The Week of (Not) Living Dangerously

Condé Nast Traveler features this lengthy essay about a trip to see the Mountain Gorillas by Klara Glowczewska.

Guhonda was some 450 pounds, measured over six feet when fully upright, and was shaggily, luxuriantly hirsute. Our eyes met repeatedly but fleetingly as he surveyed his terrain, and I was struck by how very nearly human his gaze was—97.7 percent of his DNA is identical to ours. Guhonda is a silverback (or sexually mature male) mountain gorilla, of the subspecies Gorilla beringei beringei. He is the dominant male in the Sabyinyo group, one of seven mountain gorilla families in Rwanda's northern Parc National des Volcans. I was crouching about ten feet away from him on the vertiginous, rain-forested slopes of a dormant volcano, seven of which, some up to 15,000 feet high, form the mountainous backbone of central Africa—'so high up,' Dian Fossey wrote, 'that you shiver more than you sweat.'

It's late, so I've not read the entire thing yet. I'll probably do a quick conversion in order to read it on my Sony Reader tomorrow. Eleven pages of on-PC reading isn't particularly comfortable, but with the Reader, it'll be fine.

Komodo is a diver's heaven, and ecotourism destination

TIME recently ran an article called "Here Be Dragons" about the development of Komodo's visitor facilities and lure as an ecotourism destination.

More than 2,500 Komodo dragons still roam freely across the island, with some measuring up to 10 ft. (3 m) in length. There are 37 different types of reptile species besides, as well as 32 species of mammals. The waters off Komodo are diver heaven — home to more than 1,000 species of fish, 385 species of reef-building corals and six species of whales.
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Detailed information, including a guide to alternative transport arrangements, can be found at www.komodonationalpark.org. Do note that July and August is mating season, which makes it more difficult to catch a glimpse of the dragons — and even if you do spot one, a mating Komodo dragon is disturbed only at your dire peril.

Mountain Gorilla Roundup

Here's a quick roundup of some Mountain Gorilla links that have caught my eye recently.

Richard Leakey (presenter of the recent Fifth Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture) was interviewed for a National Geographic Podcast about the birth of an endangered Mountain Gorilla. The Gorilla Protection Blog commented on the interview.

The excellent Gorilla Protection Blog again with a post about "What Happens when Poachers Kill Mountain Gorillas?".

Opodo.co.uk with a report that the Ugandan Wildlife Authority has announced plans to bring two more mountain gorilla family groups into Bwindi National Park for eco-tourism purposes.

ThisIsLondon.co.uk with an extensive article about a Alcatraz style island for delinquent gorillas. Lots of great photos.

Will the crate be strong enough? I give it a rattle. Thick welded bars at the front, padlocks, a steel frame and 15 millimetre ply panels. Even Houdini wouldn't have stood a chance.

But Houdini did not weigh a quarter of a tonne, did not possess rippling muscles capable of throwing a grown man several feet into the air - and nor did he have the animal equivalent of an Asbo hanging over him. Even in his weakened state, the crate's inmate, Sid, is growing restless, and this most truculent and traumatised of beasts is capable of causing a lot of trouble.

Mountain Gorillas: Dian Fossey Field News

March's edition of the Dian Fossey Field News is now online. Sadly it includes news of the death of Umurava, a silverback from Pablo's Group.

At the end of February, Umurava, one of the subordinate silverbacks of Pablo’s group died, after a series of adventures. Pablo’s group is an enormous group of mountain gorillas that our staff at the Karisoke Research Center track and monitor.
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Recently he had left and re-entered his natal group several times. After his latest separation, however, he was eventually found weakened and near death. Despite emergency efforts to save him, this fascinating silverback died and we now mourn his loss.

And Emmy Award winning CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper has posted a couple of video reports on the threats of gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the despicable trade of baby gorilla trafficking.

And finally...

September 24, 2007 marks the 40th anniversary since the legendary Dr. Dian Fossey set up her groundbreaking work with mountain gorillas in Africa. Escorted by John Fowler who worked with Dian Fossey at the Karisoke Research Center, you will learn more about Dian Fossey first hand, experience the mountain gorillas up close, and celebrate our 40th at Karisoke with field staff.
Sign up for your trip of a lifetime.

Mountain Gorillas: Gorilla thrill in Rwanda

NOW Toronto Magazine is running a feature article on Mountain Gorilla eco-tourism in Rwanda. The article discusses how the tourism efforts and gorillas have been affected by habitat loss, poaching, disease, the 1994 genocide, and the impact of award winning motion picture "Hotel Rwanda".

The tourism office here is full of wazungu, the East African term for white people. The group of six surrounding the front desk are from Canada, equipped with Lonely Planet guides and seeking gorilla permits.

Charles Tabone, a 21-year-old Queen's University student from Toronto, tells me his mother was nervous when he told her he was going to Rwanda. He admits that his idea of the country was influenced by the media.

"My whole image came from Hotel Rwanda, which was filmed in South Africa!"

That's true for a lot of people, but the Office Rwandaise du Tourisme et des Parcs Nationaux (ORTPN) in Kigali screens another movie: 1988's Gorillas In The Mist. The endangered mountain gorillas in the Parc National des Volcans are bringing tourists from around the world back to a new Rwanda. Even Sigourney Weaver, who played gorilla conservationist Dian Fossey in the movie, returned in 2005 to visit.

Gorillas: Eco-tourism in Gabon (with Audio)

A recent episode of BBC Radio's "Excess Baggage" featured an interview with Josh Ponte who worked in Gabon for several years with orphan Western Lowland Gorillas and helped establish a new colony there. Full story at the "Excess Baggage" website, along with the full streaming audio of the show.

Josh Ponte lived in Gabon from 2001 until November 2005. He first went to help re-introduce Western lowland gorillas into the wild and then worked for the Wildlife Conservation Society in the development of the national parks network created in 2002. Josh recently returned to Gabon.

Amazonian Manatees: Sani Lodge adventure vacation

If you'd like to get up close and personal with an Amazonian Manatee, why not explore vacation opportunities in the region. Sani Lodge in north-eastern Ecuador looks like a wonderful place to experience the wildlife of the rainforest.

Deep within the Ecuadorian Amazon you will find a mysterious lake called Challuacocha, where floating water hyacinths and grasses obscure the shores. And if you venture out on this lagoon in a dug out canoe early in the morning when it is quiet and the light is still low, you just might see, somewhere out there, lying hidden in the vegetation a rare and wild Manatee or Anaconda. Float here for a while, scanning the horizon and you would probably notice the yellow, banded chest of an Aracari or hear the hoarse whisper of the Hoatzin. Eventually, the day would pass and you could peer out across the shimmering, black water towards the setting sun, and almost certainly see the gleaming orange eyes of the Black Caiman. Come to Challuacocha and feel the mystery. Come to Challuacocha and experience the world of Sani Lodge.

To the north of Challua lies the massive Cuyobeno Reserve and along the southern border stretches the vast Yasuni National Park. In the corridor between, located on 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) of untouched rainforest lies Sani Lodge, a unique Ecuador eco-lodge. Here, the biodiversity will amaze you! On your adventure, you will walk through a pristine rainforest gallery that is home to 1,500 species of trees, hundreds of climbing vines, and exotic flowers, as well as 550 species of tropical birds, 13 species of monkeys and 1,000 beautiful butterflies.

Sounds marvellous, and the all-inclusive rates are pretty good.