Gorilla Doctors

Category: Monitoring Visits | Date: Apr 21 2009 | By: Dr. Jan Ramer for gorilladoctors

Every hike up into the forest feels different to me, despite the fact that I now have a pretty good idea of the terrain and—at least in Rwanda—the gorillas. I think it’s because no two visits are ever the same. I’m bound to learn something new, for one thing. For another, my mind is usually focused on the purpose of my visit. If it’s a routine health check, I’m thinking about when I last saw the group, their names, and medical histories, if any. When there’s a patient to see, I’m filled with anticipation.

On my most recent visit to check on the infant Mushya, I couldn’t wait to get there. I knew he was doing well, so well, in fact, that I had a feeling this would be the last time I’d have excuse to visit him as a “patient.” It was time to take him, and his mother, Icyizere, off the case list. I also knew there was a new baby in the group that I hoped to photograph for the park service. It’s the time of year when they’re assembling baby pictures for the upcoming naming ceremony.

I also spend a fair amount of brain energy paying attention to where I step—and what the clouds are doing. Rain isn’t so bad as long as we keep moving, but it makes photography impossible. This was a bright clear morning after a hard night’s rain, which meant the trail would be steep, muddy, and sunny. As usual, the trackers seemed to be gliding through the mud while I struggled, slipped, and sweated. It was hot! Just as I thought I’d better sacrifice my arms to the stinging nettles and take off my jacket, we’d arrived! It had been only about an hour and 20 minutes walk from the wall. Not bad. Even better, I recognized our location and knew there were a number of very steep hillsides in front of us.

We found the silverback, Isabukuru, first. He was eating thistle, two-fisted. I was surprised to learn that he’d had a cough for three days. Sure enough, he coughed several times within the first few minutes and he had a little nasal discharge. Had I known about the dreaded cough, I would have worried the whole way up the trail—not—not for him, but for Mushya and the newest baby. (Isabukuru got over it within a few more days and none of the family caught whatever it was—or maybe it was an allergy.) Fortunately, he seemed to be feeling just fine, well enough to stop eating just long enough to mate with a female, and then resume his meal. I moved on to check the rest of the group.

Icyizere and Mushya were nearby. I couldn’t get over Mushya’s shiny black hair coat. Icyizere, too, looked the picture of health. I also noted a hint of recognition in their expressions. I’m sure they recognize me for all those hours I sat staring at them trying to decide if the infant was getting stronger and less itchy in the days after we intervened. But it’s also possible they have some memory of the intervention day. Icyizere had definitely seen my face close up (though I was wearing a mask) for a few seconds—I’d had to grab hold of her arm for a split second as she sat up in order to give her the reversal drug.

Regardless of their initial reaction, both gorillas then proceeded to ignore me, as usual. Icyizere soon repositioned herself to feed and Mushya climbed down from her back to explore around a bit. He made several advances in my direction, even strutting a bit up on his knuckles, elbows straight. I wish I’d had better light to photograph him during those few minutes since his antics gave me a great view of his entire body. On his skin and hair I could see no evidence whatsoever of his former problem, and when he yawned, I could see that his gums were bright pink. He does have a distinctive cowlick on the top of his head—the result of an entirely new head of hair. I wonder how long that will last.

As if to remind me of his past, Mushya climbed up on his mother’s back as she began to move and then scratched his rear end a few times. This was, without a doubt, a normal gorilla itch! I have two distinctive images of this infant in my head from the days when he was very sick. The first was that he was never on Icyizere’s back; he would sit in the crook of her arm. When he began to improve, this was the first change in his behavior: he felt strong enough to try to climb up on her shoulders, at which point she’d swat him down like a fly. I don’t think she was accustomed to normal infant behavior. The second was that he was so terribly itchy, pulling out tufts of hair while he scratched his unhealthy skin.

Icyizere, of course, was the more important patient of the two, even though we hadn’t considered her to be nearly as ill as her infant until we did her exam. We still do not understand why this particular mother ended up with such an overwhelming load of parasites that then affected Mushya. But it’s very clear that our one dose of the anti-parasiticide drug, ivermectin, did wonders. These days, she has plenty of milk, and Mushya has obviously benefited. He not only looks good, he’s strong, so much so that he had the nerve to pig grunt at me as he and Icyizere climbed into a berry patch. He obviously wanted to let me know that those were not my berries!

It was great to see Mushya acting like a normal infant gorilla. Though he’s still on the small side, he may very well catch up. We also think he’s likely to have quite an attitude.

Finally, I did get a photo of Isaro’s new baby. At less than a week old, it was too little to hold its head up for very long, so the best I could do was a nursing photo, followed by a sleeping baby photo.

Tags: icyizere, mushya, new baby