Gorilla Succumbs to Respiratory Disease
It is with great sadness that we report the death of a mountain gorilla who was suffering from severe respiratory disease: female Ntobo of Bwenge group in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. On September 8, Karisoke Research Center reported that Ntobo suddenly appeared ill. After a health assessment by Dr. Jean-Felix, a team was mobilized to perform a full intervention. Ntobo was anesthetized so that the Gorilla Doctors could administer IV fluids and antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drugs. Despite receiving intensive care, Ntobo died about four hours later. Her body was brought to MGVP headquarters where a necropsy confirmed that Ntobo had severe pneumonia. Visit the Gorilla Doctors' blog to read the full story and watch the heart-breaking video of the dying Ntobo being held by her young son Ntaribi.
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At 7 Months, Hirwa Twins Strong and Healthy
The birth of twins in mountain gorillas is rare and the survival of both babies is even more rare. A gorilla mother of twins must be able to feed and carry two babies while eating enough plant material to sustain herself and keep up with the rest of her gorilla group, which may travel several kilometers per day. Female Kabatwa of the Hirwa mountain gorilla group in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park gave birth to twin boys in early February 2011. Now at seven-months-old, the twins are active and strong, thanks to their tireless mother. Dr. Jan photographed and filmed the twins while visiting Hirwa group this month to perform a routine health check. See her photos and video on the Gorilla Doctors' blog.
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UC Davis Residents Contribute to One Health
This month and next, as part of the Mountain Gorilla One Health Program, medical residents from the UC Davis Medical Center are working at the Ruhengeri Hospital in Rwanda to provide patient care and take part in learning exchanges. "The residents are working with patients in the hospital's intensive care unit and conducting informal training with the hospital's faculty and nursing staff," says Dr. Agnieszka Witkowski, who is helping to coordinate the residents this year after volunteering at the hospital as a resident last summer. "The UC Davis doctors are also learning a great deal about tropical diseases and practicing medicine with limited resources."
Residents Sarah Gallagher and Anjlee Mahajan recently returned from Africa after spending 3-and-a-half weeks at the hospital. New arrivals Uppinder Mattu and Brooks Kuhn just began their 3-and-a-half week stint at the hospital. Drs. Witkowski and Allen Tong served as attending physicians for the residents in Rwanda while Dr. Tonya Fancher, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, is overseeing the UC Davis-MGVP resident program at UC Davis Medical Center. Next newsletter we'll share stories from the residents about their time in Africa.
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Baby Gorilla Suffers Tremors, But Recovers
Earlier this month, the two-year-old infant son of Kibyei in Kwitonda group, Ibidukikije, was reported to be shaking and having difficulty moving. Such symptoms could be the result of nervous system trauma, ingestion of toxins, or epilepsy. Dr. Jan checked on the baby and filmed him shaking and falling over when attempting to walk. However, the infant's condition wasn't immediately life threatening and so no intervention was performed. The following day, Dr. Jan found the infant much improved, and even playing with an older gorilla. Read her blog for the full story and to view the before and after video.
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Orphan Ndakasi Improving After Health Scare
After becoming seriously ill with an infection last month, mountain gorilla orphan Ndakasi is on the mend at the Senkwekwe Center in Virunga National Park, DR Congo. The five-year-old gorilla was successfully treated with antibiotics and received lots of love from her Virunga National Park caretakers. However, she lost a significant amount of muscle mass and fur as a result of the stress of her illness. We're happy to report that Ndakasi has been slowly gaining weight and is regrowing her thick black fur. She's spending time outside with the other three orphans, and playing with her good friend Ndeze. We'll continue to monitor Ndakasi's recovery carefully and will post updates on our Facebook page.
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Dr. Fred offers his annual comprehensive overview of the health status of the gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga national parks. Read on to learn about the group composition and health histories of the gorilla groups he regularly monitors. This year, in addition to checking on the country's 9 gorilla groups habituated for tourism or research, Dr. Fred began to monitor two new groups currently under habituation.
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Watch the Gorilla Doctors on CNN International
Watch a new CNN video about the Gorilla Doctors' and Virunga National Park's involvement with mountain gorilla conservation and orphan care.
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