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Protecting the Mountain Gorillas of Virunga
Mawazo’s trials and tribulations
It’s the dry season here in Virunga, which means times are hard for all the park’s animals - their daily struggle to find food and water is tougher than ever. The Mountain Gorilla population is no exception but life is particularly tough for the Munyaga Family. There isn’t much bamboo for them to eat and most of what there is in a narrow belt around Mount Mikeno, and that area is dominated by those two towering rivals - Kabirizi and Humba.
Mawazo, Munyaga Family. Guard Mawazo here
The Munyaga Family has been doing very well under its young and dynamic leader Mawazo; better in fact than anyone expected. You may remember that a while back a new female appeared in the group. Nyabigoro’s arrival was disruptive to say the least. She brought with her the threat of infection from a disease she carried at the time. And she seems to have riled up the three males in the group as they have interacted violently on several occasions since her arrival. Indeed some of the Rangers were anxious enough about the group to speculate that it might fragment, leaving one or more of the males as solitaries, which would be a shame. But this stormy period passed and peace prevailed at least in part, so the Rangers say, because the young Mawazo showed that in this family, he has the last word.
He may have restored order and secured his leadership, but Mawazo’s trials and tribulations continue as he tries to fulfill his other role – that of provider. Even at altitude, the grass is drying out and young bamboo shoots are scarce. Mawazo is faced with a very stark choice: find a new source of food or go up against Kabirizi and/ or Humba. For now at least Mawazo seems to feel that discretion is the better part of valor because he has adopted the novel strategy of climbing trees in search of food. The salient question is: can he do this until the rainy season or will he have to chance his arm against Kabirizi and Humba?
The Munyaga family climbing trees in search of food
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2 Responses to “Mawazo’s trials and tribulations”
Mawazo loooks like he has the weight of the whole on his shoulders in that first photo.
Thanks for the great post. I sure hope Mawazo & family don’t start thinking about the local maize crops. It could only end in tragedy — as evidenced by the two buffalo that made that mistake.