By Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka | Founder and CEO
This report covers the progress on Conservation Through Public Health’s project on GlobalGiving, The Gorilla Guardians of Bwindi, Uganda #44078.
Our last report on this project was submitted in November 2020. By this time, our supporters towards this project had grown in number from 16 to 20 with one 1 more monthly donor which made it possible to raise $2,756, against our $10,000 goal. Because of overwhelming support received from our supporters, particularly in the last quarter, the $10,000 target was increased to $15,000. The project has so far received 108 donations totaling $9,744.79 from 80 donors, with 4 monthly donors and 1 fundraiser in a period of 1 year.
What we have been able to do
Gorilla Health Monitoring
The funding has enabled our team to continue carrying out gorilla health monitoring and sample collection from all gorilla groups around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
In November 2020, Dr.Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka visited Mubare Gorilla group to check on how the group was doing in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The team was grateful to find all members of the Mubare Gorilla family feeding normally and looking healthy. The group now has 9 members with 1 silverback, 4 females and each female has a baby.
Training of Gorilla Guardians
In November 2020, 631 Human and Gorilla Conflict Resolution Teams (also known as Gorilla Guardians), Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) rangers and porters were trained in the prevention of COVID-19 amongst people as well as from people to gorillas. Training topics included hygienic practices and waste management, effective prevention of COVID-19 from people to gorillas through effective management of tourists, gorilla health monitoring through identifying and reporting clinical signs, gorilla health monitoring through non-invasive fecal sample collection and COVID-19 outbreak rapid response.
New Gorilla babies born
The New Year 2021 came with another gorilla baby born in Bwindi Impenetrable forest. On January 4th, Nkuringo family's adult female Nderema gave birth to a new baby, bringing the family size to 12 members. The new birth marked Nderema's second infant following her first birth in 2018 that saw her baby sadly not make it due to environmental extremes within its first 15 days of birth. We congratulate Nkuringo gorilla family upon receiving a new baby.
In Memory of Kate Thomas
Tragically, Kate Thomas, a great supporter of Bwindi and the mountain gorillas - particularly since visiting in 2019, passed away in February 2021. To honor her life and memory, her family and friends started a fundraiser, asking for donations towards the Gorilla Guardians of Bwindi, in lieu of sending flowers in her memory. According to her family, ‘this was done to commemorate one of her many adventures, (gorilla tracking in Bwindi) which she undertook in 2019 with family, and something which she really loved’. This fundraiser has so far raised £ 2,482 from 38 donors to whom we are extremely grateful. May Kate’s beautiful soul rest in peace.
Links:
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