Jane's African Adventure-2005

Jane's Adventures in Cameroon and Gabon

photos by Steuart and/or Jane Dewar, except as indicated.
Note: almost all photographs are thumbnails that you can click to bring up a larger version!

by Jane Dewar, 04July2005

	I was traveling alone this time, weighted down with 7 large suitcases filled with medical and educational supplies and gifts. Thanks to the folk at Zoo Atlanta, I was able to bring some tuberculin to test against tuberculosis, a deadly and easily communicable disease still rampant in this part of the world. It’s not something easily found, so the Zoo agreed to sell us a vial to bring to the Limbe Wildlife Centre (LWC), since they were out and had new animals arriving in dire need of testing. Our vet, Dr. Francis Cipullo, rounded up several much needed medical supplies from his various veterinarian friends too, and we were able to donate some of our past-due medications, which were difficult to impossible to get in Cameroon, as well, so the newly remodeled and expanded vet facilities at the LWC were nicely stocked up.
	Since my last visit to Limbe in May 2003, the gorilla facilities have been totally overhauled, expanding the room for the gorillas at least by a factor of five, with a huge night quarters, several large trees for climbing, various hills, vegetation islands, a pool, climbing/shade structures, etc., making it one of the best gorilla enclosures I’ve seen anywhere, including fancy Western zoos. There are 12 gorillas at Limbe, most of whom you may have already read about on past LWC updates. Here’s a brief recap of each gorilla:

1. Nyango. “The Queen.” Even if she didn’t have the distinction of being the world’s only Cross River gorilla in captivity (gorilla gorilla diehli), Nyango would be special. Nyango and I relate in a very special way – even her long time caregiver, Bama, is amazed at how much she seems to adore me, and I am humbled by and grateful for her friendship. If people she didn’t approve of came to talk to me, she was still an accurate rock thrower, but when it was just the two of us, she was her usual, silly, playful self. With the addition of two adult females (Brighter and Anthal), Nyango has some competition now, but it seemed like there was a subtle automatic division of gorillas into two groups – The Old (Nyango, Jumbo, Pitchou, Emma, Benito, Akiba and Batek) and The New (Brighter, Twigs, Arno and Anthal), with the younger animals easily being in either group.

At night, after getting some special attention, Nyango would purr and clap and roll on her back in the night quarters, making my heart sing. I was holding on to the mesh once, while taking a stone out of my shoe, and Nyango came over and started gently patting my hand. I’d talk to her, reminding her how wonderful and special she is, and I swear, she understood. We’d hold hands and “talk” for almost an hour at the end of or start of each day, and she’d grant me the royal permission to visit everyone else, knowing I’d come back to her.

2. Chella. “The Clown.” As a growing silverback, Chella’s growth spurts are impressive and he promises to be a big boy very soon. Like all male gorillas of his age (from approximately 8 to 20 years old), he’s entering what I call the Dufus Stage, or The Age of Testosterone Poisoning. His body is that of an adult, but his mind and emotions will take longer to mature. He’s quite a handful at the moment, chasing the other gorillas and showing off by slapping or biting them to prove his dominance, much like a cocky teenaged boy drag racing or showing off for the world to see how “bad” he is. When I first arrived, Chella was strutting and posturing and running around tight lipped a lot and I wasn’t sure he remembered me. That uncertainty was quickly dispelled the first night, when he was called in for dinner in his part of the night quarters. He was anxious to enter and flew in, scattering the food around as he showed off for me. I was holding a bottle of Tangui (water) and calmly asked if he’d like some.

I swear he did a double take, as I could see the wheels moving in his testosterone poisoned mind and all of a sudden his entire body relaxed, his demeanor changed and softened. In the old night cages, Chella and Nyango were separated at night and didn’t have access to water, so by the morning when I’d arrive to visit them, my offer of water from a bottle was most appreciated. The new night quarters have lixits (automatic water faucets), so this is no longer an issue. But I believe Chella remembered our old routine and he came over for the water, like he’d done so many times in years past, looking at me with those goofy eyes, which reflected the little boy gorilla I’ve known for years, in the new and growing big gorilla body. He never strutted or postured for me again, and a few days later when we used one of my torn, old nightshirts as enrichment, and put some of Chella’s evening feed it in, and suspended it from the ceiling, Chella reverted to the silly, goofball kid I’d known and loved for years.

3. Jumbo. “The Mermaid.” “Jumbalah-Bumbalah” has mellowed but her spirit is the same. I think she wasn’t feeling well the first few days I was at LWC, since her behavior was markedly different than I’d ever seen it – she was withdrawn, aloof, laying down alone a lot, not eating or coming over for treats, and even refusing a shower from the hose! By the last days, Jumbo was back to her normal self, albeit still a bit reserved – from age or still being a bit under the weather, perhaps. When former LWC manager, Tony Chasar, visited, Jumbo took her first shower from him, like in days past, so I think she was feeling better – or just happy to see her old and dear friend. On my last day at LWC, she stole a small flashlight hanging off my vest, telling me she was back to her old tricks. She proceeded to play her caregiver, Bama, and me for all the goodies we were worth, to trade and get the shattered flashlight’s batteries back from her. She's one of the smartest gorillas I know.

4. Benito. “Shy & Reserved Guy.” Benito is the same small boy in a bigger boy’s body. Those eyes rival Evindi’s for melting one’s heart. Evindi, a male gorilla I met in 1999, had died shortly thereafter, and his loss is still sorely felt by everyone who knew and loved him. Our friends even named their business after Evindi (http://evindi.com). Benito wasn’t nearly as “needy” as he was the last time I visited, although the first day, he did start to pout and whimper when I left the gorilla area, but that behavior quickly vanished and he was more aloof, as a growing male gorilla would be expected to be. He and Chella still play together and Benito was usually on the front lines of attack when Chella was out of line, so his role in the future of this hopefully multi-male group will be a critical one. He and Emma were often together (that's him sitting next to a standing Emma), as they’ve been since they arrived at LWC as small babies. I think part of Evindi’s soul remains at LWC in Benito, who’s just a sweet, lover boy.

5. Emma. “Miss Bipedal and Demure.” What can I say about my beloved Miss Emma, after whom the next villa at GH is named. She looks at you with such intensity, that you have to wonder what she’s trying to tell us, and is often standing upright for better views. We know she had a rough start to life with humans, but since arriving at LWC has been loved and reassured, so old nightmares have less power over her – most of the times. She’s still doing this odd behavior, of holding a rock to her head, then turning upside down as she pushes the rock into her head and spinning around …does she have a headache and is she trying to relieve the pressure? Or is this just some stereotypical silliness she’s developed? She used to suck the hair on her arms when stressed and I haven’t seen her do that in years, although this rock to the head behavior was going on in 2003 too. Her confidence continues to grow, however, and she’s a vital part of this family, becoming more assertive with time.

6. Pitchou. “The Princess.” Pitchou also has a villa named after her (the rest of the LWC gorillas have other parts of the GH landmarks named after them). I may have to rename Pitchou “the Queen” and Nyango “the Queen Mother,” since it’s clear to me that my prediction back in 1999 is coming true and Pitchou will soon rule the world. It’s hard to remember her as the scarred, beaten little girl she was when she arrived at LWC, (see photo close right). Of all the LWC gorillas, Pitchou has the best understanding of proper gorilla etiquette and behavior, which will assure her a top role in this group. She plays and mates with Chella, the most dominant animal, and plays with and protects Twigs, the most subordinate animal in the group, getting along with everyone in between, including humans, although often she throws stones, when humans cross the line and do something thoughtless or careless, like pay attention to monkeys or other humans instead of her.

7. Akiba. “Melting Eyes.” Akiba is the youngest and smallest of the LWC gorilla group currently, but she’s growing fast and has become a tall, lanky little girl, as the somewhat blurry photo of her leading the way up one of the trees on the right (that’s Pitchou following her) shows. For some reason I didn’t take many photos of Akiba this time – probably since previous trips, she hogged the camera and I have a gazillion photos of her. Her eyes are still liquid pools of brown brightness, and she’s still best buddies with Batek, as well as her would-be surrogate mom, Pitchou, reflecting, perhaps, her own political savvy, of getting in good with the more dominant animals. She’s in the thick of it at meal and treat time, demanding and getting her fair share, despite her size. Even Nyango defers to her (after Nyango’s had enough, or knows she’ll get more) at treat times, and the oldest and youngest gorillas would often sit on the wood platform together in the evenings, resting, or cuddling.

8. Batek. “The Prince.” Just as I predicted Pitchou’s rise to dominance, my prediction last time of Batek ruling the group one day is as firm as ever. Batek, like Pitchou, is a gorilla’s gorilla and gets along with everyone from Chella to Twigs. This time he paid more attention to me (last visit he was too busy playing with Akiba or Chella nonstop), often trying to reach my leg or shoe under the hotwire. He and Chella would play like in the old days, usually in “Chella’s Spot”, where getting photos was difficult, due to shade/light conditions. But I could see arms, legs and bodies flying thru the air as pieces of elephant grass or banana leaves flew up in the melee, and could tell a fine time was being had by all. When Chella stepped out of line and smacked someone, Batek and Benito, were on the front-line of attack, redressing Chella with barks and screams. Two seconds later, it seemed, they’d be cuddling and wrestling again, so that gives me hope these two may just make it in a multi-male group one day.

9. Brighter. “The Wannabe Boss.” I’d heard about Brighter and Twigs (in the photo on the left, that's Twigs on the left, next to the bigger, Brighter), who were then the Nigerian 6 in the 1990’s. By sheer chance, I was at LWC when the 2 surviving members of this bunch of ex-pets arrived, and really just saw them a couple days while they were in quarantine, back in May 2003. Brighter’s personality became more clear to me this visit, and her relationship with Twigs seemed friendlier, perhaps since Twigs was more confident now and had friends to back her up, and isn’t Brighter’s sole target. Brighter would cough and bark whenever food or treats were around, demanding more than her own fair share, but the fair share of everyone else too! Brighter reminded me of the school yard bully who didn’t quite understand why everyone didn’t want to be her best friend. Still, whenever the two groups emerged, Brighter was the head of “The New” group, with Anthal playing a reluctant second fiddle. Brighter seemed to avoid Nyango (and vice versa). Once when Brighter came over to investigate Nyango’s “Old” group sitting as I was handing out treats, Nyango stood up, tight-lipped and stiff-armed, and “told” Brighter to back off, which she did (and I threw Brighter her own share of treats, but she wasn’t allowed to monopolize the situation, as she often did in the night quarters, where space is confined and she could more easily dominate things).

10. Twigs. “Tough Cookie.” Twig’s right arm hangs totally limp as she walks, limping on “all fours” or swaying back and forth as she walks bipedally (upright, on her two legs). Apparently, about 4 or 5 years ago (I think), while still in Nigeria, her arm swelled up suddenly and before they knew it, her arm was “dead.” No one knows for sure if it was a spider or snake bite or something else, but Twigs has adapted quite well. She’s skinny and the bottom of the gorilla totem pole, but that doesn’t mean she’s a push-over. I watched with pride as she yelled at Arno, who stole some treat from her, barking and coughing and chasing him down til he relented. During the Chella stalks of Arno, Twigs was always in the lead, lending support to Arno. I never saw Chella direct aggression at Twigs, however. I caught one adorable play session of Twigs and Pitchou on video. Pitchou would knock a sitting Twigs over by pushing her shoulder, and Twigs would fall back onto the grass, laughing with a huge play face smile. Then Twigs would try to sit up again and tickle Pitchou, who’d repeat the knock-down, and more laughing ensued, although the sounds didn’t quite make it to my video camera (but the sight makes it clear, the girls were having a great time!).

11. Arno. “Little Big Man.” Arno looks like he and Twigs could be brother and sister. He’s a runt of a gorilla with a big attitude, but one that’s being slowly whittled away since joining Chella’s group. Apparently while he was the only “man” in the quarantine group, he thought it was the King of the World. This self image soon changed when Chella made it clear that he wasn’t going to stand for any challenges. But like Brighter, Arno never had chance to learn proper gorilla social skills, as a former pet (with Anthal), and thus when Chella started posturing and strutting, Arno didn’t always do the right thing, thus setting himself up for a good thwack on the back from Chella in a run-by smacking. Instead of standing submissive, as Chella strutted by, Arno would stand and stare – not disrespectfully, from my point of view, but from his lack of gorilla experience. This stare would only enrage Chella, and more often than not, a good smack or bite was delivered, as Arno screamed and the rest of the group would come to his rescue, chasing and screaming at Chella, who’d retreat. I didn’t get the feeling this was a permanent problem, but one which will resolve once either Arno figures out how to appease Chella (by giving him his “proppas” or due respect and showing adequate submission behaviors) or Chella’s testosterone poisoning settles down a bit and he no longer feels the need to show off as much. Arno was playing with virtually everyone else in the group, however, especially Twigs and Batek, and thankfully the new enclosure has plenty of room and sight barriers on the ground and in the trees, so the gorillas can find a place to relax in peace.

12. Anthal. “The Matriarch.” Anthal looks as old or older than Nyango, although it’s guessed they’re about the same age. Like Brighter, the girl loves her food, but unlike Brighter, she won’t make a federal case out of it, if there is too much opposition from the others. She’s the only African gorilla I’ve seen doing the “telephone” – or holding one ear, as in the photo on the right. When I first saw it, it was during treat time, when banana leaves and stalks were being given out. Subsequently I made it a point to look at her whenever there was extra stress (treat and food time is always stressful for gorillas, but not necessarily a negative stress), and sure enough, that seemed to be when she’d do it. She was intrigued by my relationship with Nyango, with whom she got along (better than Nyango got along with Brighter, at least), and would watch us, often sitting about 15 feet away. When I went over to talk to Anthal, she’d purr and relax and turn her back “asking” me to scratch it or groom her thru the mesh, which I gladly obliged her. She’s got a sweet soul, and is an amazing survivor story.

Besides gorillas, Limbe has many other wonderful primates, all rescued victims of habitat loss or the bushmeat trade. One little mona monkey, Biju, was escaping a lot during my last visit, but she had grown and was now in the guenon cages next to the gorillas, where she’d greet me with her call of “nyaahhnk?” when I sat by the gorillas and monkeys, demanding her share of the goodies too. Wonderful putty nose and mustached monkeys, mangabeys, preuss guenons, mandrills, chimpanzees and the beautiful and rare drill are housed in ever-improving enclosures, as finances allow. There’s enough room to expand the LWC, but the most important role of the centre is its educational mission, to teach the people of Cameroon to appreciate and respect and thus protect their unique and wonderful wildlife heritage.

I had plans to visit Gabon to visit one of LWC’s former managers, Linda Percy, who now works as the financial director for WCS in Libreville. Linda recently adopted a little boy, Jesse, from Liberia, and I was anxious to meet my new “nephew” and introduce him to gorillas, so we’d planned a trip to the Loango National Park. At the last minute, Linda had to be in New York, so I decided to go to Gabon alone, and visit the gorillas at Petite Evengue. First, however, Linda brought Jesse to Gorilla Haven, so we could meet and I could still honor my commitment as his new “Auntie Jane” and introduce him to at least one gorilla – Joe. Jesse turns 6 in August and was doing really well, considering the culture shock he and his new mom were experiencing, going from Liberia to Michigan to Gorilla Haven, en route to Belize, before returning to New York and then Gabon. Joe loved meeting Jesse, who decided gorillas were pretty cool, so my “job” was successful.

The Gorillas of Gabon's Petite Evengue

In Gabon, I visited six gorillas housed at a relatively new gorilla project called the Petite Evengue, in one of Gabon’s newly created National Parks, Loango National Park. This area was made famous by Mike Fay’s Mega-Transect featured in National Geographic, where hippos were swimming in the surf of the ocean, and gorillas are sometimes seen on the beach as well. The gorillas of Petite Evengue aren’t wild, however, but are on an island, where tourists can visit and observational research on the gorillas can be made. Originally from CIRMF, the medical research center in Franceville, Gabon, the adult gorillas are the core of this small family group, which includes:

MABEKE, the silverback, who was wild caught and is believed to be 24 years old. He’s a handsome guy, very patient and calm. When you arrive at the island and get out of the boat onto the dock, Mabeke would be casually waiting to see who was coming for a visit, as he's doing in the photo on the right with his wonderful caregiver, Ladji sitting on the dock.

KESSALA, the adult female, also wild caught, is about 18 years old, and from what I learned has had three children, two of whom are still with them. She’s quite beautiful and relaxed too, but easily distinguished by her unique breasts … one of them was almost torn off in a fight with another female gorilla while at CIRMF, and is noticeably deformed (as the photo on the right taken from a brochure from Operation-Loango shows), but that doesn’t stop her from nursing her babies with the other good breast.
OZANGE, is about a year and a half and is still close to his mother, Kessala, most of the time, riding or cuddling with her, or happily sitting alone, when she’d leave him to explore on her own. He’s still tiny for his age, but plays with the older kids.

KIM, is about 7 years old, daughter of Kessala and Mabeke, although her gray hair makes her look much older. That's her in the photo on the left, on the right, next to her mom and baby brother. She loves playing with her “brothers” and would display for me occasionally, as if to make sure I knew she was the dominant one!
OWENDJA, is about 3 years old and like ESSOGOUE, at 2 years old, is an orphan from the bushmeat trade. Both boys are now part of this group, getting extra milk feedings twice a day from their caregivers to make sure they grow up strong and healthy, like the others. There are plenty of trees to crash around and play in, which the boys loved to do - usually chasing Kim - as seen in the photo on the right. These two photos are courtesy of Chisato

The End


	1. Nyango. “The Queen.” Even if she didn’t have the distinction of being the world’s only Cross River gorilla in captivity (gorilla gorilla diehli), Nyango would be special. Nyango and I relate in a very special way – even her long time caregiver, Bama, is amazed at how much she seems to adore me, and I am humbled by and grateful for her friendship. If people she didn’t approve of came to talk to me, she was still an accurate rock thrower, but when it was just the two of us, she was her usual, silly, playful self. With the addition of two adult females (Brighter and Anthal), Nyango has some competition now, but it seemed like there was a subtle automatic division of gorillas into two groups – The Old (Nyango, Jumbo, Pitchou, Emma, Benito, Akiba and Batek) and The New (Brighter, Twigs, Arno and Anthal), with the younger animals easily being in either group.
At night, after getting some special attention, Nyango would purr and clap and roll on her back in the night quarters, making my heart sing. I was holding on to the mesh once, while taking a stone out of my shoe, and Nyango came over and started gently patting my hand. I’d talk to her, reminding her how wonderful and special she is, and I swear, she understood. We’d hold hands and “talk” for almost an hour at the end of or start of each day, and she’d grant me the royal permission to visit everyone else, knowing I’d come back to her.

	2. Chella. “The Clown.” As a growing silverback, Chella’s growth spurts are impressive and he promises to be a big boy very soon. Like all male gorillas of his age (from approximately 8 to 20 years old), he’s entering what I call the Dufus Stage, or The Age of Testosterone Poisoning. His body is that of an adult, but his mind and emotions will take longer to mature. He’s quite a handful at the moment, chasing the other gorillas and showing off by slapping or biting them to prove his dominance, much like a cocky teenaged boy drag racing or showing off for the world to see how “bad” he is. When I first arrived, Chella was strutting and posturing and running around tight lipped a lot and I wasn’t sure he remembered me. That uncertainty was quickly dispelled the first night, when he was called in for dinner in his part of the night quarters. He was anxious to enter and flew in, scattering the food around as he showed off for me. I was holding a bottle of Tangui (water) and calmly asked if he’d like some.
I swear he did a double take, as I could see the wheels moving in his testosterone poisoned mind and all of a sudden his entire body relaxed, his demeanor changed and softened. In the old night cages, Chella and Nyango were separated at night and didn’t have access to water, so by the morning when I’d arrive to visit them, my offer of water from a bottle was most appreciated. The new night quarters have lixits (automatic water faucets), so this is no longer an issue. But I believe Chella remembered our old routine and he came over for the water, like he’d done so many times in years past, looking at me with those goofy eyes, which reflected the little boy gorilla I’ve known for years, in the new and growing big gorilla body. He never strutted or postured for me again, and a few days later when we used one of my torn, old nightshirts as enrichment, and put some of Chella’s evening feed it in, and suspended it from the ceiling, Chella reverted to the silly, goofball kid I’d known and loved for years.

	3. Jumbo. “The Mermaid.” “Jumbalah-Bumbalah” has mellowed but her spirit is the same. I think she wasn’t feeling well the first few days I was at LWC, since her behavior was markedly different than I’d ever seen it – she was withdrawn, aloof, laying down alone a lot, not eating or coming over for treats, and even refusing a shower from the hose! By the last days, Jumbo was back to her normal self, albeit still a bit reserved – from age or still being a bit under the weather, perhaps. When former LWC manager, Tony Chasar, visited, Jumbo took her first shower from him, like in days past, so I think she was feeling better – or just happy to see her old and dear friend. On my last day at LWC, she stole a small flashlight hanging off my vest, telling me she was back to her old tricks. She proceeded to play her caregiver, Bama, and me for all the goodies we were worth, to trade and get the shattered flashlight’s batteries back from her. She's one of the smartest gorillas I know.

	4. Benito. “Shy & Reserved Guy.” Benito is the same small boy in a bigger boy’s body. Those eyes rival Evindi’s for melting one’s heart. Evindi, a male gorilla I met in 1999, had died shortly thereafter, and his loss is still sorely felt by everyone who knew and loved him. Our friends even named their business after Evindi (http://evindi.com). Benito wasn’t nearly as “needy” as he was the last time I visited, although the first day, he did start to pout and whimper when I left the gorilla area, but that behavior quickly vanished and he was more aloof, as a growing male gorilla would be expected to be. He and Chella still play together and Benito was usually on the front lines of attack when Chella was out of line, so his role in the future of this hopefully multi-male group will be a critical one. He and Emma were often together (that's him sitting next to a standing Emma), as they’ve been since they arrived at LWC as small babies. I think part of Evindi’s soul remains at LWC in Benito, who’s just a sweet, lover boy.

	5. Emma. “Miss Bipedal and Demure.” What can I say about my beloved Miss Emma, after whom the next villa at GH is named. She looks at you with such intensity, that you have to wonder what she’s trying to tell us, and is often standing upright for better views. We know she had a rough start to life with humans, but since arriving at LWC has been loved and reassured, so old nightmares have less power over her – most of the times. She’s still doing this odd behavior, of holding a rock to her head, then turning upside down as she pushes the rock into her head and spinning around …does she have a headache and is she trying to relieve the pressure? Or is this just some stereotypical silliness she’s developed? She used to suck the hair on her arms when stressed and I haven’t seen her do that in years, although this rock to the head behavior was going on in 2003 too. Her confidence continues to grow, however, and she’s a vital part of this family, becoming more assertive with time.

	6. Pitchou. “The Princess.” Pitchou also has a villa named after her (the rest of the LWC gorillas have other parts of the GH landmarks named after them). I may have to rename Pitchou “the Queen” and Nyango “the Queen Mother,” since it’s clear to me that my prediction back in 1999 is coming true and Pitchou will soon rule the world. It’s hard to remember her as the scarred, beaten little girl she was when she arrived at LWC, (see photo close right). Of all the LWC gorillas, Pitchou has the best understanding of proper gorilla etiquette and behavior, which will assure her a top role in this group. She plays and mates with Chella, the most dominant animal, and plays with and protects Twigs, the most subordinate animal in the group, getting along with everyone in between, including humans, although often she throws stones, when humans cross the line and do something thoughtless or careless, like pay attention to monkeys or other humans instead of her.

	7. Akiba. “Melting Eyes.” Akiba is the youngest and smallest of the LWC gorilla group currently, but she’s growing fast and has become a tall, lanky little girl, as the somewhat blurry photo of her leading the way up one of the trees on the right (that’s Pitchou following her) shows. For some reason I didn’t take many photos of Akiba this time – probably since previous trips, she hogged the camera and I have a gazillion photos of her. Her eyes are still liquid pools of brown brightness, and she’s still best buddies with Batek, as well as her would-be surrogate mom, Pitchou, reflecting, perhaps, her own political savvy, of getting in good with the more dominant animals. She’s in the thick of it at meal and treat time, demanding and getting her fair share, despite her size. Even Nyango defers to her (after Nyango’s had enough, or knows she’ll get more) at treat times, and the oldest and youngest gorillas would often sit on the wood platform together in the evenings, resting, or cuddling.

	8. Batek. “The Prince.” Just as I predicted Pitchou’s rise to dominance, my prediction last time of Batek ruling the group one day is as firm as ever. Batek, like Pitchou, is a gorilla’s gorilla and gets along with everyone from Chella to Twigs. This time he paid more attention to me (last visit he was too busy playing with Akiba or Chella nonstop), often trying to reach my leg or shoe under the hotwire. He and Chella would play like in the old days, usually in “Chella’s Spot”, where getting photos was difficult, due to shade/light conditions. But I could see arms, legs and bodies flying thru the air as pieces of elephant grass or banana leaves flew up in the melee, and could tell a fine time was being had by all. When Chella stepped out of line and smacked someone, Batek and Benito, were on the front-line of attack, redressing Chella with barks and screams. Two seconds later, it seemed, they’d be cuddling and wrestling again, so that gives me hope these two may just make it in a multi-male group one day.

	9. Brighter. “The Wannabe Boss.” I’d heard about Brighter and Twigs (in the photo on the left, that's Twigs on the left, next to the bigger, Brighter), who were then the Nigerian 6 in the 1990’s. By sheer chance, I was at LWC when the 2 surviving members of this bunch of ex-pets arrived, and really just saw them a couple days while they were in quarantine, back in May 2003. Brighter’s personality became more clear to me this visit, and her relationship with Twigs seemed friendlier, perhaps since Twigs was more confident now and had friends to back her up, and isn’t Brighter’s sole target. Brighter would cough and bark whenever food or treats were around, demanding more than her own fair share, but the fair share of everyone else too! Brighter reminded me of the school yard bully who didn’t quite understand why everyone didn’t want to be her best friend. Still, whenever the two groups emerged, Brighter was the head of “The New” group, with Anthal playing a reluctant second fiddle. Brighter seemed to avoid Nyango (and vice versa). Once when Brighter came over to investigate Nyango’s “Old” group sitting as I was handing out treats, Nyango stood up, tight-lipped and stiff-armed, and “told” Brighter to back off, which she did (and I threw Brighter her own share of treats, but she wasn’t allowed to monopolize the situation, as she often did in the night quarters, where space is confined and she could more easily dominate things).

	10. Twigs. “Tough Cookie.” Twig’s right arm hangs totally limp as she walks, limping on “all fours” or swaying back and forth as she walks bipedally (upright, on her two legs). Apparently, about 4 or 5 years ago (I think), while still in Nigeria, her arm swelled up suddenly and before they knew it, her arm was “dead.” No one knows for sure if it was a spider or snake bite or something else, but Twigs has adapted quite well. She’s skinny and the bottom of the gorilla totem pole, but that doesn’t mean she’s a push-over. I watched with pride as she yelled at Arno, who stole some treat from her, barking and coughing and chasing him down til he relented. During the Chella stalks of Arno, Twigs was always in the lead, lending support to Arno. I never saw Chella direct aggression at Twigs, however. I caught one adorable play session of Twigs and Pitchou on video. Pitchou would knock a sitting Twigs over by pushing her shoulder, and Twigs would fall back onto the grass, laughing with a huge play face smile. Then Twigs would try to sit up again and tickle Pitchou, who’d repeat the knock-down, and more laughing ensued, although the sounds didn’t quite make it to my video camera (but the sight makes it clear, the girls were having a great time!).

	11. Arno. “Little Big Man.” Arno looks like he and Twigs could be brother and sister. He’s a runt of a gorilla with a big attitude, but one that’s being slowly whittled away since joining Chella’s group. Apparently while he was the only “man” in the quarantine group, he thought it was the King of the World. This self image soon changed when Chella made it clear that he wasn’t going to stand for any challenges. But like Brighter, Arno never had chance to learn proper gorilla social skills, as a former pet (with Anthal), and thus when Chella started posturing and strutting, Arno didn’t always do the right thing, thus setting himself up for a good thwack on the back from Chella in a run-by smacking. Instead of standing submissive, as Chella strutted by, Arno would stand and stare – not disrespectfully, from my point of view, but from his lack of gorilla experience. This stare would only enrage Chella, and more often than not, a good smack or bite was delivered, as Arno screamed and the rest of the group would come to his rescue, chasing and screaming at Chella, who’d retreat. I didn’t get the feeling this was a permanent problem, but one which will resolve once either Arno figures out how to appease Chella (by giving him his “proppas” or due respect and showing adequate submission behaviors) or Chella’s testosterone poisoning settles down a bit and he no longer feels the need to show off as much. Arno was playing with virtually everyone else in the group, however, especially Twigs and Batek, and thankfully the new enclosure has plenty of room and sight barriers on the ground and in the trees, so the gorillas can find a place to relax in peace.

	12. Anthal. “The Matriarch.” Anthal looks as old or older than Nyango, although it’s guessed they’re about the same age. Like Brighter, the girl loves her food, but unlike Brighter, she won’t make a federal case out of it, if there is too much opposition from the others. She’s the only African gorilla I’ve seen doing the “telephone” – or holding one ear, as in the photo on the right. When I first saw it, it was during treat time, when banana leaves and stalks were being given out. Subsequently I made it a point to look at her whenever there was extra stress (treat and food time is always stressful for gorillas, but not necessarily a negative stress), and sure enough, that seemed to be when she’d do it. She was intrigued by my relationship with Nyango, with whom she got along (better than Nyango got along with Brighter, at least), and would watch us, often sitting about 15 feet away. When I went over to talk to Anthal, she’d purr and relax and turn her back “asking” me to scratch it or groom her thru the mesh, which I gladly obliged her. She’s got a sweet soul, and is an amazing survivor story.

Besides gorillas, Limbe has many other wonderful primates, all rescued victims of habitat loss or the bushmeat trade. One little mona monkey, Biju, was escaping a lot during my last visit, but she had grown and was now in the guenon cages next to the gorillas, where she’d greet me with her call of “nyaahhnk?” when I sat by the gorillas and monkeys, demanding her share of the goodies too. Wonderful putty nose and mustached monkeys, mangabeys, preuss guenons, mandrills, chimpanzees and the beautiful and rare drill are housed in ever-improving enclosures, as finances allow. There’s enough room to expand the LWC, but the most important role of the centre is its educational mission, to teach the people of Cameroon to appreciate and respect and thus protect their unique and wonderful wildlife heritage.

	I had plans to visit Gabon to visit one of LWC’s former managers, Linda Percy, who now works as the financial director for WCS in Libreville. Linda recently adopted a little boy, Jesse, from Liberia, and I was anxious to meet my new “nephew” and introduce him to gorillas, so we’d planned a trip to the Loango National Park. At the last minute, Linda had to be in New York, so I decided to go to Gabon alone, and visit the gorillas at Petite Evengue. First, however, Linda brought Jesse to Gorilla Haven, so we could meet and I could still honor my commitment as his new “Auntie Jane” and introduce him to at least one gorilla – Joe. Jesse turns 6 in August and was doing really well, considering the culture shock he and his new mom were experiencing, going from Liberia to Michigan to Gorilla Haven, en route to Belize, before returning to New York and then Gabon. Joe loved meeting Jesse, who decided gorillas were pretty cool, so my “job” was successful.

The Gorillas of Gabon's Petite Evengue In Gabon, I visited six gorillas housed at a relatively new gorilla project called the Petite Evengue, in one of Gabon’s newly created National Parks, Loango National Park. This area was made famous by Mike Fay’s Mega-Transect featured in National Geographic, where hippos were swimming in the surf of the ocean, and gorillas are sometimes seen on the beach as well. The gorillas of Petite Evengue aren’t wild, however, but are on an island, where tourists can visit and observational research on the gorillas can be made. Originally from CIRMF, the medical research center in Franceville, Gabon, the adult gorillas are the core of this small family group, which includes:
	MABEKE, the silverback, who was wild caught and is believed to be 24 years old. He’s a handsome guy, very patient and calm. When you arrive at the island and get out of the boat onto the dock, Mabeke would be casually waiting to see who was coming for a visit, as he's doing in the photo on the right with his wonderful caregiver, Ladji sitting on the dock.

	KESSALA, the adult female, also wild caught, is about 18 years old, and from what I learned has had three children, two of whom are still with them. She’s quite beautiful and relaxed too, but easily distinguished by her unique breasts … one of them was almost torn off in a fight with another female gorilla while at CIRMF, and is noticeably deformed (as the photo on the right taken from a brochure from Operation-Loango shows), but that doesn’t stop her from nursing her babies with the other good breast. OZANGE, is about a year and a half and is still close to his mother, Kessala, most of the time, riding or cuddling with her, or happily sitting alone, when she’d leave him to explore on her own. He’s still tiny for his age, but plays with the older kids.

	KIM, is about 7 years old, daughter of Kessala and Mabeke, although her gray hair makes her look much older. That's her in the photo on the left, on the right, next to her mom and baby brother. She loves playing with her “brothers” and would display for me occasionally, as if to make sure I knew she was the dominant one! OWENDJA, is about 3 years old and like ESSOGOUE, at 2 years old, is an orphan from the bushmeat trade. Both boys are now part of this group, getting extra milk feedings twice a day from their caregivers to make sure they grow up strong and healthy, like the others. There are plenty of trees to crash around and play in, which the boys loved to do - usually chasing Kim - as seen in the photo on the right. These two photos are courtesy of Chisato