Nov 23 2007
Nsekuye & Kabila
We were again looking through pictures with Samantha - in actual fact to find pictures for CBS 60 Minutes. We were meant to go to Rumangabo today but fighting has broken out at Rugari, about 12km south of Rumangabo, so we are stuck in Goma. Rugari is at the bottom of the hill of the Gorilla Sector - there has been sporadic fighting there over the last 3 months that we have blogged about before.
We thought you would all like this picture of Nsekuye and her infant Kabila that has not been posted before on the blog. Nsekuye was the adult female shot and killed in June. Kabila is one of the orphans in Goma, that you can see pictures of here and also on Dr Lucy Spelman’s blog.
Nsekuye means “the saviour of a family”. She was given this name because she seemed very intelligent when she was born.
We do not know exactly how old Nsekuye (also spelled N’sekuye) was but she was old because she had had several children, including the adult female Janja and the blackback Kayenga.
When Nsekuye had been carried down the hill she was brought to Rumangabo for an autopsy by the MGVP vets. Then she was buried in our gorilla cemetery. (I, Innocent, am on the left in this photo).
Janja, taken about a year ago
The security situation remains the same as you can see. We have been working in Goma since Monday with Jean Bosco, Balemba (the accountant who runs the Rumangabo Youth Alliance blog) and the administrator from FZS to get our operational plan together for 2008. We are still waiting for a solution to the conflict so we can go back in and do our jobs. Unfortunately there is no more news from Patrice - in other words he has not been able to get back into the Gorilla Sector again since November 12th.
Diddy & Innocent
Technorati : congo, drc, iccn, 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
[…] nialler9 - Music/Mp3 Blog wrote an interesting post today!.Here’s a quick excerpt We were again looking through pictures with Samantha - in actual fact to find pictures for CBS 60 Minutes. We were meant to go to Rumangabo today but fighting has broken out at Rugari, about 12km south of Rumangabo, so we are stuck in Goma. Rugari is at the bottom of the hill of the Gorilla Sector - there has been sporadic fighting there over the last 3 months that we have blogged about before. We thought you would all like this picture of Nsekuye and her infant Kabila that has not been post […]
I love the picture of Nsekuye and Kabila. Nsekuye looks like she was a very tender Mother. You can see it in her eyes. I think about the very poignanat letter that was posted yesterday written by the women of North Kivu. I suppose it’s absolutely no accident that all the adult females “Mothers” of the Rugendo Family were killed. A female “Mother” does have the ability to be the saviour of the family. A female has the POWER to hold life. It is very, very sad to think that the female role, both for the human family and the mountain gorilla family is being destroyed. I am happy and very, very proud for these women of North Kivu province because they are speaking out and requiring that their voices be heard. I wish them all well and hope and prey that their voices are heard and that something is done to strenghthen and support their positive roles as the “saviour of the faimly” and honor their power to hold and give life. Lisa
Thanks again for the update. Do you have any ideas when the story will air on 60 minutes?
No idea yet Pam but I will let you know as soon as I do!
Thank you Diddy and Innocent for this report. I´m happy to hear that representatives from FZS are there with you. The frankfurt Zoological Society has received funds from some conservation institutions (among them PIBI´s BRF and ACWP) around the world to be used in the protection of the mountain gorillas and other endangered wildlife of the area. I hope that very soon you and the rest of the rangers can go into the gorilla sector and be able to monitoring our gorillas. Good luck to you all.
Thanks for the beautiful and heartbreaking photos of Kabila and his mom. I’m also glad to hear you’re still making plans for 2008 - that kind of optimism is fantastic.
As for the 60 Minutes piece, you can visit their Web site at cbs.com and register to get updates on upcoming episodes. I just got one the other day. No gorillas.
s.
Thank you for the updates … I read on the BBC that one of the rebel groups had released some children which seemed like a tiny good sign … Patrice’s update was featured last week on the BBC’s weekly gorilla update … http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6983572.stm … WD now has a window, in the lower left, on the home page … http://wildlifedirect.org … which shows the latest updates … I surely hope and pray the violence ends soon … thank God the Ranger’s families are safe! …
Just brings tears to my eyes that this momma had to die such a cruel way…she seemed so gentle and that baby is adorable! I hope these idiots leave the rest of the gorillas alone and stop harming them for no reason other than to be hateful!!!!!! I hope Janja is doing ok she is a beauty! Gosh I just want you guys to be able to get back in touch with all of them! Thank you for sharing….
Thank you - so good but oh so sad to have a photo of Kabila with his mum. BBC reporting army about to take Nkunda by force, as the only way. Sounds like it’s about to get much worse so take such care all of you. Thinking of you always.
Everyone vote on
animal planet for Wild 100 they ive a $1 fo eah vote!!!
Sorry typos— “they donate $1 for each vote”…………..
I really don’t understand how people can be so cruel. I realize there are economic hardships, and the root of the problem is very deep. In the end doesn’t everyone want the same thing no matter what side they are on… to live comfortably, and peacefully? We should gather all of the leaders, and have a giant sit down tea party to talk about all of this, get it out in the open and squash the fighting once and for all.
Rumangabo Youth Alliance…
With holidays around the corner (no matter what anyone celebrates) is there a way we could send gifts to the youth? I know money is always nice, but it would be nice to send actual gifts as well. Is this possible? What about sending gifts to the rangers?
~Mary
http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=18279
I don’t even know what to say about the news anymore. Just be safe, everyone. Run if you have to …
s.
so freakin’ depressing…….
I’m just speechless and disgusted that the U.S. doesn’t do more to help in this matter. Something has got to be done. All I can think about are the parentless children that are going hungry and taken off the streets and from their schools to fight. Children the age of my son. I wish I could sponser a child in need or adopt a child that has lost everything and give them a better life and chance. I so wish there was an answer. An easy solution. That all of this wasn’t so devestatingly complicated. It’s just not fair and I’m so disappointed in the United States government for not doing more to help. I just really, really am. Lisa
Hey y’all, it’s the final poll for the month at SearchKindly and right now Friends of Bonobos is NOT in the lead. So get voting! Get everyone you know to vote every day as often as possible. All y’all WD people gotta vote, too! Remember, you can vote every 8 hours from different browsers on the same machine.
s.
thanks sheryl, i’d just spotted that on search kindly website, was just about to say the same thing. There’s only 38 votes at the moment, so once everyone from here gets voting! they will sail into the lead!
It is 2pm west coast time.
We are a distant 3rd in the searchkindly poll–Lola Ya Bonobos. PLEASE GET VOTING!!
I’ve been voting. I can’t believe we are so far behind. Something’s up. Lisa
Is there any way for letters on your progress to be sent to me?Thank you for all your efforts. These animals need our help.
God bless your hearts.