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

Ndeze and Ndakasi are the two Mountain Gorilla orphans who were transferred from Goma to Senkwekwe at Rumangabo, DRC about 6 months ago. They have been showing a very good health state and no major health problem needing MGVP Gorillas Doctors interventions!

In their lovely home, Ndeze and Ndakasi are enjoying a fresh, suitable and cleaned environment with very little pollution compared to Goma. They are taking enough fresh forest food and they are still discovering new forest food items. They enjoy playing, climbing, rolling over and are progressively getting use to their new home, and are behaving normally.

Nevertheless, even in this healthy sate, we continue with the quarterly preventive medicine program that includes visual and physical examinations and a de-worming program for Ndeze and Ndakasi.

On May 11, 2010, Dr. Arthur, the ICCN veterinarian and I visited Ndeze and Ndakasi for their quarterly health check. We found them to be very active, playful, running, rolling over on grass, climbing on us very often and showing a degree of their satisfaction! We took the opportunity to start lesson teaching the little gorillas to be comfortable with stethoscope, syringes and needles. We will progress to getting them to accept injection as part of this activity.

Playing with their doctors!

I used a sterile syringe without a needle for this training session; Ndeze and Ndakasi played with the syringe with no fear. After that I took another sterile syringe with sterile needle on it, and a second syringe filled with honey (they LOVE honey!). I offered them the honey and when they ate it I pricked them in the arm, one after another. Because they had honey as a reward for accepting the injection, no one ran – they gave me a positive reaction! After this lesson I put in the syringe the indicated dose of Ivermectin for their quarterly de-worming and gave it directly in mouth to Ndeze and Ndakasi, they continued even lapping drug on the empty syringe. Success – they took their medicine, they accepted some small pricks in their arms and left Ndeze and Ndakasi with a very good memory!

Enjoying honey from a syringe.

They don’t mind a little prick with the needle if honey is available.

Receiving Ivermectin.

Gorilla Doctors will continue these routine health checks – to be sure they stay healthy, and to maintain a good relationship with Ndeze and Ndakasi.

Happy girls even after their medicine.

Become Ndakasi and Ndeze’s Gorilla Orphan Guardian^™ today!

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