ITS A FAMILY AFFAIR; MOVING TALES OF RAISING A BABY GORILLA.

Tender love. A baby gorilla in firm hands of the mother

News of birth of a new member in our families and communities is always received with joy and excitement. Community members are always curious to know the gender of the new born, how they were born, current health condition the mother and baby are in, which health facility they are in and many others. Congratulation messages begin flowing in many forms accompanied with flowers, cards and gifts. Members begin suggesting both amazing and astonishing names for the baby. All of a sudden the new born baby alters our status symbol and the way society looks at us. There are visible dramatic changes for from now onwards we become new proud parents, we get a new brother or sister as case may be. Our parents are no longer merely parents but grandparents to the new born baby. In one way or the other, the impact of birth of a young one is comparable to an epidemic that puts the whole community on tenterhooks. The entire community seems to be under the spell magic! It is so exciting.

Mountain gorillas and chimpanzees are human kind’s closest relative of all wildlife mammal species inhabiting thick rainfall forests. We share quite similar body features like forward looking pair of eyes, high intelligence, similar 32 dentals, similar toe and finger digits, body temperature, suffer similar body ailments and many others. More or less the same are the habits, characters and body systems. In their natural environment gorillas have a life span of averagely 35 years though some individuals live beyond their 50^th birthday.  Gorillas live in groups of genetically related family members called troops under one dominant polygamous adult male; Silverback who directs the activities of the day, ensures security of the troop, determines direction of movement and enjoys unlimited breeding rights privileges with the females in the troop besides other roles. The group survival in the harsh wilderness conditions is largely dependent on individual survival and as such each troop member plays an important role to the survival and existence of the whole troop. Female gorillas reach maturity age between seven and eight years but averagely produce after ten years. Their male counterparts mature at much later age and are only able to be dominant and have off springs between fifteen years and twenty years upon death of dominant silverback and inheriting the troop, ousting the dominant silverback after fierce physical fights or upon organizing other disgruntled members in other troops.    

Female gorillas are in estrous one to 2 days every month; a period in which she elopes with the dominant silverback that enjoys breeding privileges. The gorillas have an eight and half gestation period after which she gives birth quite often at night to a single infant, pink in color and short body fur. Birthing twins is a possibility but not very common. At birth the infant ways close to 2 kilograms and solely dependent on mother’s mammary glands for nourishment, warmth and guidance while the female members in the troop form an inner ring to keep a keen eye on infant and jealously guard against attacks. The infant mortality rate of gorillas is quite high exceeding 35%. Other silverbacks and adult black backs form a formidable security for the entire troop against intrusion and predator attacks. Dominant silverbacks fight to death for the protection and well being of the troop members under his command.    

A baby gorilla clings on the mum for livelihood in infancy, at two months begins to crawl a short distance away from the mum’s hand, explore nearby strange environments and chew on soft twigs and leaves. At six months she is able to move a distance farther away from the mum, play with other infants in short vegetation, learning a few basics in the wilderness and slowly develops towards more of a troop member than a mum’s baby. In the last quarter of her second year birth day, she can survive on her own but keeps in the troop feeding much of the time and engaging in group activities from which she learns games of survival in the wilderness.

Curiosity. Baby gorilla exploring the wilderness a few inches from attentive mother.

Mountain gorillas; more bulky than Lowland gorillas, are a highly endangered wildlife species with only less than 1000individual surviving in the small pockets of the Virunga corridor that spreadsinto three African countries; Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. They cannot survive in any environment outside their natural habitat that is increasingly threatened with high population increase and encroachment for cultivation and settlement. Birth of a gorilla in some troops as is happening these days is great news for conservation agencies, tourism players and adventure loving travelers. Reputable travel agencies organize Mountain gorilla trek safaris into Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo as one sure way of interacting with the nature and getting personal with the surviving Mountain gorilla at close range.