Six low land gorillas were over the weekend flown back to their origin in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The aim is to facilitate the reproduction of more gorillas which is conducive in natural habitats.
In the region this is the only type of gorilla species (low land) found in eastern DRC, others are mountain gorillas found in Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains which also borders other high hills in Uganda where similar gorillas stay.
In the past seven years the repatriated gorillas aged 4 to 6 years have stayed in Kinigi’s Gorillas Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Centre (GRACE), where they’ve been treated on several diseases mostly associated to respiratory infections.
Jan Ramer, the regional manager for Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP) noted that the gorillas which came from various groups have been taught how to live as a family since their original family members were either killed or fled away from the group due to various attacks orchestrated by poachers.
“We also gave them time to recover from psychological trauma especially for those who saw their parents being killed,” Ramer said.
In addition, Prosper Uwingeli the chief park warden Volcanoes National Park noted the centre helped to instill the family spirit since some will never be repatriated back to their real parent. “This is why it’s essential to train them how to care for each other since it would help them to cooperate effectively when they go back to the forest,” he remarked.
Normally gorillas stay in secure areas which they have adequate access to food and security, but for the past few years the eastern part of DRC has faced political tensions which made a good number of the gorillas flee their habitats to Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains.
So far there’s progress in DRC’s security that’s why the steering technical and scientific committee and other partners came to an agreement that the gorillas should be returned back to their origin because it was an appropriate sanctuary.
“Their bodies are more comfortable in low land areas as you can see even their fur is less compared to mountain gorillas which can sustain extreme cold in highlands,” advised Elizabeth Nyirakaragire a veterinary with the rehabilitation centre.
The airlifting transfer of the gorillas to DRC’s Taina forest was spearheaded by Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and its partners in gorilla conservation.
Commenting the matter on a press release, Rica Rwigamba the head of tourism and conservation at RDB noted that.
“This is a significant step both in multinational conservation collaborations and in attempts to reintroduce rescued gorillas to the wild,” she remark.
While in DRC the gorillas will be first kept at a transitional forest supported Congolese Institute for Conservation of Nature (ICCN). Uwingeli noted that conservation of gorillas is running smoothly due to joint efforts.
“Normally we give them 50% of revenues collected from Congo gorillas which are visited by tourists in Rwanda and we also share latest info about gorillas welfare not forgetting we also involve our in joint surveillance which discouraged poachers to commit atrocities across borders” she commented.
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