Every year is the “Year of the Gorilla” for us

Every year is the “Year of the Gorilla” for us By Gorilla Doctors Staff on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009 in Uncategorized.

Blog by: Dr. Mike Cranfield, Executive Director, MGVP, Inc. and Dr. Kirsten Gilardi, Co-Directors, Mountain Gorilla One Health Program Dr. Mike Cranfield (left) and Dr. Kirsten Gilardi (right) The United Nations designated 2009 as the Year of the Gorilla. With the world’s attention drawn to these magnificent animals, the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP) was […]

Two weeks Ndakasi and Ndeze at Senkwekwe Centre

Two weeks Ndakasi and Ndeze at Senkwekwe Centre By Gorilla Doctors Staff on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 in Uncategorized.

Blog by: Dr. Eddy KambaleMGVP DRC In-Country Field Veterinarian After a successful transfer of the two orphan Mountain Gorillas, Ndakasi and Ndeze, on December 1, 2009 to their new home, Senkwekwe Centre, the MGVP team continued to monitor the girls’ health as they adapted to their new environment. No way to compared it with the […]

Moving Day: Ndeze and Ndakasi return to Rumangabo

Moving Day: Ndeze and Ndakasi return to Rumangabo By Gorilla Doctors Staff on Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 in Uncategorized.

For everybody else in Goma, Tuesday morning was like any other – sunny, hot, noisy, busy.  When Ndeze and Ndakasi woke up they had no idea that this day would change their lives.  But for Dr. Mike, Dr. Eddy, Dr. Jacques, Sandy (she’s in charge of gorilla orphan care in DRC and Rwanda) and me, […]

Gorilla Doctors Participate in PASA Meeting

Gorilla Doctors Participate in PASA Meeting By Gorilla Doctors Staff on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 in Uncategorized.

Blog by: Dr. Magdalena Lukasik-BraumMGVP Regional Field Veterinarian Last week Dr. Eddy and I spent the whole week in Kenya attending the annual meeting of PASA. PASA is the Pan-African Sanctuary Alliance, which for almost 10 years has worked to help primate sanctuaries in Africa to improve their expertise and facilities. We Gorilla Doctors became […]

Ndeze and Ndakasi move to Senkwekwe

Ndeze and Ndakasi move to Senkwekwe By Gorilla Doctors Staff on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 in Uncategorized.

Blog by: Dr. Eddy KambaleMGVP DRC In-Country Field Veterinarian The story starts with the gorilla massacres in June and July, 2007.  Kabirizi and Rugendo gorilla groups both lost members.  In Kabirizi gorilla group there was an adult female gorilla with a 2 month old baby. Her name was N’Sekuye, and in June 2007 she was […]

Gorilla Doctors and Cows

Gorilla Doctors and Cows By Gorilla Doctors Staff on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 in Uncategorized.

This week I went with John Huston and Dr. Mike for our monthly visit to MGVP Farm Partners.  John is our Agriculture Project Coordinator for the MGVP One Health Program and developed our Farm Partner Project.  Dr. Mike is the Director of MGVP and was here for one of his regular visits.  The Farm Partner […]

Shooting Raisins

Shooting Raisins By Gorilla Doctors Staff on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 in Uncategorized.

When we conduct our annual physical examinations on the gorilla orphans, they are big enough now that in order to sedate them they must be injected with a flying dart.  Needless to say, they do not much appreciate this procedure, and they have long memories.  They remember not only what the darting equipment look like, […]

Routine Health Check- Silverback Kuryama

Routine Health Check- Silverback Kuryama By Gorilla Doctors Staff on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 in Uncategorized.

Last week I went to visit Kuryama group for a routine health check.  Kuryama is the son of Titus, and has proved to be a strong, benevolent ruler like his father. The morning started at 5:30 – I had to pick up the trackers at 6:40 and it is about a 30 minute drive to […]

Goma Gorilla Orphans

Goma Gorilla Orphans By Gorilla Doctors Staff on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 in Uncategorized.

There are five gorilla orphans living in Goma DRC.  They were rescued from largely unknown situations and thanks to hard working Gorilla Doctors and caregivers they are now thriving. Amani, Kighoma and Mapendo are all Grauer’s gorillas. Amani and Kighoma were confiscated this year on the Congo side of the Virunga range.  They came to […]

Field Medical Intervention: Gorilla Kariya Runga

Field Medical Intervention: Gorilla Kariya Runga By Gorilla Doctors Staff on Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 in Uncategorized.

Last week I had my first experience treating a sick, wild mountain gorilla.  Dr. Eddy had been following the case of a 3 year old gorilla from Humba group in DRC, who had a terrible respiratory infection.  She felt so bad that she stopped eating, and trackers felt she was growing weak.  Dr. Eddy and […]