What’s New

Inspections

We have sent off our application to AZA (American Zoo and Aquarium Association), as part of our longtime plan to acquire affiliate status, once construction was further along.  It turns out, it was just as well, since effective this year, all Gorilla SSP holding institutions must be AZA certified.  Besides many zoos and GH, the only places in the USA holding gorillas which are non-AZA include Mae Noel’s Chimp Farm (now called the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary) in Tarpon Springs, Florida, where Otto resides;  Monkey Jungle in Miami, Florida, where King resides; and the Gorilla Foundation in Woodside, California, home of the famous signing gorilla Koko, and silverback Ndume.  Only the latter is part of the Gorilla SSP, so the two Florida facilities with gorillas will not be required to go thru the AZA certification process, since King and Otto are privately “owned” and their owners have chosen not to join the SSP or AZA.

We’re thinking our AZA application, like our DNR, USDA or SSP inspections before, will go smoothly and we’re looking forward to showing more people our part of paradise.  We were shocked and deeply saddened by the unexpected death of one of the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)’s most amazing people, Dr. Sylvia Taylor, who had just visited us late last year, and who I considered a friend and wonderful resource for information and advice on matters relating to primate welfare around the world.  We just had our DNR (Georgia Department of Natural Resources) inspection and that was great fun, since we love getting input and feedback from professionals about what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.  The AZA inspections could be this summer or fall, and again, instead of worrying or dreading it, we’re quite looking forward to it!

More and More Guests

Meanwhile, we’ve had plenty of guests from around the world visiting and Joe’s enjoying the company, rumbling and purring and being calm and sometimes silly, as he snaps his fingers, claps his hands or beats his chest in his unique limp-wrist goofy way, as he nods his head back and forth, like a kid.  Everyone who meets him can’t believe he’s 42 years old, he’s so healthy and handsome looking.  He’s happy and thriving and it’s a real honor to be able to witness his twilight years.  So far in 2005 guests have visited from Japan, Rwanda, The Netherlands, Hungary, Gabon, Boston, Liberia, England and it never seems to end.

One recent guest, “Chimpy Mike” had Joe so excited, as he rumbled and did chimp noises for him, we couldn’t help but laugh, albeit to ourselves, so we didn’t hurt Joe’s feelings. Joe was totally smitten, doing the loudest, most rumbly sex purrs for him, and displaying in a manner we all agreed was unique for Joe, including one display where Joe jumped straight up in the air, lifting both his legs up to kick his own butt before landing on the ground again.  When we thought Joe was perhaps getting upset, he’d purr a friendly purr, and even welcomed Mike’s proximity, preferring that to his dinner, initially.  Poor Kelly was worried Joe would have a breakdown from all the excitement, but we all could tell Joe was having a blast, since when he doesn’t feel like company, he’s very clear and “tells us” in no uncertain terms (he climbs to the stop step in the D cage and ignores visitors, which is our clue the visit is over!).  Still, we put an end to the visit from Mike, to let Joe calm down and have his dinner, and the next day, Joe was no worse for the excitement of his old friend’s visit.

Life Goes On

The deaths of several silverbacks – Rudy, in Erie, Pennsylvania; Brooks, in Cleveland, Ohio (Photo near left, courtesy of Cleveland Metroparks Zoos); Omega, in Buffalo, New York; Kubie (Mkubwa), in San Francisco, California; Max, in Santa Barbara, Calfornia; Scotty in Colorado Springs, Colorado – have made room for more gorilla moves, which is sad but a part of the natural cycle of life for captive gorillas.  More gorilla deaths include my dear friend Kumba (photo right), from Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago – the first gorilla born there and only the fifth gorilla born in captivity. When we saw her in September, she looked ill, and her kidney failure finally caught up with her, as it also did with another, old friend, and wonderful gorilla mom, Babs, of Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo, who’s one of the “Super Moms” on our website.  Just last week, a young female gorilla, Mumbali (photo far left, courtesy of Pam Spaulding), died of an infection at Lincoln Park too, reminding us all how fragile and unpredictable life is.  As the generation of gorillas who first introduced me to their wonderful species grows older, I know more deaths will be coming.  I’m comforted by the births, however, which seem to come along just to remind me the cycle of life continues.  Indeed, history is continuing to be made, with the birth of the first gorilla at the Prague Zoo in the Czech Republic (see photo below, courtesy of Adam Köppel), which is very exciting and hopeful for the future.

And now, the Blog …The Posers and the Do’ers* …

*funny, that’s how “Dewar” is pronounced!

I get wonderful emails from literally around the world, with people asking for my “expert” opinion.  I have to giggle a bit, since I’m in no way an expert, despite having a lot of wonderful experiences with gorillas and knowing many of the “gorilla people” working with the species.  Some emails are from students, some from zoo and research professionals, who recognize my special “niche” of knowing most of the captive gorillas individually, as well as having a feel for most of their enclosures and caregivers, after years of tours to gorilla zoos and visits to the public, as well as behind-the-scenes areas.  While I cheerfully admit to being a “gorilla nut,” I demur on the term “expert,” reserving that for people I respect who have had far more experience than I will ever have, despite my unique and privileged life.

With the advent of the internet, however, there are a new breed of “experts” out there - posers, whose own egos, arrogance and insecurities have them presenting themselves as having knowledge and experience they simply don’t have.  If, heaven-forbid, you question or challenge them, thus exposing their ruse, you risk being vilified and accused of being anti-conservation or a trouble-maker, instead of someone just trying to find answers to valid, serious yet difficult questions.  Ask for a straight and simple answer and you get dazzled with smoke and mirrors and no substance.

One such poser literally stole – word for word – a page from the Gorilla Haven website, changing only our name to replace it with their own, to bolster much needed credibility for their own short-lived conservation project, by claiming our achievements as theirs. When confronted with the libelous act, they whined and proclaimed they weren’t doing anything wrong, they were only helping to get the information out to more of the world, thereby allegedly helping conservation. Such people used to be called con-artists, but I call them posers, since they pose as experts when nothing is further from the truth.  Sadly, the internet is allowing more of these posers to take on an air of legitimacy, fooling even people who should know better.

Some places asking for your hard earned money as donations have also come under closer scrutiny lately, and even places I thought were reasonable, have had me second guessing about their policies.  Sadly, the closer I look, the more disturbing issues I uncover.  I don’t trust slick websites – especially ones constantly asking for money to help, or else dire consequences will befall the animals they allegedly help.  If you send money, be sure you know where it’s really going.  Ask questions and demand clear answers, not generic statements prepared by well paid Public Relations Departments.

We do not ask for money, but still have donations sent to us all the time, which is mind-boggling to me.  But I have to remember, Gorilla Haven is really unique in more ways than one.  We are fortunate in that we don’t need outside funds to complete our own project. Yet I recently got a payment of $500 from a total stranger in Missouri, just with a line saying “thank you for all you do to help gorillas.”  That money – 100% of it – will be sent to Africa, where its value is tenfold what it would be in the USA.

When I get emails from students asking me for my “expert” advice, I am careful to explain that I am not an expert – just someone who loves gorillas and has spent decades learning about them.  Be careful when you stumble across fancy websites or hear from people claiming they have experience, or name dropping associations, which may have a grain of the truth, but, like the stolen web pages mentioned above, will be far from the honest truth and full story.

Posers will always be out there, huffing and puffing themselves up. But do’ers will be getting things done – real things, that make a real difference.

I'm off to Africa later this month and will prepare another update by July or so, with news on the African adventure as well as how Joe and the rest of the construction is going.  Steuart and the rest of the GH staff will be here, hard at work.