Gorilla Doctors

We continue to help take care of the three orphaned gorillas in Goma, DR Congo.  They include the two infant mountain gorillas, Ndeze and Ndakasi, whose mothers were shot and killed one year ago, and Mapendo, a juvenile Grauer’s gorilla confiscated from poachers six months ago.

Here’s a brief update about each one, photographs courtesy of Dr. Eddy Kambale, MGVP Field Veterinarian, Congo.

NDEZE
Age: approximately 1 year 5 months
Weight: 11.9 kg
Milk intake per day divided in 4-5 bottle feedings: 1.3 L
Favorite forest plant foods: Rimex, Urera
Favorite toys: Anything & everything
Favorite games: Climbing, running+tumble

NDAKASI
Age: approximately 1 year three months
Weight: 10.1 kg
Milk intake per day divided in 4-5 bottle feedings: 1.1 L
Favorite forest plant foods: Rimex, Urera
Favorite toys: Plastic chair+Sticks
Favorite games: Climbing, tumble on tripod

MAPENDO
Age: 3 years and a half, approximately
Weight: 17 kg
Milk intake: off milk for several weeks; eating only solid foods.
Favorite forest plant foods: Rimex, Ficus
Favorite toys: Sticks + ball
Favorite game: Climbing

Ndeze (left) playing with Ndkasi (right) on their climbing structure in the backyard of the house where they live in Goma, DRC.

The two mountain gorilla orphans, Ndeze and Ndakasi are thriving. They live together with their human caretakers in a small house located near the DRC/Rwanda border. The infants have a fairly big yard with climbing structures and toys.  Mapendo lives a short distance away, also in Goma, in an enclosure built specially for her, right next to the offices of DFGFI. She, too, has a grassy yard, climbing structure, and small house where she sleeps at night with her caretaker.

Eddy coordinates regular trips by ICCN rangers to the Virunga forest to collect natural foods, all green plants, for the Goma orphans.

Ndeze eating Rimex, a plant collected from the Virunga forest.

Ndakasi eating Urera, a plant collected from the Virunga forest. 

Mapendo is more relaxed and playful than when she first arrived, but we’re all very aware of the fact that she should be living with other gorillas. We have not recommended that the three orphans live together mostly because the mountain gorilla infants are much younger and more susceptible to introduced infections. But Mapendo, a Grauer’s gorilla, is also a different subspecies.

Ndakasi eating Urera and playing.

The future of the orphans remains uncertain. When will they return to their natural habitat? We don’t know. Maybe never. Minimally, it will be quite some time. Their home is unsafe. All 11 orphans, the three Goma orphans plus eight others that live in Kinigi, Rwanda, are from DRC. Until this region is secure, we cannot even consider releasing them back to their homes. Secondly, their families are gone. Third, all were young when they were brought into captivity, requiring near-constant human care and contact. As a result, they are very habituated to people, a situation that is unavoidable when hand-raising orphaned gorillas.

Finally, we’re also concerned about disease transmission and introduction of diseases to free-ranging gorillas. The eight Kinigi orphans have grown up in a mixed subspecies group that includes two mountain gorillas and five Grauer’s gorillas. This housing strategy was necessary to offer a proper social environment for each individual gorilla, but we don’t know for certain that it’s a harmless mix.

Ndeze likes to climb in the mango tree, though this plant is not a species found in the Virungas.

Unfortunately, Goma is dry and dusty, and at a much lower altitude than the Virungas. We continue to work with the various government and non-governmental partners on a better long-term home for the orphans in DRC, as well as those in Rwanda. We hope the scientific committee which was originally created to make recommendations about their future, will convene again soon. Meanwhile, we are pleased with the overall progress and health status of the Goma orphans.

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