackages gorilla tours are available from various tour operators or you can get started with planning an independent gorilla visit!