The Gorilla in the Nyanga Tradition

In the Nyanga people's history, the gorilla has been known as a very aggressive, wicked, intimidating animal - mainly because of its ferocious-sounding vocalizations and because of the way it attacks humans. Their word for gorilla is "Muhumba", but the animal is also called "Shebirari", which means "animal that sweeps away leaves and bushes from its path". Another name is "Shempanda", which means "big-toed animal". In short, the gorilla was known to the Nyanga as a destroyer, a ravager of fields.

Relationships between the Gorillas and the Nyanga People
On a cultural level. One group of the Nyanga is called "Bahumba", meaning people who are descended from gorillas or people who call themselves "Gorilla". In fact, these people consider the gorilla as their god protecting them from all curses. The Bahumba never attack gorillas and they do not eat gorilla meat. The gorilla never attacks anyone of the Bahumba clan, nor ravages their fields, even if their fields are next to those of their neighbours. Other people use gorilla eyebrows and lips in order to attain supernatural strength and power (talking in a cold-blooded way or in a terrifying tone).
On a social level. The Nyanga believe that the gorilla recognizes humans as adversaries, but it still entertains relations with them. This is proven by the fact (they are convinced of this) that a gorilla will hardly ever attack a pregnant woman. When certain people are travelling through the forest and a gorilla blocks their path, they will therefore let a pregnant woman go ahead because they believe that the gorilla will get out of the way to let the woman pass.
Moreover, sometimes a gorilla will save the life of a person. For example, when someone has climbed a tree and does not know how to get down, a gorilla will come to help and carry the person to the ground on its back.
The Nyanga women do not eat gorilla meat, for fear that, if they do, they might give birth to a child that will resemble this villainous animal. Only men eat gorilla meat, so they have to cook it themselves in the "baraza", the men's meeting place.
Gorilla hunting is forbidden to a man whose wife is pregnant, as his presence in the forest would hinder the killing of the animal. It would become very aggressive or manage to disappear completely. When a gorilla has been slain, the villagers rejoice that another destroyer of banana plantations has been disposed of.
On an economic level. Formerly, the Nyanga used to perceive the gorilla as an annoying animal, a destroyer of fields, a bringer of death, so they hunted it at every opportunity. They immediately stopped hunting gorillas, however, after a public awareness campaign, when they heard of the national law prohibiting their hunting in order to save them from extinction (as well as prohibiting the hunting of elephants, giraffes, zebras, okapis, chimpanzees, etc.).
In short, until recently the Nyanga were not interested in the gorilla in
its natural habitat; once it had been killed, people would profit somewhat through the sale of the meat. The Nyanga knew the gorilla, but they did not understand its importance.

Jean Claude Kyungu

Jean Claude Kyungu led an ecology NGO between 1994 and 1999. Since 1997, he has been the North-Kivu consultant on biodiversity. He headed the Tayna Gorilla Reserve and is now Project Manager for the Mt. Tshiabirimu Gorilla Project.

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