Orphan Update

Rebel fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been in the news. My friends and family have emailed me asking about my safety. I am fine, but the mountain gorillas in the DRC are not. We have no idea how many more have been injured or killed by rebels or poachers — it's not safe to visit. As it is, we often end up closer to the border than we mean to.

On a recent routine health check of the Amahoro Group in Rwanda, I found myself standing in the middle of an expanse of celery and nettles with gorillas to my right and the unmarked DRC border to my left.

View from Rwanda of the contiguous gorilla park in nearby DRC.

Ndakasi ill with severe diarrhea in October; she responded well to intensive care.

Meanwhile, Ndeze and Ndakasi also continue to attract media attention, more than is healthy for them. Because great ape infants are susceptible to virtually every human disease, MGVP vets have asked that no one visit the orphans at their temporary home in Goma, where they are being hand-raised.

Last week, these orphans apparently had visitors, as evidenced by new pictures of them on the Internet, so Ndakasi became seriously ill with diarrhea. We had to instruct her caretakers to put her in an intensive-care routine, just as we did when she nearly died of pneumonia, though this means more poking and prodding than we'd like. How many more times can we save this infant from humans, whether predatory or well meaning? I'm not sure.

Maisha, a 5-year-old orphaned mountain gorilla, resting on the lap of one of her caretakers.

The challenges associated with the mountain gorilla orphans have been very much on my mind. Last week, I participated in a "Maisha Meeting," so named because its first session two years ago (2005) focused on plans to reintroduce a then 3-year-old mountain gorilla named Maisha to the wild.

Confiscated from poachers, she was nurtured back to health by MGVP vets and hand-raised by dedicated park staff, a situation being repeated now with Ndakasi and Ndeze. Because past efforts at reintroduction had failed — the wild gorillas either ignored or injured the orphan, leaving it to die — it was decided to keep Maisha in captivity for at least two years, long enough to allow her to reach breeding age, a time when mountain gorilla females naturally transfer in and out of groups. For her release to be feasible, she needed to develop normal gorilla behaviors.

Dunia, a 2-year-old female Grauer's or eastern lowland gorilla orphan.

Also at the time of the first Maisha Meeting, discussions had begun among several partners about the best course of action for two other orphaned gorillas, Dunia and Ntabwoba. Like Maisha, both had been confiscated from poachers and raised by humans. But they are a different subspecies.

The "eastern" or Grauer's gorilla is unique to the DRC and distinct from the mountain gorilla — lankier and not as bushy, with longer forearms. The partners agreed that after Maisha's release, they would work together to return the Grauer's gorillas to eastern DRC; meanwhile, the two orphans would serve as family for Maisha.

MGVP co-manages the Eastern Gorilla Confiscated Orphan Interim Quarantine Facility
in Kinigi, Rwanda.

After the first Maisha Meeting, MGVP led the effort to establish a suitable facility for the confiscated orphans and their caretakers in Rwanda, one that would protect the gorillas from communicable diseases and shield them to some extent from humans. There is a fine line between being habituated to people, as are the wild gorilla groups visited by tourists daily, and becoming so accustomed to them that natural fears and other behaviors disappear. The original plan called for the Rwanda facility to be temporary and closed to visitors, in the hope that with strict health protocols in place, all of the animals could someday return to the forest.

As the quarantine facility was being built, preparations were made to move four more Grauer's gorilla orphans confiscated in the DRC to Rwanda: Tumaini, Itebero, Serafuli and Pinga. Not long after Maisha, Dunia and Ntabwoba moved into their new home, these new orphans, each of whom underwent extensive health screening tests by MGVP vets, joined them. This brought the total number of orphans to seven and doubled the number of staff necessary to care for them.

The facility manager, Simon Childs, and seven other caretakers spend much of their time inside the enclosure with the gorillas. Their presence is vital to the stability of the group. In the absence of adult gorillas to maintain order, the caretakers will step into the middle of a fight over food.

Simon Childs, orphan facility manager in Kinigi, Rwanda, with various gorillas and staff.

Itebero, a 4-year-old female Grauer's gorilla orphan from the DRC, lives with seven other orphans in Rwanda.

Mountain gorillas, Grauer's gorillas and another subspecies, the Cross River gorilla, have never been kept in captivity in significant numbers for any length of time. Why is this, people ask?

Fifty years ago, when wild-animal trade was widespread — and legal — western lowland gorillas in Gabon and Cameroon were plentiful and easy to capture. There was no need to capture the other subspecies, even if traders knew where to find them.

Now, all four gorilla subspecies are in trouble in their natural habitats and conservation organizations are working together to protect them. Last year, MGVP began providing health monitoring for the Grauer's in eastern DRC in the hope that, like the mountain gorillas, they can remain self-sustaining populations. Because of fresh violence in the area, this effort has been intermittent.

Kaboko, a 3-year-old male mountain gorilla, is missing his right
hand after being injured in a poacher's snare.

Sadly, the orphan family gained yet another member earlier this year (March 2007), a 3-year-old male mountain gorilla. He arrived in Ruhengeri still inside the potato sack used by the poachers to conceal him. When we opened the bag, we saw immediately that his right hand had been irreparably damaged by a snare. It was swarming with maggots and a foul smell of dead tissue filled the air. We had no choice but to amputate the hand.

Kaboko — Kinyarwanda for "a person with a bad arm" — healed quickly and was successfully integrated last month into the group at the Rwanda facility, bringing the total there to eight: two mountain gorillas and six Grauer's gorillas. Kaboko has become attached to Maisha, who sometimes picks him up and carries him on her back around the compound.

Ndeze in Goma, DRC.

Meanwhile, the two orphaned mountain gorilla infants, Ndeze and Ndakasi, remain isolated in Goma, though they should soon begin living with other gorillas if they're to have any chance of surviving in the wild.

When Ndeze joined the frail Ndakasi in September, the latter immediately began to show more interest in her surroundings. Now the two often play with each other and their caretakers. Because they are small, the house they live in is adequate for now. But within the year, they will need a proper gorilla home.

IQF staff members Munyambabazi Diedonne and Innocent Kabendera carry the orphaned gorillas to a play session at the quarantine facility for orphaned gorillas in Rwanda.

At the Maisha Meeting last week we discussed all 10 orphans. The question of Maisha's future remains the most pressing, as she represents the best current hope of returning a female mountain gorilla to the wild to contribute to future generations of this species.

Perhaps Kaboko can be released with her, though as a one-handed male he will be at a major disadvantage in the forest. But given the continued unrest in the DRC, there's no possibility of returning either the mountain or Grauer's gorillas to appropriate habitats in the near future, even if any of them were old enough to go.

Note: As of this posting, Ndakasi is much better, having responded to our treatments.

[Rwanda, Oct. 15, 2007. Pictures: Lucy Spelman/MGVP]

Comments

[sheryl]

Thanks for a great update on all the orphans. I kinda feel like we're all in trouble for looking at the photos of the babies in Goma and for inadvertently causing Ndakasi (or Kabila, depending on whom you ask) got sick. I'm glad she's better.

s.

[Lisa]

Thank you Dr. Spellman for the outstanding update on all of the orphans and the information regarding Maisha and Kaboko's possible, pending reintroduction back to the wild. I will definitely want to hear what happens if this reintroduction ever happens. I feel bad that little Ndakasi got sick. Thank you for taking all the necessary precautions you must, so that she gets better. Her survival is the most important issue right now and none of us would ever want that sacraficed for a second. Thank you for all that you are doing. Lisa, California

[Annie/Texas]

wonderful pictures and stories! Thank you for sharing had all the work your team does!

[Christine C.]

Dr. Spelman -- Thank you so much for the wonderful updates about all of the orphans, although I am sorry to hear that Ndakasi was so ill. Your blog is really amazing and truly captures the importance of saving these gentle creatures in the wild. I have to say, the picture of the care takers carrying around the gorillas really made me laugh...they look so big!

Stay safe!

[lucia solorzano]

Dr. Spelman, I will definetly read more about gorillas..this is an excellent opportunity for us who aren't near them and to know that someone is caring and feeling emphaty for this wonderful creatures. Thanks Discovery for this great opportunity for all of us who can't be over there but had good feelings for the well-being of mountain or anytype gorillas. Thanks.