Quest: Mountain Gorillas: Discovery Channel

The Newest Orphan: Amani

Though I haven’t met our newest orphan in person, I feel as though I know her. She’s the sixth gorilla our team has helped rescued in the two and half years since I started work for the vet project. That’s six too many. All three of the mountain gorillas survived, one of the two Grauer’s did not.

Umoja Weaned

I have a special feeling for the young gorilla Umoja, since I was the one who had the honor of naming him two years ago, at the annual ceremony in which infant gorillas who’ve survived their first year are given the names by which we know them. Umoja means "unity" — chosen because I was there as a representative of the non-profit conservation agencies working together in Rwanda.

Mushya and Icyizere Healthy Again

Every hike up into the forest feels different to me, despite the fact that I now have a pretty good idea of the terrain and "at least in Rwanda" the gorillas. I think it's because no two visits are ever the same. I'm bound to learn something new, for one thing. For another, my mind is usually focused on the purpose of my visit. If it's a routine health check, I'm thinking about when I last saw the group, their names, and medical histories, if any. When there's a patient to see, I'm filled with anticipation.