Blog by: Dr. Eddy Kambale
MGVP DRC In-Country Field Veterinarian

Mapendo, Amani, Kighoma and Ndjingala, the four orphan Grauer’s gorillas who have been living in Goma since they were confiscated from poachers, have moved to a new home in the forest. These four little gorillas have been under the direct care of Gorilla Doctors of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project and Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (DFGFI) caregivers, and are now happy and healthy after their traumatic and illegal removal from their families. Last week these young, critically endangered species were transferred to a new home called Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Centre (GRACE) located at Kasugho, Lubero Territory, North-Kivu province. We had the generous help of MONUC, a UN peace keeping organization who supplied the helicopter that was necessary to get us from Goma to GRACE quickly. GRACE is a very large center, and very similar to gorilla natural habitat with natural forest food.

Mapendo in a pensive mood.

Pre-shipment health and behavioral exams showing good results were performed by Gorilla Doctors and DFGFI respectively, and all needed travel papers and permits were ready. Looking through behavioral aspect, and motivated by the existing relationship between these four orphans, it was decided to put them in two crates during travel. Kighoma and Amani went into one crate, Mapendo and Ndjingala into another one. A few days before the shipment, the crates were put inside the gorillas’ enclosure in order to habituate them to crates as one of their enrichments and to avoid a strange behavior against crates. They immediately started playing with crates, passing through, climbing and taking food inside them. These crates quickly became a familiar part of these young gorilla’s lives.

Amani, looking for mischief!

In the morning of the shipment day, we were hopeful that the young gorillas would be happy in their crates, but we were prepared to sedate them if necessary. The caretakers put the milk in crates to encourage them to enter. Mapendo and Kighoma were very excited about the milk, and when they entered the crate to take the milk the crates were simultaneously closed. This was a successful strategy. Unfortunately, Amani became very aware of the situation and refuse to enter the crate. She was sedated with an injection, and put into the crate with Kighoma. As Mapendo became also aware that she was locked in the crate, and was trying unsuccessfully to find a way to out, the team decided to put little Ndjingala in her own crate. All gorillas were successfully crated before 9a.m. – the first hurdle of the move was over!

The crated gorillas were taken to the helicopter in a large truck. Poor Kighoma became frightened and took it out on Amani, but thankfully Amani’s injuries were superficial. Mapendo and Ndjingala were quiet and were even sometimes sleeping during the one hour flight, and all four gorillas were also taking some water from bottles through the open spaces of the crates during the flight. We were all nervous and tense, and very glad when we landed near GRACE.

Kighoma looking cute.

Once again the little gorillas were moved in their crates on a truck, and when we arrived at GRACE they were placed into a forest enclosure and the doors to the crates were opened. We were all so happy when they came out and looked around their new home. The caregivers tried to give them food from the market like carrots and potatoes, and they took some of it, but were much more interested in the forest! The moved quickly into the bush quite a bit away from the caretakers, playing, climbing trees and even eating some forest plants around them! Amani was a little quiet due to her injuries after Kighoma bit her in the crate, but after some treatment she was back to normal happy, energetic behavior in 2 days.

Wise little Ndjingala.

The next day these little gorillas ate so much forest food that they didn’t take must of the market food at all! Gorillas enjoyed very much forest food, climbing trees and getting their own food, eating all the time, moving in the forest, rolling on grass and started making night nest in trees. The young gorilla Ndjingala recognized rapidly various forest food became the teacher of old gorillas in the group, especially in showing various forest food, how to handle and eat them. Mapendo, the oldest of them all, was the most interesting in learning from Ndjingala, the baby. It was fun to watch, and such a huge relief for all of us who have been caring for these wonderful little orphans for the past few years. They were happy in their new forest home.

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