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The baby gorilla injured after being caught in a snare laid by poachers has died. He was Nsekanabo, son of Tumaini and Kabirizi.

I thought I was going to be giving you good news. The Gorilla Doctors Magda and Eddy and the Rangers finally found Nsekanabo yesterday afternoon and performed an urgent intervention. They sedated Tumaini and her baby, and succeeded in removing the rest of the snare from Nsekanabo’s left ankle, in addition to sewing up his face that was so badly damaged.

Drs Magda and Eddy perform the intervention in the forest, in the pouring rain.

Nsekanabo’s face, that was so mangled, is sewn up by Magda. (Photo copyright Gorilla Doctors)

Tumaini and Nsekanabo were still close, as Tumaini was still breast feeding. Nsekanabo was Tumaini’s first known child. Tumaini is also the sister of Ndeze, one of the 2 orphans in the Senkwekwe Centre.

And then this afternoon we have just had reports from Rangers in the field that Nsekanabo is dead.

Tumaini is still carrying him around, so the Rangers will now follow the family closely (maybe for several days), until she leaves Nsekanabo behind. Then the Rangers will recover the body, and the Gorilla Doctors will be able to perform the autopsy.

This is terrible news. Nsekanabo seemed to be doing well after the intervention by the Gorilla Doctors. And now this. Innocent and the Rangers are devastated.

Nsekanabo, 2008-2010. May he rest in peace.

There is good news and bad news. The good news is that the juvenile male gorilla from the Kabirizi family caught in a snare has been released by Innocent and Sekibibi. The bad news is that the injuries sustained to the face of the gorilla were so bad that Innocent was unable to recognize him. You can see for yourself.

These are not pleasant pictures, but this is the reality of what happens when gorillas get caught in snares. The animals are injured, separated from their family, and very very frightened. In this particular case Innocent thinks some of the injuries were sustained when the juvenile tried to free himself from the snare, in a panic.

Innocent says that the damage to the upper jaw and the tears in the flesh make it impossible to recognize this juvenile from the Kabirizi family. And Innocent, as you know, knows all 86 gorillas off by heart, by their noseprint.

This is Innocent releasing the juvenile from the snare late on Friday. It is an extremely delicate task as you can imagine, and not many Rangers or even vets would have the experience or the sensitivity to do this without frightening the gorilla even more.

Unfortunately there is more bad news. The Gorilla Doctors, Magda and Eddy, are now in the field with Rangers and cannot find the juvenile. This is the latest news I have - but I hope to be able to give a more positive update by the end of the day or tomorrow.

I, for one, am keeping my fingers tightly crossed.

I have just heard from Eddy that a baby gorilla in the Kabirizi family is caught in a snare. Innocent and Sekibibi have gone into the forest as I write to see what is happening. I have no idea which baby it is, and I don’t think Innocent does either.

We will keep you posted as soon as we know more.

As you know snares are one of the major threats to gorillas in the Mikeno Sector. They are laid by poachers who often seek to entrap antelope and other smaller rodents. But often gorillas get caught in them - and can often lose a hand as a result, or worse. One of the main jobs of Rangers in the forest during the gorilla patrols is to remove the snares that are found.

This is how a Ranger removes a snare in the forest - snares can be made of rope or wire.

We have documented snares in the Kabirizi family before - take a look at Pierre’s post last September.

Last week the Rangers of Virunga and the organization World Wildlife Fund gave vital support to the briquette program.

The Rangers, thanks to Emmanuel’s instruction (and financing), purchased 450 fuel briquette sacks, and WWF donated 450 improved Jiko Punguza stoves (these stoves usually cost $5.50 to make). These stoves, as their name suggests, make cooking more efficient by their improved design.

The briquettes and the stoves were all distributed among the Rangers of the southern and central sectors of Virunga National park and their families:

143 fuel briquette sacks and stoves to Rwindi

69 fuel briquette sacks and stoves to Rutshuru

88 fuel briquette sacks and stoves to Lulimbi

150 fuel briquette sacks and stoves to Rumangabo

1 stove and 1 sack of fuel briquettes for every Ranger

Everyone was taught how to light up the fuel briquettes

Thank you Rangers and WWF for the contribution! This support of the briquette program will contribute toward stopping deforestation, avoiding the risks associated with making charcoal, and boosting our sales!

More news on the briquettes coming soon.

This is the most recent video of Ndeze and Ndaksi - the 2 orphan baby mountain gorillas - in their new home, the Senkwekwe Centre. It is now 2 months since they moved to their forest abode, away from the grime and noise of the city of Goma. The transfer went smoothly, as you all know, and the first 2 months have also gone without any major incident. In short, Ndeze and Ndakasi’s adaptation to their new surroundings has been easy.

Andre and the other carers always have a camera that shoots video and stills, so there is ample documentation of Ndeze and Ndakasi’s new life. You can also see the climbing structure within the enclosure (that Andre has not quite finished but will have soon!). It is remarkable how the gorilla orphans have already destroyed a lot of the vegetation in the enclosure. We look forward to extending the enclosure… starting in March!

More coming soon on the Senkwekwe Centre…

Mount Visoke is an extinct volcano in the Virunga mountains that straddles DR Congo and Rwanda. It lies at the heart of mountain gorilla habitat – and so naturally our Rangers often venture onto the flanks of this mountain for anti-poaching patrols or to rid the area of the snares that threaten the mountain gorillas and other animals.

Mount Visoke, at 3,711 meters (just over 12,000 feet). Mount Mikeno rises up behind Visoke.

Just recently a group of Rangers tracked 4 poachers over a 2-day period. The Rangers came across traps and signs of poaching, including a dead antelope.

The Rangers also found spears and snares.

The Rangers spent an uneasy night in the forest, and the next day managed to apprehend 2 of the poachers. Unfortunately the other 2 got away. But the 2 who were arrested, who come from a community not far from the patrol post of Bikenge, were brought to Rumangabo and charged.

Unfortunately these poachers are only 2 of many. This is why we must patrol the Gorilla Sector, and indeed all of Virunga, to prevent any further destruction of the wildlife. Thank you for your support, and especially to those who Protect the Park – it is with your funds that we finance the anti-poaching patrols in the Gorilla Sector.

I took these photos of Nyamulagira – the volcano that started erupting on 2 January – from Bukima, on the edge of the Gorilla Sector.

Bukima is higher than Goma and Rumangabo and so we have a great view of not only Nyamulagira, but also Nyiragongo, Mikeno and Visoke.

The lava has stopped heading toward the Goma-Sake road as you know, but the view from up here is pretty spectacular.

A view of Nyamulagira from the Gorilla Sector

I wonder if the gorillas have seen the eruption?! I wonder what they make of it…

I just got a call from the Rangers at Bikenge patrol post in the Gorilla Sector and there has been a birth in the Mapuwa family!

This brings the total number of gorillas in this family to 16 - and the total number of habituated mountain gorillas in Congo to 86!

I don’t have any photos yet - but as soon as I do I will post them. The mother, I am told, is Kanepo - and the father is Mapuwa himself! There is another Silverback in the family - Nvuyekure - but Mapuwa is more dominant and so almost certainly the father.

This is Mapuwa - he now has nearly 10 offspring!

Kanepo is 10 years old and already has 2 children - Bikenge and Dunia. In fact for a long time - until the birth of Bikenge - we thought Kanepo was a male! It just goes to show we cannot be right all the time!

I just wanted to bring you this positive news hot off the press!

This is a video of the Humba family of mountain gorillas - one of the 6 habituated families in Congo’s Gorilla Sector. Humba now has 12 individuals in his family. You may recall he is the brother of Senkwekwe, the Silverback who was murdered in July 2007 (and after whom we named Ndeze and Ndakasi’s new forest home).

Now that tourism is gradually coming back to the area, Humba gets visited a few times a week by outsiders. It is not just the Rangers anymore! But he is a calm Silverback - and his family is also relaxed and peaceful as you can see in this short clip.

You will notice that this video is shot with an HD camera (it is better quality than some of our past footage). The Rangers who patrol the Gorilla Sector have all received training in filming, and how to use HD cameras, so they take cameras out on a daily basis now as part of their routine.

Solar eclipse

We just had a solar eclipse. I actually missed it (I have no idea how) – but Temoris, a visiting journalist, took these pictures from our office.

Everyone is talking about it. Virginia and Balemba missed it too, so I am not the only one!

Solar Eclipse in Virunga