Mountain Gorilla Habitat Under Siege in DR Congo

An infant mountain gorilla from the Munyaga family, which ranges near the area that was shelled on May 13.The Gorilla Doctors fear for the health and safety of the critically endangered mountain gorillas of Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo as rebels clash with the Congolese army in the park’s gorilla sector. Virunga National Park is home to about 200 of the world’s remaining 783 mountain gorillas.

On May 8, a reported 1,500 troops loyal to Bosco Ntaganda, the military chief of staff of the CNDP rebel group who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, entered the gorilla sector of the park. Virunga National Park, which employs 275 rangers for the entire park, was forced to withdraw its staff from three of the five patrol posts located in the gorilla sector. Fighting between the rebels and the Congolese army broke out on May 10, culminating on May 13 with the Congolese army shelling rebel positions within the park.

This diagram shows the movement of rebels through Virunga National Park, which culminated on May 13 (position 3) with shelling inside the park. (Diagram by Virunga National Park)

“We are worried about the mountain gorilla population from direct exposure to war and trauma as well as unregulated exposure to troop encampments which could harbor infectious diseases that could be fatal to the gorillas,” said Gorilla Doctors Co-Director Dr. Mike Cranfield. “The secondary effect of the conflict is the inability of our veterinary team and the Virunga National Park staff to monitor the health of the gorillas and perform medical interventions if necessary. We are all hoping for a quick resolution to the problem.”

Chief Park Warden Emmanuel de Merode has been posting regular updates about the situation on the Gorilla.cd blog. Rumangabo, the Virunga National Park headquarters and site of the Senkwekwe Center for orphaned mountain gorillas, remains secure.  The Gorilla Doctors Congolese staff is safe in the Congolese city of Goma, which is 1.5 hours’ drive from Rumangabo.

You can follow the Gorilla Doctors health monitoring efforts on our Facebook page, where we post photos and notes from our monthly visits.

Please consider supporting MGVP by making a secure online donation. Every dollar you give goes to directly supporting our gorilla health programs and One Health initiative. Thank you for your generosity.

Press Release: Animal Planet Series Highlights Gorilla Doctors and Virunga National Park

Silverback Kongomani of Rugendo group in Virunga National Park.Airing May 10 at 8pm GMT on Animal Planet, the season finale of the UK TV series “Wildlife SOS” spotlights the efforts of the Gorilla Doctors and the Congolese Wildlife Authority to protect the critically-endangered mountain gorillas of Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Wildlife SOS is a long-running documentary series that follows the work of Wildlife Aid, a nonprofit dedicated to the rescue, care, and rehabilitation of sick, injured or orphaned animals in the UK.

Series host Simon Cowell travels to Africa to follow the Gorilla Doctors’ veterinary team and Virunga National Park rangers as they trek across the rainforest-covered slopes of the Virunga volcanoes to make sure the park’s gorillas are safe and healthy. Intimate shots of mountain gorilla family life, interviews with the Gorilla Doctors and Virunga National Park staff, and breathtaking gorilla rescue and aerial footage reveal what’s at stake and how the gorillas are protected against a host of threats to their survival.

There are just 786 mountain gorillas left in the world, with about 480 animals living in the Virunga Volcanoes Massif, which combines Virunga National Park in the DRC, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. The only other population lives within the boundaries of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Mountain gorillas face numerous threats including habitat loss, poaching, infectious disease, and human conflict inside and outside the national parks.

Gorilla Doctors, powered by the U.S.-based nonprofit Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project and University of California, Davis, is dedicated to saving the lives of mountain gorillas through health care. The organization’s international veterinary team is the only group providing these animals with direct, hands-on care in the wild. Gorilla Doctors partners with the national parks where mountain gorillas live, including Virunga National Park, to coordinate conservation efforts.

Virunga National Park, Africa’s oldest national park (established in 1925) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to about 200 mountain gorillas. The park is managed by the Congolese Wildlife Authority, known in French as L’Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN).

Gorilla Doctors Press Contact:

Molly Feltner, Communications Officer

mollyfeltner@gmail.com

+1-857-719-9258

The Kwitonda Family Circus

By Dr. Dawn

On May 1, I observed Kwitonda group. Three infants were born into the group within the last year and were photographed for the Kwita Izina ceremony to be held in June.  All 24 gorillas were observed and appeared in good general health.  Here are some photos and videos of this growing family:

Sulabika’s male infant to be named in June.Nchiri's infant to be named in June.Sulubika holding her infant's foot with her foot.Silverback Kwitonda.Umoja.

You can follow the Gorilla Doctors health monitoring efforts on our Facebook page, where we post photos and notes from our monthly visits.

Please consider supporting MGVP by making a secure online donation. Every dollar you give goes to directly supporting our gorilla health programs and One Health initiative. Thank you for your generosity.

Gorilla Doctors!

Ever since the MGVP started working closely with the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center in 2009, we have grappled with how best to describe and name the work of this key partnership, which now essentially directs, supports and guides the everyday operations of our Gorilla Doctors. In the interest of simplifying things for ourselves and our supporters, and to convey the true nature and purpose of this collaboration, we all agreed that we're Gorilla Doctors, a veterinary team powered by the MGVP and UC Davis.

We recently updated our website with new content and lots of new photos and pages. Check it out! 

Law Firm Donates More than 120K in Services

Behind every successful nonprofit is a dedicated attorney or law firm lending its knowledge and skills to help the organization comply with tax codes and conduct its business with integrity. Gorilla Doctors is very fortunate to have the help of DLA Piper LLP in Baltimore, MD, which has provided its expert services pro bono since 2005.

DLA Piper first started helping the MGVP in 2005 when MGVP was "graduating" from its founding organization, the Morris Animal Foundation, and applying for its own 501(c)3 status with the IRS. DLA Piper continues to help MGVP, Inc. with maintaining its registration as a non-profit organization in Maryland and several other states. DLA Piper has also helped MGVP submit trademark applications, review contracts, and advise on other legal matters as they arise. In all, the legal team at DLA Piper, especially attorneys Matthew F. Gorra and Ryan Compton and paralegal Patti Morrison, have contributed more than $120,000 worth of their services over the last seven years. We greatly appreciate the tremendous and generous support of DLA Piper, a vital member of the Gorilla Doctors team!