Nov 06 2007
My Favorite Gorilla: Diddy
Thank you for all your comments yesterday about my family. I hope one day you can meet them all!
Innocent wrote about his favorite gorilla 2 weeks ago, Kadogo, and now I want to do the same.
Mukunda is my favorite Mountain Gorilla.
Here is Mukunda, born in 1995.
Mukunda used to be in the Humba family, but moved mid-2005 to the Rugendo family and is now the leader of this group after the July massacre.
When Mukunda was in the Humba family he was very good at protecting all the individuals. Sometimes, when he felt there was another family nearby that maybe posed a threat, he would leave the family to go and confront the potential threat. I like this.
This is very brave, and not common, especially because he is not even a Silverback but a BlackBack.
Mukunda is a natural protector.
One day about 3 years ago Innocent and I were observing the Kabirizi family, when out of the blue Mukunda appeared. We recognized him, and as he went to leave we decided to follow him. After tracking him for a while, we noticed that he re-joined the Humba family - but he had clearly come to see if Kabirizi, the formidable Silverback, was planning an interaction with Humba or represented a menace in any way.
Mukunda means Brown. In Africa we have some brown and some black people. When he was born he was browner than usual ie lighter, which is why we gave him this name. When a Mountain Gorilla is born he is quite brown, like a chimpanzee, and the hair gradually becomes darker with age.
A brave Blackback.
In August 2005 Mukunda, for a reason I do not know, moved from the Humba family to the Rugendo family. We hope he is continuing to protect his family during these difficult times. He now has a bigger responsibility than expected at this stage in his life. But I feel confident he is doing the best he can.
Diddy
Technorati : congo, drc, iccn, mikeno, mukunda, virunga, wildlifedirect
Daily news from the conservation frontline by Innocent and Diddy, and other Congolese rangers risking their lives to save mountain gorillas of the Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
What a beautiful young blackback! I love his eyes……and that face in the last picture is just too much! Thank you for sharing Diddy….I know you want so badly to get back to these magnificent creatures to see how they are doing! Still praying for an end to the mess! Take care!
Such an amazing animal…… Thanks a lot for sharing this, i loved the last picture.
Oh my what pictures — I am speechless and I miss hearing about them daily so much — God let this all end soon!
Oh, he is lovely! look at those eyes. I miss hearing about them every day, too.
s.
Yes always look at the eyes they say so much to you. He seems gentle, but I wouldnt want to find out…I personally think you guys ahve one the best jobs in the world to be able to be so close to all of these guys…It is dangerous but I beleive worth it.
Diddy, This helps alittle bit, to know that the Rugendo family has Mukunda with them. I hope they are all doing okay and that you will get to see Mukunda very soon. He looks like a natural protector and I bet he will be a gorgeous silverback someday. Thanks for sharing. Lisa
No wonder he is your favorite. What a brave guy! Hoping you will be able to see him again soon and let us know how he and his family are doing. And thanks for sharing your family yesterday. Glad your wife is doing well. I appreciate all your entries to this blog. I look forward to reading it every morning. It helps me feel more connected to you and the other rangers and, of course, the gorillas. Thanks for taking the time to write.
Diddy –
Thank you so much for this…I can definitly see why Mikunda is your favorite…he is not too unlike your brave rangers, is he? And those eyes, I agree with everyone else, just beautiful…I hope you get to see him again soon.
Diddy, I can see why he is your favorite, too. He really gets around. I’m glad he is there for the Rugendo family and I pray too, that he is up to the task.
What an amazing gorilla, thank you for all the dangerous work. One day I would love to see these wonderful families and meet you too. My life has changed since I found this blog. I spread the word daily and do what I can financial. Thanks for sharing and prays to you and to the beautiful gorillas.
Diddy, what a wonderful post. Not that I don’t enjoy hearing from you or Innocent, but I know there are more rangers. I’m sure everyone would love to know all of them and read their stories.
Thank you Diddy for this history about Mukunda, what a beautiful gorilla!
Sheryl and Jim.- As it looks Rwanda do not show any interest in the Convention of Migratory Species that I mentioned yesterday, in few words is the only explanation that I can find for such lack of collaboration in wildlife conservation, at least in this particular matter…
F.J., that just seems odd to me, especially since they’ve done so much to boost tourism to Parc des Volcans, committed to anti-poaching patrols, etc. This must have something to do with the ongoing disputes between Hutus and Tutsis and the suspicion that Rwanda is funding Nkunda in DRC. Everybod BACK inside your borders and PLAY NICE! Sheesh.
s.
Diddy. Thank you so much for sharing
Mukunda with us. He looks like a real
neat gorilla. Great shots of him.
I sure hope and pray he is ok. He has quite a job. These gorillas are just animals, but they almost feel like people. Hope your famorite gorilla is doing ok. Take care.
Diddy, Thanks for sharing you favorite with us.
Diddy, Thanks so much for the information on Mukunda. What a handsome and noble face he has!
It really sickens me that these beautiful creatures are caught in this horrible crossfire.
Many thanks to you and the rest of the courageous rangers who are trying to protect these magnificent creatures for all of us. We can never thank you enough!
Diddy,
Mukunda is certainly a brave young man. All power to him as he continues to protect his family. Pity all his man cousins don’t have the same strength of character and courage as he does.
May he reign for a long, long time.
I have just come back from visiting the Nkuringo family in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda. Such amazing, beautiful animals and it pains me to read how their fellow gorilla’s are suffering due to pointless human fighting and poaching. I wish you all the strength you need to continue your work!
Sheryl.- undoubtely the fact that Rwanda had missed this Convention has a political reason. They have done a good work protecting wildlife in the past, and is incredibly that such political movements will affect innocent animals… as always. I also hope that everybody could be back in their borders…
Sheryl and all others interested.-FOR ALL OF YOU THAT WANT TO PARTICIPATE TO STOP THE DOLPHIN´S SLAUGHTER IN JAPAN, PLEASE READ MY TODAY´S POST IN THE WHALE SHARK BLOG OF WD. Thank you.
I have already signed the petition to stop the dolphin slaughter and have fowrarded the petition link to everybody I know. Let’s hope that end will be put to that horrendous practise very soon..
HI FJ, I’ve signed the petition on the link you posted. I’ve also emailed the Japanese PM and also wrote a letter to Japanese Ambassador in London. Hopefully I will receive a reply soon.
Hello Michelle-Cali - you will soon be hearing from more Rangers - Jon Bosco, who is head of community conservation in the gorilla sector, Augustin Kambale again, the head of the Bukima patrol post - and many many others. Unfortunately at the moment we are all scattered about and it is difficult to involve everyone. But that is fully what we intend, me and Innocent and Norbert and Samantha. This is a blog for all of us protecting the Mountain Gorillas. The comments help all of us, as do the donations. Diddy
Pirjo and Jo, Sheryl, Linda.- Thank you for your interest in this fight to stop the dolphin slaughter!
I would like to offer my services to help promote your cause and to invite world visitors.
Through Virtual Reality, 3d modeling and Google Earth the potential visitor is shown the program and the cause. I own http://www.vrskytour.com
Please see my work and let me know more about contacting you.
Thanks for all your efforts,
Mark Holdridge