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Split after 9 difficult months of cohabitation
Mapuwa family was led by 2 Silverbacks, Mapuwa and Nvuyekure since December 29 2008.

Mapuwa

Nvuyekure

Then there were 4 adult females: Jicho, Kagofero, Kanepo and Bitangi.

There were 2 sub-adults: Mambo and Bikenge, 2 juveniles: Gourba and Sebagabo and finally 4 babies: Subutimbiri, Dunia, Wathaut and Buzara.

Interacting every day each Silverback trying to gain total control of the group.  Last week, there was a fight- also known as an interaction between Mapuwa and Nvuyekure and the group was split into two. Seven family members are with Nvuyekure: 3 adult females and four other individuals and other seven with Mapuwa: 1 adult female and six other individuals.
it will be interesting to see how this two families dynamic plays out in coming days and weeks

Here is an sneak preview of the upcoming documentary “Return to Virunga: The Battle to Save the Mountain Gorillas” by Stefan Lovgren about the Rangers’ return to the gorilla sector of Virunga National Park 9 months ago:

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The full-length film has not yet been released and I will let you know when and where it does. After this taster, I certainly look forward to seeing it!

Last week I got word from the Bikenge patrol post that the Rugendo group had split up into two. The Rangers said that the silverback Pili-Pili and a juvenile had left the other gorillas and traveled far into the bamboo forests near the Rwandan border towards Jomba.

More than 6 hours walk away from them the silverback Bukima and other members of the group had remained near the edge of the park and were as usual making forays into neighbouring fields to eat crops.

A week passed and the gorillas still did not rejoin each other, but we had no confirmation of exactly which juvenile had followed Pili-Pili. So this morning I went to see and identify the gorillas with Bukima to discover who else missing.

Only an hour after leaving we found Bukima in the forest together with adult female Lubutu, blackbacks Mukunda, Kongomani, and Baseka, and a juvenile which turned out to be Noel.

By elimination that means that it is in fact the juvenile female Bavukahe which has followed Pili-Pili and split from the rest of the group. This development follows closely behind the death of Bariyanga and is the latest in a series of changes in the group’s dynamics since it was turned upside-down by the tragic massacre two years ago.

Teams of Rangers are now tracking the two groups separately and we will be keeping a close eye to see if this split becomes permanent…

Bukima is a powerful silverback

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GORILLA MASSACRE ANNIVERSARY: CONGOLESE RANGERS COMMEMORATE 2 YEARS SINCE TRAGEDY AND LAUNCH APPEAL

On the morning of 22 July 2007, Rangers in Virunga National Park found the bodies of 4 mountain gorillas killed in an execution style attack. The remains of another gorilla in the group were found 3 weeks later, with her infant missing, presumed dead. The images of the tragedy were broadcast across the globe and brought attention to the threats facing this critically endangered species.

The events of that day were described in detail on our blog at the time (click here to read)

Read the full story »

Details from Bariyanga’s death are now emerging- these photos were taken at the scene:

Bariyanga was found lying on his side surrounded by broken branches

Read the full story »

Bad news have just come from the Bikenge Patrol Post informing us that the mountain gorilla Bariyanga from the Rugendo Group has been found dead in the forest.

The circumstances of the death are not yet clear, but MGVP veterinarians are performing the post-mortem this morning. I’ll post more info and pictures as soon I get them.

Bariyanga, pictured on 10 February 2009 in a maize field.

Over the past couple days the Rugendo group has moved south towards the Bukima patrol post. They have stayed on the edge of the park and are continuing to make forays into neighbouring crops to eat maize and sorghum wheat. Thankfully members of the HuGo association are present keep an eye on them.

Sorghum destroyed by the gorillas yesterday

The group moved through Area 1 of our Protect the Park map, given safe passage thanks to our friend Faye’s sponsorship. Thank you Faye! However, when we saw them yesterday they were in Area 2, which is currently not sponsored, as are nearby Areas 3, 9, and 10.

I urge you to please adopt these areas to help us check that this part of the forest is free of snares and thus ensure the Rugendo group’s safety.

Baseka strikes a pose

Who me? Cheeky Noel looking innocent as ever

There is a tricky situation at the moment caused by the gorillas of the Rugendo Group who are continuing their bad habit of entering fields on the outskirts of the park to eat crops. As Emmanuel wrote on this blog in March, we are looking into solutions to this problem.

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Earlier this year we announced the results our Mountain Gorilla Survey and several journalists came to visit us in the Gorilla Sector to cover the story.

One of them was Matthew Clark from the Christian Science Monitor who went with me into the forest to see the Humba Family . His photographer also spent some time with us and even took pictures at my house with my (human!) family.

Click here to see the video on the Christian Science Monitor website (click on image to watch video)

Another journalist who came was Stevan Lovgren- he filmed a video for the Smithsonian. It includes footage from a visit with the Rugendo Family and from an anti-charcoal operation at Mwaro , the last bit of forest connecting the Gorilla Sector with the rest of the park. (

Since the morning of the gorilla massacre in July 2007, the wanderings of the Rugendo family has continued to worry us. Unfortunately, even though the family has a new leader, after Senkekwe was killed, they still move very close to the edge of the park, often moving into people’s fields and eating their crops.

Kongomani eating stalks of maize

This is a real problem, because it creates a lot of tension with local farmers, who lose their valued crops, and puts the Rugendo family at risk. The Lulengo family also have a bad habit of leaving the park, and the Humba gorillas were found in a field in mid-February.

The threat of human/animal conflict is real. Back in 2003, a juvenile in the Rugendo group called Bahati (whose mother Neza was subsequently killed in the unrelated 2007 attack) was stoned to death by locals in a field in Bikenge

Pili-Pili caught red-handed

We are fighting to find a solution. In the past, IGCP helped to set up a local association called HUGO (HUmans + GOrillas), who guard the crops by pushing the gorillas back into the forest using drums. It seems the technique doesn’t work anymore- the gorillas are no longer scared of the drums. In fact, I’m told they enjoy the sound and allegedly start dancing when the drums appear (I think I’d like to see that).

We have arranged to continue working with the HUGOs, and we’re looking into other solutions, like a cycle path around the gorilla sector to help the rangers reach the trouble spots very quickly to resolve any problems. In any case, we’re worried as the Rugendo group are at risk, and we need to find a solution. Putting powdered pili-pili (hot chilly) on the crops close to the park might be a solution, as you can buy it by the sack-load in Rwanda.

Mukunda

For now, the Rugendo group has gone back into the park, since at the moment bamboo shoots are available, which they prefer. We have a few months to find a viable solution to a serious problem. Thoughts on this are most welcome…