As many of you already know, a new mountain gorilla orphan came into MGVP's care on August 7 after Rwandan police confiscated the infant from smugglers near the Rwanda-DR Congo border. She has been named Ihirwe, which means "luck" in Kinyarwanda. Virunga National Park authorities arrested two men in DR Congo believed to be key members of the gorilla trafficking group responsible for taking Ihirwe from the wild. 

You can read about Ihirwe's confiscation, treatment for illness, and full medical exam on the Gorilla Doctors' blog. We also post regular updates and photos of Ihirwe on our Facebook page. If you'd like to make a donation to help cover the cost of Ihirwe's medical treatment and care, you can make a tax-deductible contribution on the Gorilla Doctors' website. Please designate your donation for the "New Orphan." 

 
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On her recent health check with Susa group in Volcanoes National Park, Dr. Jan was able to get some good shots and video footage of female Rumuvu with her twins plus a new baby in the group. In July trackers were concerned about the twins when one of the babies was observed with nasal discharge and rapid breathing, but this month Dr. Jan found both of the infants looking strong and healthy. She also saw female Rwandarushya and her new infant which was born on August 23. See the photos and videos on the Gorilla Doctors' blog. 

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Late last month, MGVP helped move six Grauer's gorilla orphans from Kinigi, Rwanda, to the new GRACE center in DR Congo. Dr. Jan tells the story from the veternarians' perspective in a new entry on the Gorilla Doctors' blog. She writes: "The gorillas were fairly unsuspecting the day they were put into their crates. They were called into their night house a little early on Friday afternoon. They came in, but Ntabwoba, the sub-adult male, was a bit suspicious! He's the character who has been known to punch holes in the tin roof of the night house to escape when he was not ready for bed and disable the facility's electric fence with a stick.  It was definitely time for them to head to the better facilities of GRACE, the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education center managed by DFGFI and Disney in Kasugho, DR Congo." Read More 

 
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In this month's donor story, we would like to share the story of one of our Advisory Board members, Annie Graham: 

"I am a native Houstonian who now calls Montana my second home. I've been drawn to endangered species all of my adult life and have been on several boards of small organizations whose focuses are just that. I met [MGVP Directors] Mike and Kirsten in Rwanda in the summer of 2009 while there with the Houston Zoo. I was immediately impressed with their knowledge of and commitment to the gorillas and people of Rwanda. After seeing the gorillas, I knew that I wanted to be involved at some level with the project. I have two words that I use to describe being with the gorillas - primal and spiritual. Read More

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