New Census for Mountain Gorillas in Uganda's Impenetrable Forest
12/1/97
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Headline: New Census for Mountain Gorillas in Uganda's Impenetrable Forest
Source: Wildlife Conservation Society
Date: 12/1/97
Contact: Stephen Sautner
ssautner@wcs.org
718-220-5197
Wildlife Conservation Society
A team of scientists has counted nearly 300 mountain gorillas living
in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, bringing the
total to around 600 for this most endangered gorilla sub-species.
The census, conducted in October and November by the Bronx Zoo-based
Wildlife Conservation Society, International Gorilla Conservation
Programme, the Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation and the
Uganda Wildlife Authority resulted in a tally of 292 individual
gorillas from 28 groups, along with seven lone silverbacks (adult
males).
Using survey techniques developed in the Virunga Conservation Area,
where the other, much better-known population of mountain gorillas
live, researchers followed trails and counted nests. To lessen the
possibility of missing groups or counting them twice, more survey
teams were used than in the past, counting over a shorter period of
time.
Each night, gorillas build a new nest, and researchers can tell the
age of the animal that slept there by the size of dung piles left
behind, and if it is a female by the presence of infant dung. In
addition, silvery hairs found in the nest can reveal the presence of
adult males. Researchers collected hairs from every nest for DNA
fingerprinting, to confirm that no groups were counted twice, and to
understand the genetic differences between the Bwindi and Virunga
populations. Bwindi gorillas differ from Virunga gorillas by their
shorter hair and slightly longer limbs. Further research will be
needed to confirm whether the Bwindi gorillas are themselves a
sub-species distinct from the Virunga population.
The steep mountains and thick, thorny brush that give the
Impenetrable Forest its name provided a significant challenge for
the census teams that scoured all areas of the park in search of
gorilla trails. Teams consisted of national park staff from Uganda,
Rwanda, and Congo as well as visiting scientists from conservation
organizations working in the region, marking another positive
milestone to protect gorillas.
The future of these rare gorillas remains uncertain, however. "Given
that the Virunga Volcanos is currently a war zone and that park
staff cannot even enter this region to monitor the gorillas, there
is strong concern in the conservation community that there may be
even fewer than 600 animals," said Dr. Andrew Plumptre, assistant
director for Africa programs of the Wildlife Conservation Society..
The results of the Bwindi census will be critical to a strategic
analysis to be conducted at the upcoming Mountain Gorilla Population
and Habitat Viability Analysis (PHVA) Workshop, organized by the
Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Conservation and Breeding
Specialist Group of IUCN. The workshop will be held in Uganda from
Dec. 8-12, and will bring together, for the first time,
representatives from national parks of the three mountain gorilla
range countries and conservation agencies working on gorillas.
The workshop participants will work together to design a regional
plan of action that will best ensure the conservation of these
endangered gorilla populations. "Team members from the recent census
will attend the PHVA workshop and it is hoped that these census
results, in conjunction with the exciting spirit of collaboration
between the organizations and field personnel involved in the
census, will inspire the further cooperation necessary to ensure the
conservation of these rare gorilla populations," said Dr. Liz
Macfie, programme manager for the International Gorilla Conservation
Programme in Uganda.