By Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka | Founder and CEO
CTPH Gorilla Guardians of Bwindi Report October 2024
This report covers the progress of Conservation Through Public Health's project, "The Gorilla Guardians of Bwindi, Uganda #44078," on GlobalGiving. The previous report was submitted in June 2024, when the project had 449 donations of $34,312 of its $50,000 funding goal. To date, the project has 519 donations amounting to $35,444 of the funding goal.
What we have done.
Gorilla Health Monitoring
Our gorilla health monitoring team continued their routine gorilla health monitoring activity in collaboration with Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) rangers and Gorilla Guardians of Bwindi and Mgahinga Conservation Area (BMCA).
In this quarter, 616 gorilla fecal samples were collected from all 27 habituated groups using non-invasive methods where fecal samples are collected from Gorilla night nests. All the samples were analyzed at the Gorilla Health and Community Conservation Centre’s (GHCCC) field laboratory in Bwindi to check for intestinal helminth parasites and other pathogens. This enables us to create an early warning system for early detection, reporting of, and response to threats that might be a risk to the endangered mountain gorillas through local partnerships. Some of these samples are preserved for further tests for other respiratory illnesses including SARS-CoV-2 that causes coronavirus disease.
Gorilla Guardians Training
CTPH, along with other conservation partners around BMCA, trained 162 Gorilla Guardians, including 4 new female members—the first women to join the Gorilla Guardian program! We are thrilled that women are starting to join the Gorilla Guardian program as we have encouraged them to do so for a long time.
The training aimed to improve gorilla health monitoring and prevent disease transmission between people and from people and gorillas. Gorilla Guardians learned how to collect gorilla fecal samples and protect against infections. UWA expressed gratitude for the training and emphasized the importance of applying new knowledge.
Our team provided comprehensive training on emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases. This training was timely because UWA has recently recruited 43 new Gorilla Guardians who needed training, whilst existing Gorilla Guardians refreshed their knowledge at the same time. Key aspects of the training included zoonotic disease prevention, collecting gorilla fecal samples for monitoring, how to identify clinical signs of illness in gorillas which is vital for detecting health issues in gorilla populations, correct reporting mechanisms to ensure that any signs of illness or irregularities are promptly communicated and how to safely herd back gorillas to the park once they get out in the community land. This initiative not only strengthens community conservation efforts but also enhances the health monitoring and protection of the endangered mountain gorillas.
The Gorilla Guardians use drums and whistles to guide gorillas back into the park and also manage other wildlife, such as buffaloes and elephants. Some of them even camp at the forest boundary at night to monitor and manage the movements of gorillas and other wildlife outside the park when alerted.
The training recommendations included increasing the number of Gorilla Guardians, particularly female ones, and providing them with improved equipment and resources. The training equipped them with crucial skills to monitor gorilla health and manage zoonotic disease risks and the gorilla record book to document when, where, which group, and at what time the gorillas are out of the natural habitat.
Gorilla births
We are thrilled to share some exciting news about the births of new gorilla babies this quarter.
In July 2024, adult female Mukidebe from the Kahungye gorilla family gave birth, bringing the group's population to 16 members. They continue to inhabit the forested hills of the Rushaga sector in eastern Bwindi, under the leadership of Silverback Kasigazi.
In August 2024, another baby mountain gorilla was born to adult female Munini in the Nshongi gorilla family, located in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This new addition increases the total number of individuals in this family to 14, led by Silverback Bweza.
This is Munini's fourth baby; she previously gave birth to Raha in 2012, who is now a handsome blackback, as well as Bayenza and Kijumwa in 2017 and 2021, respectively.
Just this month, two more baby gorillas were born: one to adult female Kabagyenyi from the Nshongi Mountain Gorilla family and another to adult female Migogo of the Mucunguzi Gorilla family. Both mothers and their babies, along with the family leaders, Silverbacks Bweza and Mucunguzi, are in good health.
These births highlight the transformative conservation efforts we are undertaking, helping this once critically endangered species move further from the brink of extinction.
We congratulate these families on welcoming their new bundles of joy, which contribute to the growing mountain gorilla population.
Thank you very much for your continued support of Conservation Through Public Health.
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By Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka | Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka - Founder and CEO
By Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka | Founder and CEO
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