Jan 13 2008
Vumilia the gorilla orphan died in the early hours
Vumilia, the older of the gorilla orphans in Mutsora, died in the early hours of today.
Vumilia on the right, Mapendo on the left, taken a couple of days ago. Vumilia - meaning Patient - was named as such because he was ill when he arrived, and he needed patience to get better. Mapendo means Love - and she was given this name when she arrived in Mutsora because she showed deep affection for Vumilia.
I have just heard the news from Dr Lucy and the team at Mutsora. Lucy has posted more about it on Gorilla Doctors, so please read her entry for more information.
This is an incredibly sad day. Dr Jacques and Dr Eddy from MGVP have been working tirelessly over recent days to improve the health of Mapendo and Vumilia. Andre, one of the carers for Ndeze and Ndakasi, had also traveled to Mutsora to help with the care of the new orphans. The effort made by MGVP, ICCN, DFGF(I) and WildlifeDirect to save the orphans was significant. We all feel frustrated and sad.
Andre & Mapendo this morning
If you would like to donate to the care of Mapendo please make a monthly contribution of just $20 or more by clicking on the item and Donate button at the side of this blog. Alternatively you can make a one-time donation through the Open One-Time Donation button, and you can insert a note saying that you would like it to go to Mapendo. All these funds will be managed by Dr Lucy and her team in their entirety.
WildlifeDirect donations made through this blog have already been spent (about $2,000) on Mapendo and Vumilia, for logistics, communications, forest food, transport etc. And WildlifeDirect Gorilla Blog donations to the tune of $8K are in the process of being sent to the Gorilla Doctors to cover other costs coming up. The cost of working in isolated areas can be significant - getting forest food, making phone calls, moving around, flying around (due to poor roads and insecurity) - you name it.
Thank you for your support.
Samantha
Update at 3.30pm with photos just taken by Virginia of Mapendo:
Technorati : congo, drc, iccn, vet, 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
This is indeed sad news. My heart is with that little one lost. I still hope for little Mapendo and thank you all for your tireless work.
im really sorry,really sad news..all my love to the guys who are looking after the gorrillas xxx
I read the headline in my Google reader and immediately burst into tears. I know that Dr. Leakey says we have human problems that need human solutions, but I cannot forgive the humans who caused Vumilia’s death and all the horrible events leading up to it. Bastards.
s.
oh God, Sam, Dr. Eddy, Dr. Jaques, And Andre, I am so, so sorry, My heart is just broken for you and Mapendo…so much sad news these days…just know how much we all support you and how much you are all in our thoughts all the time…i can barely type this through the tears, these poor babies, it is so unfair…damn it!!!!
We’re deeply saddened. All I can say is that we will do all we can to care for Mapendo and all that we can to help ICCN’s rangers find those responsible and bring them to justice.
So terrible..I really had hope that he was doing better! Everyone is heartbroken I am sure…I can’t imagine working with them the last week or two and then this happening….I am so sorry! I suppose all the energy needs to go to Mapendo now!I hope that poor baby will make it …I am sure he/she will miss her friend!
I thought I had prepared myself for this possiblity but I was wrong. We have had far too many days of mourning for these innocent animals. My heart is with Vumilia and I pray that Mapendo can survive yet another loss. Thank you MGVP, WLD and everyone who tried to save this poor little guy. Like everyone else, I am just outraged and frustrated that the criminals never seem to caught or punished. EMMANUEL, is there any place for a reward to capture those responsible for this brutality or this a naiive/counterproductive thought? As I previously mentioned, I would fully fund such a reward. I have sent another donation in memory of Vumilia.
Virginia — Thank you for the most recent photos of Mupendo, though my heart aches for Vumilia, it is also filled with hope for this little one. Ah, but her eyes look so sad and searching…
Dear Samantha i am very happy you are come back.
I am very sadness for this news.
I have two question for you:
1) from the field:there is a possibility of peace from the peace conference in Goma ?.
2) what’s the situation in Ishango, Atamato’s home? The FLDR are too in this region ?
Dear Dr Antonio - thanks for the welcome back! First of all it is too early to say what the result will be of the peace conference. We have a few days yet to go, and if i have learned anything from my time in DRC it is not to predict anything. So I will just let events run their course, and I hope the fighting will end. Re Question 2, Ishango is absolutely fine (all relative of course here!). There are no FDLR THAT close to him. As the crow flies they would be about 250 miles away which is a very long way here. FDLR are mainly in the southern and central sectors of Virunga National Park. That is where the problems need to be resolved. In the northern sector there are NALU, National Army for the Liberation of Uganda - but they are not too much of a problem as their numbers are small. And of course there are the different Mai Mai groups. But remember the one that was a major threat to Atamato left the area. Hope that helps and will keep you posted on peace talks. Samantha
Cathy, thanks for your offer. Without going into too much detail, there is an ongoing operation to try to identify those that committed the crime. We’ll keep you updated. We don’t normally give rewards, but be assured that the rangers are extremely motivated to find these poachers. The funds that you provide through this blog also go towards providing them with a salary.
Thank you, Virginia, for the new pictures of Mapendo. I think I would hold her and never put her down.
s.
I’ve been ill the last day or so…I always come to this blog first. I’m devastated, this little guy was so brave and took such good care of Mapendo. I share in everyone’s frustration and outrage. Yes Sheryl, I too would gladly hold Mapendo, to feel her little heart beating against mine. Perhaps it was Vumilia’s diarrhea or infection from his wounds that led to his premature passing. Little Mapendo, from what I understand, did not sufffer from either. We’re all praying for you sweet girl, all your aunts and uncles…
The little guy had pain in his eyes - I hoped he would gain trust and health but I somehow felt he was lost, sad and not going to make it-at least he left with people being kind and trying to help him and not in some damn crate being beaten and sold for bushmeat - God this has to stop!
Tommorow, I will enter a residency for little Vumilia at Rainbow Bridge. For thos of you not acquainted with this organization, this is where you can honor your beloved pet who has passed. Even the famous racing horse, Barlboro is “buried” here. This blog is visited by people from all over the world who pay their respects by leaving their comments. I will tell Vumilia’s story to the world and how WLD valently tried to save him. I will speak of little Mapendo also. I will choose the music for his gravesite and his flowers…I’ll keep you posted once it is up and running, so you can visit him there. GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN!
I am completely heartbroken today. It has taken me awhile to even want to comment on the passing of Vumilia because I am so, so sad. The picture of Andres and Mapendo is heartbreaking. Poor little Mapendo looks so sad, as does Andres. I’m so sorry for this loss and prey that little Mapendo recovers from this loss and regains her emotional well being and strength. Andres thank you for showing her love and kindness and also for doing the same for little Vumilia. It is comforting to know, as Wanda said, that Vumilia knew the kindness and love from a human hand before he passed. We, humans are not all evil and greedy. Thank you Andres. I would like my monthly $25 donation to the GP site to go towards the care of Mapendo. Thank you. May little Vumilia rest in peace and may the Rangers find the bastards that caused this. Lisa
Theresa so kind of you to enter Vumilia on the Rainbow Bridge…I do know of this organization….Andre does look sad….so does little Mapendo..I hope some more friends can be put around her to help with the loss…geez she lost her parents and now this…….just sickening!
Ok I just watched Anderson Cooper’s report on The War Against Women in the Congo!!!!! Just broke my heart what these poor women go through……if they are doing this crap to women no wonder they have no heart for animals!!!!!! Unbelievable!
I was reviewing the picture in that Vumilia appears looking for his wounded arm with a terrible pain expression. My God, how much human iniquity. How many more animals will die before we can live in harmony both men and animals?
You can read a transcript of this evening’s “60 Minutes” with Anderson Cooper about the war against women in Congo: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/11/60minutes/main3701249.shtml
The video should be online in a couple of days.
s.
my sympathies to andre and mapendo. it is heartbreaking for us here i can imagine how they feel. hopefully mapendo will make it. i am making a contribution now for mapendo’s care. may vumilla rest in peace. hopefully there is another life where he will be re-united with his family.
may those responsible for his pain rot in hell.
I am very saddened by the loss of Vumilia. The problem when poachers take away infant gorillas is that they are also disrupting elaborate social structures, which are essential for species survival. It must be extremely difficult for an orphan gorilla to be introduced into the wild as it requires acceptance by an unrelated group, and it needs to be taught the knowledge of survival, which is possibly a case of opportunity lost with the demise of its parents. This is one reason I am sceptical of zoos, as in captivity the social structures and the knowledge of how to survive in the wild are lost. Few species can survive in the wild after being bred in captivity.
I am also concerned that many poachers do not have access to the internet, newspapers, radio, or books, or television and so it is very easy to miss the net of education. Even if the poachers here were caught and punished, how many other poachers would actually hear about it, and how many would care? I suspect that most would think that they just need to be careful not to
get caught, and not that their actions are wrong.
Our only hope is that there is a massive international intervention, as the scale of the problem is probably far greater than we can imagine, and for the poor gorillas, there is not much time to save them.
Hi Tony. I’m not sure why you’re skeptical of zoos unless you think that zoos breed animals in captivity for eventual release into the wild? I know for a fact that’s not the case for any AZA-accredited zoos in the U.S. Captive-born and raised animals are not good candidates for return to the wild for all the reasons you state, and more. However, in our zoo the gorillas and orangutans have typical social groups and a lot of care goes into maintaining the groups.
s.
Our zoo works very hard to conserve and learn as much as possible about all the species we care for, in case there aren’t any specimens some day in the wild.
s.
what a waste of nature, an incredible primate society ravaged by cowardly thugs. how much charcoal or firewood is worth killing a majestic creature. for those of you trying to protect your land and it’s animals i wish you all the best, you are doing an honorable thing, bless you all.
It is heartbreaking reading this news, poor Vumilia has been through so much in his short little life, his will obviously just gave up in the end. Hopefully Mapendo will go from strength to strength.