Gorilla Journal 13, December 1996

The Mountain Gorillas of the Mikeno

There are seven habituated mountain gorilla groups in Zaire. The families of Rugabo, Rugendo, Ndungutse and Luwawa live exclusively in Zaire, the Faida group ranges in Uganda most of the year and is called "Nyakagezi group" there. The families of Kwitonda and Rafiki cross the border between Rwanda and Zaire.
The mountain gorillas of the Mikeno region within the Virunga National Park are in a state of shock, which has multiple causes. This is hardly recognizable during a short trip. However, it becomes apparent if it is compared to their behaviour before the crisis; the animals shift their range to search for security in other areas.
A considerable part of the Rwandan refugees in North Kivu have specialized in trade in natural products (charcoal, wood, game, etc.), obtained from the Virunga National Park. According to Nicolas Blondel (EU), approximately half of the bamboo on the Mikeno - which is an important food plant for the gorillas in certain seasons - has been cut by the refugees for the production and sale of various products (mats, baskets, construction etc.). Additionally, the observed poaching in the park has increased severely since the arrival of the refugees. The number of snares found in the park increased from 1994 to 1995 from 558 to 1,408 (nylon) and from 355 to 1,387 (wire). The number of confiscated machetes was 1,588 in 1994 and 4,078 in 1995.
All this disturbed the great apes so much that they changed their normal annual rhythm. Their usual stay in the bamboo zone from October to December was reduced to only 2 months last year.
In August 1995, within 2 weeks three gorillas (two silverbacks and one adult female) were killed by poachers who belonged to the local people of Jomba and Bukima. The motive was an inquiry by a mysterious dealer who wanted to buy baby gorillas. The poaching caused severe disturbances in the gorilla groups.
The Rugabo group is now being led by a blackback male. Within this family, the state of shock lasted only a short while; 2 weeks after the killing of two group members, the group accepted visits by tourist groups again. During the restlessness after the killing three juveniles and one subadult animal disappeared. Despite the investigations by the IZCN (Institut Zairois pour la Conservation de la Nature) and several NGOs, no traces of the animals could be found. We assume that they fled and were integrated into wild gorilla groups.
At the end of August 1995, the silverback Luwawa was killed. As a result, three members of his family disappeared. Several days after his death, a wild silverback took over the group. Its size increased to a total of ten members due to a birth.
In November 1995, the group of Ndungutse probably split while staying in the bamboo zone at the border of Zaire and Rwanda. This region is very difficult to reach for our guards, since sudden attacks by the Interahamwe and the Rwandan army make this region very unsafe to pass. Earlier this year, Rugendo's family left the park for 1 month; they were expelled by attacks and poaching. They only returned when the IZCN, the IGCP and the local people drove them back into the park.
Immediately after the killing of the gorillas, the IZCN, together with the GTZ (Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit - German Technical Aid), IGCP (International Gorilla Conservation Programme) and WFP (World Food Programme), established an effective, solid surveillance. Seven guard groups patrol near the gorillas day and night. The guards only discontinue their surveillance when the gorillas approach the border to the neighboring country or cross it. Such protective measures are very expensive and strenuous.
The GTZ and other organizations recently restricted their activities to immediate measures for the conservation of the park. The income from gorilla tourism decreased since so many Rwandans have sought refuge in Zaire. Since the attack at Kanombe (Bukima), two attacks on the border post of Bunagana and a recent attack attempt at the guard post at Jomba by Rwandans, the situation has become alarming.
Which strategies will ensure the long-term conservation of the gorillas in the current crisis? The proceeds from tourism have dropped and the GTZ and NGOs are withdrawing in spite of the presence of the Rwandan refugees and their encroachment to Rwanda during which they come very close to the ranges of the gorillas.
The poachers who had killed the gorillas to obtain infants for sale have been released from prison and returned to their villages. The gorillas can only be protected from further poaching by an open and close cooperation between the nature conservation authority and the local people. Attempts to obtain gorillas must be reported. Unfortunately, such a cooperation does not exist yet, but will be developed in view of the problems faced by both sides. The interventions of international aid organizations do not help to solve the problem as they include only emergency and immediate measures and have not developed long-term strategies.

Size of the seven habituated gorilla groups in Zaire from December 1994 to June 1996

* affected by poaching

The mountain gorillas of the Mikeno face the following problems:

• Effective cooperation between the IZCN and the local people is lacking.
• There exists a black market for young gorillas and poachers who are willing to cooperate.
• The danger of armed encroachment between Rwanda and Zaire is high.
• The refugees invade the park in large numbers, destroying the park and the habitat of the gorillas in their search for natural resources.

Claude Sikubwabo Kiyengo and Norbert Mushenzi Lusenge

Claude Sikubwabo Kiyengo conducted a gorilla survey in the Maiko National Park from 1989 to 1992, and in 1994 he took part in the gorilla census in Kahuzi-Biega. After that he worked for the ICCN in Goma and from 2000 to 2004 for the IUCN program PPP. After having worked for IUCN to develop programs that will be implemented during the next years, he joined ICCN again in 2006.

Recently we heard that at the end of November, 1996, the national park infrastructure on the Zairean part of the Virunga Volcanoes was destroyed and a number of guards killed. The gorillas seemed not to have been affected, however.

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Virunga National Park overview

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