Kubana with a wound on her face.This blog was written by Dr. Jan.

On the afternoon of September 17 Veronica Vecellio from Karisoke Research Center reported that there was an interaction in Ugenda group with an unidentified lone silverback.  Inziza, an adult female, tried to follow the lone silverback and her 3.5-year-old daughter Igitangaza tried to follow her, whimpering.  The silverback aggressed Igitangaza, badly injuring her right hand.  We made a plan for Volcanoes National Park’s Veterinary Warden Elisabeth Nyirakaragire and I to visit the group for an assessment and possible intervention the next morning.

Kanama holding her left arm, laceration on the back of her left hand visible.We found the group at 8:30 am.  All of the gorillas were wet. It rained all night in Musanze and—observing the full and fast flowing Susa river coming down from the national park—I suspected it rained all night in the mountains as well.  The group had not moved far from their night nests.  Female Kubana had a fresh, superficial laceration on her left cheek. No other wounds were noted.  Female Kanama had a laceration on the top of her left hand, and was not using that hand or arm for eating or moving.  We did not see the palm of that hand. Ubushake, the juvenile son of Kanama, was heard to sneeze multiple times during our observation period of 1.5 hours, but was bright and alert, moving and eating well with no nasal discharge.

Igitangaza’s hand with the missing finger.Igitangaza was near her mother Inziza at first, and we could clearly see that the 4th finger on the right hand was missing completely, with no obvious exposed bone. There were also wounds on her other fingers and on the back of her hand.  She seemed very cold and tired for the first 30 minutes of observation, and when Inziza moved away Igitangaza moved toward silverback Ugenda and rested a bit.  Finally as he moved away, she followed, moving well, but not using her right arm. 

Igitangaza’s mutilated hand.She then spent quite a bit of time cleaning the palm of the right hand, and we could not see it well until she gave us a very brief look, revealing multiple wounds, with possible exposed tendon on the palm and possible exposed bone at the finger amputation site.  After cleaning her wounds, and after the first hour of observation, she began to eat thistle, and was eating vigorously. 

Igitangaza with her mother.The group will be monitored closely, with particular attention paid to Igitangaza’s hand. 

Here is a video of Dr. Jan assessing Igitangaza:

Please consider supporting MGVP by making a secure online donation. Every dollar you give goes to directly supporting our gorilla health programs and One Health initiative. Thank you for your generosity.

For the most up-to-date information about the Gorilla Doctors, “like” our Facebook page. You’ll find gorilla health reports, news items, photos, videos, and links to related content.

---