I just looked at your website and it put a smile on my face to see the work you are doing, and it made me want to be a part of it. I received the link to your site from an article I was reading about the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project.
I am a veterinary technician working in Maryland. The owner (of the clinic) is Dr. Kim Hammond, one of the sponsors of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project in Rwanda, Uganda, and The Republic of Congo. I have learned a lot working there and enjoy it more than anything. I mentioned to him that I wanted to get involved in conservation work. So, I am going to Rwanda in October with some Veterinarians to work on the Gorilla project. I am hoping that this is all a stepping stone into a great adventure that I wish to become a part of.
Read about her amazing experiences in Rwanda!
Day 5
October 16
Today we went to see the gorillas for the first time. Our guides were Everest and Francois. Francois has been in this line of work for decades, he even worked with Dian Fossey in the 60s. It was just amazing to meet him and to have him as our guide was something I will never forget.
We climbed Mt. Sabyinyo, which is one of the inactive volcanoes shared by Rwanda and Uganda. We climbed the Rwandan side and it was absolutely breathtaking. We hiked for 30 minutes before we reached the entrance to the forest and then for an hour more until reaching the family of 8 gorilla. Hiking the forest was like something in a movie, simply surreal to my eyes. The foliage was so thick and herbaceous that our guide, Everest, had to machete a narrow path for us to walk. Vines were dangling from trees, stinging nettles and thistles invaded our walk way, and we were ankle deep in mud mixed with the dung deposits of elephant, water buffalo, and gorilla. For miles around nothing could be seen or heard except for tall vegetation, bird calls, and the wind whistling through the 15 foot bamboo.
Seeing the gorillas was absolutely amazing. There is nothing like it. We came upon them while they were eating and resting. As soon as I saw them I was overwhelmed by such astonishment that tears came to my eyes. These animals are magnificent and more beautiful then imagined. We stayed with them for 1 hour, taking pictures and observing their behavior. The baby was running around, playing, and trying to steel food from his sibling. He was so adorable and his eyes and head were much larger than his body, just like with human babies. The silverback of this family was the largest compared to all the Rwandan gorillas, weighing in at approximately 475 lbs. He was eating, scratching, and keeping a watchful eye on all of us. It was really exciting to see him climb a huge Hagenia tree and knock the whole tree down in order to make his nest for the night. As I was visiting with these precious animals, I started to wonder even more than usual how someone can look at gorillas and heartlessly kill them.
Our hour was finished much too fast and it was time to hike back down. I hated leaving them, but felt so grateful for the work the Rwandans were doing to help conserve the gorillas. It is very important for tourist to come to see the gorillas because the money not only helps to fund organizations who are trying to save this endangered species, but the money helps the economy as a whole.
Day 6
October 17
This afternoon we went to the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project Headquarters to visit with Lucy, David, Eddie, Jacque, and a few other veterinarians helping in the conservation needs of the gorillas. They were having a conference and asked us to join them. First they were discussing the orphaned baby gorillas they had at their compound in Congo who are very ill. Like at any hospital, they started with rounds in order to update everyone on their current health conditions. The main problem in this area is getting people to become more aware and educated about the threats put upon these animals survival, whether it is poachers, disease, and/or habitat loss...the more people handle them the less likely they will survive. Gorillas give birth to one baby every 5 or so years and they are struggling to increase their population due to the fact that they are dying off quicker than they are able to repopulate. To add to this problem, disease has become more prevalent due to the increase in tourism in this area. This is a Catch 22 because while tourism funds conservation and this economy in general, the gorillas are exposed to more human disease that their bodies have difficulty fighting off.
Health issues are not the only subject these veterinarians are dealing with. They spend hours with the gorillas in their natural habitat in order to study their behavior. By doing this, they are able to learn more about the gorillas foraging, child-rearing, and interpersonal habits within the familial group. This is important to learn because the more conservationists know, the better equipped they will be to help the gorillas survive.
What MGVP and their sponsors, the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and Falls Road Animal Hospital in Baltimore, are working towards is very important and I am proud to have had the opportunity to have met them and be a part of this.
