Gorilla Protection

Category: Mountain Gorillas, Press, Rwanda, Successes, Trackers, Year of the Gorilla | Date: Jun 24 2009 | By: Daniel

Ian Redmond, Ambassador for the UN Year of the Gorilla, participated in the International Conference on Gorilla Conservation in Rwanda which preceded the annual Kwita Izina gorilla naming Ceremony. As well as being YoG Ambassador in 2009, he is also Chief Consultant for GRASP, the UNEP/UNESCO Great Ape Survival Partnership, aiming to conserve gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans - all of them endangered species. During his visit, The New Time’s Fred Oluoch-Ojiwah caught up with Ian Ambassador during the 5th Kwita Izina celebrations. This is a shortened version of the interview. FOO: Ambassador Ian Redmond, kindly share with readers the key focus areas of your ambassadorial duties. IR: It is 33 years this year since I first came to Rwanda to work with Nyiramatchabelli – the late Dr Dian Fossey – and I have spent much of my time since then talking about gorillas, writing about gorillas, studying and filming gorillas. Thus, my ambassadorial position has simply given more impetus to the work I already do, but on a higher level. The YoG is an international campaign in support of the new CMS Gorilla Agreement, a legally binding treaty agreed on by the 10 gorilla range states (most people don’t realise that out of nearly 200 countries in the world, only 10 have gorillas, and all of them are in Africa). It is fantastic how many people and organisations have joined in to make YoG2009 a success. All over the world governments, conservation organisations and zoos are organising conferences, fund-raising events, public lectures, gorilla film shows, etc. FOO: Do your efforts entail fundraising? If so, the global financial crisis has hit what could easily be your targeted sources. So what is your plan B if any? IR: Of course people all over the world are feeling the pinch financially, and this affects donations to charities, but many small donations can add up to significant amounts. The various partners are welcome to use the YoG to raise funds for gorilla projects, there is a list of priority projects for any donations to YoG itself – see www.YoG2009.org for details. As for Plan B – that should in fact be Plan A – there is a growing recognition that everyone on the planet benefits from the eco-system services provided by tropical forests – carbon storage, oxygen production, climate stability global rainfall and biodiversity – and yet none of us pay for them. More and more decision-makers agree this must change, and the UN Climate Conference to be held in Copenhagen this December will be where we hope the first steps will be taken by including tropical forests in the post-Kyoto climate agreement, which is currently being negotiated. If carbon finance is used to better manage and monitor tropical forests, it will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and degradation, it should conserve endangered species such as gorillas so they continue to play their vital role in the ecology of their habitat. FOO: How do you intend to ensure a sustainable conservation for Gorillas is as far as creating a balance between tourism and conservation is concerned in Rwanda? IR: Rwanda seems to be striking that balance very well, with professional guides and calm, habituated gorillas giving an outstanding experience to every visitor who tracks what Dian Fossey used to call ‘the greatest of the great apes’. Our hope is that Rwanda, Uganda and Eastern DRC will be able to share their experiences with the other seven countries – perhaps by sending staff on secondment to work in, say, Gabon or Cameroon or Congo Brazzaville, or by inviting people trying to develop gorilla tourism in those countries to work here for a few weeks and see how you do it. Circumstances are different in each country, so methods will likely need to be adapted to fit, but the exchange of skills and experiences would be very valuable. FOO: Talk about the projects centred around giving back to the communities living close to gorillas in Rwanda. IR: The practice of revenue sharing is one of the keys to widespread acceptance by surrounding communities of the need for protecting the Virunga Volcanoes Conservation Area. We should remember, though, that it is not just about tourism dollars! Forests provide many services to everyone just by being there; water is a good example: The Volcanoes National Park is only about half of one per cent of Rwanda’s area, and yet it receives about 10 per cent of the country’s rainfall, and the forest stores that rain and releases it slowly during the dry season. Gorillas disperse the seeds of trees such as Pygeum Africana and so by protecting gorillas you also guarantee the next generation of trees and other plants that rely on them to spread their seeds. FOO: How would you rate gorilla tracking as a regional tourism attraction? IR: Over the years I have introduced hundreds of tourists to gorillas; some of them are wealthy people who have sailed up the Amazon, visited Antarctica and watched wildlife all over the world, and yet almost without exception they come down the mountain tired, wet, scratched and muddy saying that meeting gorillas is the best experience of their lives! At the same time, many of them say they were drawn to this region by the gorillas, but they fall in love with the people too – the friendly welcome and fabulous culture is just as important to visitors. FOO: You are just back from Akagera, I presume to see what Rwandan Tourism has to offer. What is your take about our destination? IR: It was wonderful to see the Akagera Lodge refurbished, and the views there are world-class. I was saddened a few years ago when Akagera was reduced in size, but from what I have heard of the government’s environmental policies today, the importance of rebuilding eco-systems outside of protected areas is well understood. Our challenge in the 21st Century is to help communities develop and improve their standard of living in a way that is compatible with a healthy planet, and that means adapting our farming methods to become more sustainable, and planting more trees (especially indigenous species, which also support bird and insect life). Tourists who fly increasingly want to offset the resulting carbon emissions; Rwanda is trying to reforest its denuded hillsides – why not put these two facts together and offer every visitor the chance to offset the greenhouse gas emissions from their travel by contributing to a community tree-planting project?

Tags: Ian Redmond, Rwanda, Threats, tourism, Year of the Gorilla

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Category: Community, Humanitarian Situation, Mountain Gorillas, Threats, Year of the Gorilla | Date: Jun 15 2009 | By: Daniel

Posted on behalf of Tuver Wundi of the Gorilla Organisation 

Hi, this is Tuver, Communications Manager of the Gorilla Organization.

Since the new technology for the production of fuel-efficient stoves has been popularised in the region, there is now a collective of local women producing and further popularising fuel-efficient stoves to fight against the excessive use of charcoal.

Women in Goma are now getting together to raise awareness of the fuel-efficient stoves made from clay in the city and its surroundings, and to themselves make clay dishes, one of the constituent elements of the stoves known as “Jiko Kenya” stoves, as pictured.

This practice is stressed following the popularisation of this technique by Aide Kivu, as supported by The Gorilla Organization in 2008. Although they need further funds to produce more, Aide Kivu is pleased that other partners in conservation have followed up the initiative and assisted some more mothers in Goma with the production of improved stoves.

The aim of Deocard Kalusi, Executive Secretary of Aide Kivu, is to see his organisation meet the growing needs for fuel-efficient stoves, which are now the main focus of his activities.

Please help us meet this need!

Tags: charcoal, deforestation, Mountain Gorillas, YOG

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Category: Community, Humanitarian Situation, Mountain Gorillas, Threats, Year of the Gorilla | Date: May 06 2009 | By: Daniel

I am posting this on behalf of Tuver, who works for the Gorilla Organisation Fuel-efficient stove project. 

Hi, this is Tuver

Mme. Solange Kavira, a resident of Katoy neighborhood in the city of Goma, arrived on Monday 4th May 2009 at the Office of Aide- Kivu on Masisi Avenue in the town of Goma to convey her thanks for her fuel-efficient stove.

She told Déocard Kalusi (Project Manager of Aide-Kivu), “Thanks for the stove that I purchased from Aide Kivu in July 2008 which allows me to be more efficient. I no longer use 4 bags of embers per month but 1.5 sacks. The performance of this stove is a relief for my home. “

Mme. Solange said that the stove, called “Jiko Beni”, works so well as it uses a model that reduces fuel use, which reduces costs and enables increased investment in other sectors of life. Ms. Solange also wanted to buy a new stove but was disappointed to see that no more stock is currently available from the Aide-Kivu Gorilla Organization project.

Please donate to enable the spread of more stoves! Thank you!!

Tags: charcoal, deforestation, fuel-efficient stoves, Gorilla Organisation, logging, Year of the Gorilla

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Category: Community, Mountain Gorillas, Threats, Year of the Gorilla | Date: Apr 27 2009 | By: Daniel

I post this on behalf of Tuver, the communications manager of the Gorilla Organization, and blogger for the stoves project.

Hi, this is Tuver,

Madame Helena, a charcoal seller in the little TMK market in Goma, came to complain last Friday about the fall in customers, now that many people in her area are using fuel-efficient stoves distributed from the display room of AIDE-Kivu located in Katindo. She accuses AIDE-Kivu of providing good fuel-efficient stoves to residents of Goma, who are now using less charcoal since they have improved their lifestyle by using these stoves, and in this way reducing the consumption of charcoal and wood coming from the Virunga National Park and its surroundings. This seller told Madame Habamungu Maisirika Docile, who is in charge of promoting and selling the fuel-efficient stoves for AIDE-Kivu, that they are not meeting the demand at the store, as many women are trying out the special “Kenya Jiko” and “Bembeleza” stoves produced through the Gorilla Organization - AIDE-Kivu partnership.

However, she was pleased to see that the stock of these stoves had noticeably reduced at the display room, and told herself to get ready to corner the market during the drop in supply, because these families will not realise how to get themselves this technology that reduces the harmful effects on the natural habitat of our close cousins the gorillas. It is therefore time to act so that AIDE-Kivu are not lacking the materials to produce these modern stoves. Act now!

Tags: charcoal, deforestation, fuel-efficient stoves, Gorilla Organisation, logging, Year of the Gorilla

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Category: Mountain Gorillas, Rangers | Date: Apr 03 2009 | By: paula

Four senior wildlife officers who had been arrested for the July 2007 killings of 5 mountain gorillas have been found guilty of a lesser charge o f destruction of flora and fauna.

There was insufficient evidence to link them to the killings of the gorillas and they were each fined US $ 5,000 and sentenced for 6 months imprisonment for the illegal charcoal trade which is said to have earned each of them up to $15,000 per month. The officers have been suspended from the ICCN.

The alleged mastermind of the gorilla killings Honore Mashagiro, is on trial. He is the former Director of the Virunga National Park and is accused of involvement in the illegal charcoal mafia and killings of the gorillas in July 2007.

This is the first time that the ICCN has prosecuted it’s own officers and represents a significant achievement towards zero tolerance of illegal activities by the wildlife officers.

Emmanuel de Merode, former CEO of WildlifeDirect, is the current Director of the Virunga Park. All of us at WildlifeDirect applaud Emmanuel and his team for this achievement, and look forward to continued successes in protecting the mountain gorillas.

Tags: charcoal, DR Congo, gorilla massacre, ICCN, illegal killings, Mountain Gorillas, Rangers, Virunga National Park

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Category: Community, Humanitarian Situation, Mountain Gorillas, Threats | Date: Mar 26 2009 | By: Daniel

Today, I would like to feature another Year of the Gorilla project, this time for Mountain Gorillas. The project is a low-cost high-impact project benefiting the gorillas and their habitat as well as the local human population. The Gorilla Organisation runs it, and you will hear from them on this blog soon.

Fuel-efficient Stoves to reduce Firewood Harvesting in Mountain Gorilla Habitat

Trespassing into the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) national parks to collect firewood and charcoal is destroying the forests and threatening the survival of the gorillas that inhabit them. The use of fuel-efficient stoves reduces firewood consumption by up to 70%, reducing the demand for fuel and therefore decreasing the local communities’ reliance on the forest resources. These stoves not only benefit the environment, but also reduce the cost of fuel, as less is required and produce less smoke than traditional stoves, improving the health of those within the household. 

Objectives: The overall objective of the project is to reduce reliance on the resources of the Virunga National Park through the production and distribution of fuel-efficient stoves in North Kivu Province, DRC. The specific objectives are:
- To produce and distribute a minimum of 1,000 fuel-efficient stoves.
- To improve health by reducing the volume of harmful smoke produced by stoves.
- To increase community awareness of the consequences of deforestation and the need to conserve DRC’s forests.

 Activities: The project began in January 2008 and is already having a very positive impact on the communities living around the Virunga National Park. A workshop where stoves will be produced has been installed on the main Goma - Bukavu road where communities lack electricity and therefore rely solely on charcoal and firewood, and by the end of the year 500 stoves will have been produced. These are being sold for $3 each, helping to generate a small profit, which is being reinvested in the project. Regular workshops are held to sensitise both the communities and the local authorities on the importance of using fuel-efficient stoves and the need for forest conservation. During 2009 the project is set to produce a further 500 - 1,000 stoves and will continue all sensitisation activities.

2009 Budget : $ 21,258 (£ 12,503)
This includes staff, office and travel expenses as well as the costs for tools, materials and workshops.

This is a sustainability project par excellence and benefits all sides: the gorillas and other animals of the forest, the forest itself and the local population. Speak of a win-win…Please donate for this great project!!

Tags: mountain gorilla, sustainability, Year of the Gorilla, YOG

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Category: Eastern Lowland Gorilla, Mountain Gorillas | Date: Mar 23 2009 | By: paula

Some hilarious photographs were taken in Rwanda suggesting that gorillas getting drunk on bamboo juice in Rwanda

The photographs were takne by Andy Rouse who belives that Kwitonda got drunk and then had a massive hang over afterwards. I’m not sure if gorillas can get drunk on bamboo juice but the pictures are pretty stunning.

Jane Goodall saving gorillas

Jane Goodall has launched a mobile phone recycling program at Melbourne Zoo, with two objectives: to recycle coltan and cut demand for coltan mining, and to raise funds to pay for extra park rangers to prevent gorilla poaching.

“So far we’ve collected 6037 phones, which is enormous,” said Melbourne Zoo primate keeper Andrea Edwards, who was in the Democratic Republic of Congo last year as a volunteer at a primate orphanage.

“We’ve already sponsored a park ranger in the Maiko national park in the north-eastern part of the country to patrol the area. If we’ve already paid one ranger’s wage in a few months, and this program is going national, I can only imagine what the zoos of Australia can achieve when they get together,” she said.

“We can hire more rangers, give them better equipment and make it safer for them and better for the animals. It’s real and it’s tangible and it’s very, very exciting.”

Eastern Lowland gorilla numbers have dropped by 70 per cent in the last five years due to disease and poaching for meat, part of Africa’s bush meat trade.

Roughly $2 is raised for each phone. Zoos Victoria’s partner in the scheme, Aussie Recycling, can also refurbish and resell phones that are less than five years old.

For our friends in Australia, phones can be dropped off at Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Open Range Zoo or Healesville Sanctuary, or a free postage label can be downloaded at zoo.org.au.

Tags: coltan, drunk, gorillas, Jane Goodall, Kwitonda, Rwanda, wildlifedirect

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Category: Mountain Gorillas | Date: Mar 13 2009 | By: paula

The first ever animated film about mountain gorillas is about to be released it has just been announced  on the All Africa news website.

“Written in Luganda and titled Galiwango: Obulamu Bwe Kisodde, (The life of a Gorilla), the film aims to sensitise the public about the plight of mountain gorillas in Rwanda, the DRC and Uganda.

The film creater, US-based artiste Solomon Jagwe, relies on his skills and African roots to create a sombre but humour-filled animated film. His goal is to draw attention to the existence of this unique natural resource.

Galiwango is a tribute to Jagwe’s grandmother whom he says taught him how to tell stories as a young boy. “I remember sitting by her feet and listening intently as she recounted stories of Waguluddene, Wakayima and Wango.” he says.

Jagwe tells the story of the struggles and triumphs of the gorillas from a captured gorilla’s point of view. He weaves into the tale a human element of interaction with technology, war and humour.

Galiwango’s story begins in the thick tropical forests of the Virunga Mountains. Jagwe traces the gorilla’s journey after it is taken from Uganda and illegally sold to a research facility in an undisclosed Western country.

Years later, Galiwango’s journey comes full circle to Uganda.

A plane carrying equipment and a crate housing Galiwango, is shot down over the Virunga Mountains.

At the crash site Galiwango meets two other gorillas, Muwanguzi, an aging Silver Back and Lutalo, who carries a rifle. The rest of the story explores the dangers of living in a forest that is full of conflict and greed.

Close encounters with poachers and rebels drive the need by Galiwango and his friends to stay alert.

Jaggwe hopes that Ugandans can appreciate the rare gift they have in the mountain gorillas and fight against the possibility of their extinction”.

We can’t wait to see it!

Tags: , animated movie, CNDP, Congo, DR Congo, gorillas, ICCN, mountain gorilla, Virunga

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Category: Community, Humanitarian Situation, Mountain Gorillas, Press, Threats | Date: Oct 02 2008 | By: rumangaboyouth

If you have a cell phone, DVD player or use a computer then chances are that some part of these devices are made of  Coltan. Coltan and Cassiterite are minerals found mainly in the Congo where it’s exploitation has been linked to the deadly conflicts and human abuses.

These mines are typically worked by children

The good news is that U.S. Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) have introduced the Conflict Coltan and Cassiterite Act, legislation which would require certification of minerals imported from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Their press release earlier this year

“We are witnessing a grave humanitarian crisis in Congo, and we must act now to put an end to the death and suffering,” said Brownback. “Everyday, Americans use products that have been manufactured using inhumanely mined minerals. The legislation introduced by Senator Durbin and I will bring accountability and transparency to the supply chain of minerals used in the manufacturing of many electronic devices.”

Every day in Congo, 1,500 people die as a direct or indirect result of the conflict over the mining of minerals like cassiterite and coltan; to date, the conflict has displaced more than 1.3 million Congolese and has resulted in over 5.4 million deaths.

“Without knowing it, tens of millions of people in the United States may be putting money in the pockets of some of the worst human rights violators in the world, simply by using a cell phone or laptop computer,” Durbin said. “We ought to do all we can to make sure that the products we use and the minerals we import, in no way support those who violate human rights abroad.”

The Conflict Coltan and Cassiterite Act requires the President to compile a list of armed groups in the DRC committing serious human rights violations, and prohibits the importation into the U.S. of any product containing columbite-tantalite (”coltan”) or cassiterite (tin ore) from the DRC if groups on the list would financially benefit.

Approximately 65% of the world’s coltan reserves are located in Congo. Congolese civilians are terrorized and brutalized by warring rebel groups seeking to capitalize on the mining of these minerals. Coltan is commonly used in electronic devices like cell phones, computers, and DVD players.

You can read more about this piece of legislation and what you can do on Take Action website here. According to this site, the bill has been referred to the Committee on Finance.

Tags: Cassiterite, coltan, Conflict, Congo

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