Fw: Gorillas Repatriated to Cameroon.

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

 

I'm just back from Cameroon, where I was priveleged to witness the arrival

of the Kano Two gorillas to the Limbe Wildlife Centre. Since I'd been

hearing about what were once the Kano Five gorillas for years, I never

believed Twigs and Brighter would ever get to LWC. But they made it and I

spent about 3 days with them (and LWC's other 8 gorillas, who remain one of

the *best* gorilla groups I've seen anywhere in captivity), getting some

good video and photos.

 

I'll be writing an update for the GH web update about the LWC visit once

jetlag subsides and I have time to wade thru the 100's of emails, including

what I thought I saw were emails about the Taiping 4 gorillas going to a zoo

in South Africa, despite protests that this would just feed the

illegal/dubious trade in gorillas by rewarding a zoo with the crimes

perpetrated by other zoos.

 

I'm also asking for info about Twigs' medical condition, where her right arm

is totally paralyzed and useless, after she was found one morning about a

year ago with a huge swelling on her shoulder and her arm laying limp,

according to Peter Jenkins of Pandrillus. No signs of a snake bite, but

perhaps it was a blunt trauma (Brighter tends to bully Twigs, who is very

subserviant to the larger Brighter) or even a spider bite?? I'll provide

more info to anyone who might have some ideas, but for now Twigs manages

with one good arm and uses her mouth to help climb, as her right arm hangs

useless. At LWC they're separating them for feeding to ensure Twigs gets

enough food and drink, since Brighter dominates so much, and once they're

introduced to the group* at LWC after quarantine, it could be Brighter's

dominance will change, as she has others (like females Pitchou and Jumbo and

young blackback Chella) to answer to.

 

*Plans and fund-raising for an improved gorilla holding area/exhibit are

being made to accommodate TWO gorilla groups, plus extra quarters to

separate, if necessary.

 

Seeing LWC again was a wonderful experience, and getting to meet Twiggy and

Brighter made the visit even more special. More later.

 

Jane Dewar

Founder Gorilla Haven

www.gorilla-haven.org

 

 

 

-

" Ape Alliance " <webmaster

<apeally

Thursday, May 29, 2003 5:19 AM

Gorillas Repatriated to Cameroon.

 

 

>

>

> drill [drill]

>

> On Friday 23rd May, the 2 adolescent female gorillas " Brighter " and

> " Twigs " were repatriated to Cameroon from Nigeria where they had lived

> for many years as pets in the northern metropolis of Kano. I'm sure

> you've all heard the story by now, but the gorillas were purchased as

> infants by a Lebanese businessman who saw them in the market and felt

> pity for them. He tried unsuccessfully several times to find permanent

> homes for them. The gorillas (ages 6 & 9 yrs) are products of the bush

> meat trade and are believed to be western lowland gorillas (G. g.

> gorilla), and not Cross River gorillas (G. g. diehli). They were

> smuggled, in separate incidents, into Nigeria as infants, to eventually

> wind up for sale in Kano. In December 2002, they were put under house

> arrest by the federal Ministry of Environment as a violation of CITES

> protocols.

>

> After months of trying to coordinate the effort, the NGO Pandrillus was

> able to successfully carry off the repatriation on Friday. The gorillas

> were transferred from Mr. Paul Raad's compound to Kano International

> Airport courtesy of Julius Berger Nigeria. They were flown on domestic

> carrier " IRS " to Lagos early Friday morning with Pandrillus Director

> Peter Jenkins, Pandrillus Nigeria Manager Ubi Sam Ettah, Alhaji Bindawa

> of Ministry of Environment (Kano), and Paul Raad of Kano. " Jam Packed

> Cargo " of Lagos coordinated their transfer to Murtala Muhammed

> International Airport terminal, and loading into a Cameroon Airlines

> 757-400 jet for the 70 minute flight to Douala.

>

> A press conference was held by Environment Minister Dr. Imeh Okopido on

> the tarmac with Brighter and Twigs holding forth in their travel crates.

> BBC, AFP and a tremendous turnout from the ever-vibrant Nigerian media

> were on hand. Also in attendance were Prof. Emmanuel Obot, Acting

> Director of Nigerian Conservation Foundation; Ian Redmond of GRASP; and

> Melanie Virtue of UNEP Nairobi. The aircraft departed Lagos at 1:15 pm

> and was received in Douala by Ministry of Environment & Forests (MINEF)

> officials and staff of Limbe Wildlife Center. On the ground in Douala

> the Provincial Delegate of Littoral Province handled all airport

> formalities for a swift and safe transfer to the Limbe Wildlife Center.

> The gorillas were promptly off-loaded to continue their journey in a

> MINEF truck to their new home in Southwest Province, where they will

> join a group of 8 gorillas, ranging in age from 3 to 13 years, once they

> complete quarantine.

>

> The Limbe Wildlife Center is a collaborative effort between MINEF and

> the NGO Pandrillus. LWC is also home to orphan chimpanzees, drills,

> mandrills, baboons and 8 other monkey species. It was created in 1993.

> Pandrillus also established and operates the Drill Rehab & Breeding

> Center in Cross River State, Nigeria. The costs for Brighter and Twigs

> repatriation were provided equally by UNEP-GRASP Nairobi and the Pan

> African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA).

>

> For further information, please contact:

>

> Tony Chasar, Manager

> Limbe Wildlife Center, Cameroon

> Limbewc

>

> or

>

> Liza Gadsby, Director

> Pandrillus Foundation

> Calabar, Nigeria

> drill

>

> WELCOME HOME TO CAMEROON, BRIGHTER & TWIGS, AND THANK YOU, NIGERIA ! !

>

> Pandrillus heartily thanks the following persons and organizations for

> helping to make Brighter and Twigs homecoming a reality, for supporting

> cooperation between Cameroon and Nigeria to protect their collective

> endangered primates, and for their continuing support of Limbe Wildlife

> Center's gorilla family:

>

> President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Paul Biya

> The Ministry of Environment of Nigeria (especially Dr. Okopido & the

> Permanent Secretary)

> The Ministry of Environment & Forests (MINEF) of Cameroon (especially

> the Honorable Minister & Mr. Denis Koulagna)

> MINEF Provincial Delegate for Littoral Province

> MINEF Provincial Delegate for South-West Province

> Douala International Airport Authorities

> UNEP-GRASP program (especially Ian Redmond, Melanie Virtue & Robert

> Hepworth)

> Fidelis Omeni, Ministry of Environment, Abuja

> Doug Cress of the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance

> Shirley McGreal and the International Primate Protection League

> Paul Raad, Kano

> Makudi (Brighter and Twig's caretaker), Kano

> Robert Brandler, London

> IRS Airlines, Kano

> Jam-Packed Cargo, Lagos (especially Jacob)

> Julius Berger Nigeria

> Cameroon Airlines

> Columbus Zoo & Aquaria

> The Arcus Foundation

> ProWildlife, Germany

> Jane Dewar, the Dewar Wildlife Trust

> Nouhou Ndam, Limbe Botanic Garden

> Comfort Ndom, Limbe Botanic Garden

> Nigerian Conservation Foundation

> Limbe Wildlife Center Staff

> and the Nigerian media for helping to make this a positive and

> successful event for the gorillas, and for the awareness to protect

> their species and habitat in Nigeria and Cameroon.

>

>