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Post by Gorilla king on Feb 1, 2022 16:44:08 GMT -5
Just got an email from the Dian Fossey gorilla fund:
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Post by Gorilla king on Mar 20, 2022 7:13:27 GMT -5
SIZE MATTERS
Silverback Giraneza in a strut stance characterized by tight muscles in the neck, back, legs, and arms and the widening of the arms and legs.
Science confirms: Size matters for mountain gorillas
For male mountain gorillas, one thing is certain – size matters, especially when it comes to the ladies. A study involving Fossey Fund researchers finds a correlation between physical traits of male gorillas, their mating success and their dominance rank in social groups.
“There’s no doubt bigger is better,” says Eric Ndayishimiye, a Fossey Fund researcher and coauthor of the study published in the journal Animal Behaviour. “In mature males, we specifically found that the height of the gorilla’s crest, or elongated skull bone, and the breadth of his back typically indicate a higher rank in the gorilla group.”
The Fossey Fund researchers, working with scientists from the Max Planck Institute and The George Washington University, developed a composite measure of the crest and back. It correlated with not only achieving the highest dominance rank in a group, but also how long a male was able to maintain dominance, and the number of females who join the group. Interestingly, body length did not seem to matter.
“From an evolutionary perspective, reproductive success is everything for male gorillas,” says the study’s lead author Edward Wright of the Max Planck Institute. “But until now, we’ve not understood why some gorillas sire many offspring, and others none at all. While crest and back size are not the only indicators of mating success, this study provides our first proof of a physical trait that influences female attraction and mating.”
Over more than 50 years, the Fossey Fund has tracked and studied a number of legendary silverbacks that validate the “size matters” theory. Cantsbee, Mafunzo, Musilikale and Isabukuru collectively sired dozens of children, and their many descendants are one of the reasons the mountain gorilla population is rebounding from the brink of extinction.
“There are certainly other factors that contribute to gorilla rank and dominance among males,” Ndayishimiye says. “But gorillas with a higher crest-back score had more reproductive success. They were more aggressive, and the large size helped them attain a higher rank in the group.”
gorillafund.org/dian-fossey/size-matters/
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Post by Gorilla king on Apr 22, 2022 12:27:27 GMT -5
Dian Fossey’s Gorilla Skulls Are Scientific Treasures and a Symbol of Her Fight
The male mountain gorilla Limbo (left) and Green Lady, a female from the same species, are on view in the exhibition, "Objects of Wonder," at the Natural History Museum. Donny Bajohr
Dian Fossey was committed to creating a skeletal repository of the mountain gorilla, sharing specimens with the Smithsonian Institution. Liam White / Alamy Stock Photo
Fossey's work inspired a conservation and study movement that lasts today in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park. Wikimedia Commons
www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/dian-fosseys-gorilla-skulls-are-scientific-treasures-and-symbol-her-fight-180962564/
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Post by Gorilla king on Apr 30, 2022 16:37:14 GMT -5
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Post by Gorilla king on May 15, 2022 9:16:43 GMT -5
Celebrating the life of silverback gorilla Mafunzo
With just over 1,000 mountain gorillas remaining, every individual is critical to their conservation. The life of a dominant silverback, whose job is to protect his family, is especially important. Silverback Mafunzo, who died on April 19, exhibited all the best qualities of a gorilla group leader, forming his group when he was young, expanding it quickly, protecting them well, and being a great father to his offspring.
gorillafund.org/gorilla-protection/celebrating-the-life-of-silverback-gorilla-mafunzo/
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Post by Gorilla king on Jul 3, 2022 18:40:27 GMT -5
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Post by Gorilla king on Nov 9, 2022 6:51:05 GMT -5
FIGHT BETWEEN 1 SILVERBACK AND 3 SILVERBACKS OF DIFFERENT TROOPS, ONE OF THE THREE WAS THE MOST SEVERELY INJURED:
Injured Silverback Bukima – Intervention Report
On July 23, 2019, Gorilla Doctors’ Eddy and Martin performed a partial intervention on Bukima, the dominant silverback of Rugendo group in Virunga National Park, DR Congo, after he was severely injured in an interaction with lone silverback Sebagabo. This post summarizes their intervention report and the events leading to Bukima’s injuries.
Intervention: Medication administered via dart gun
Location: Virunga National Park, DR Congo
Gorilla Doctors: Drs. Eddy Kambale and Martin Kabuyaya
Dates: July 20 – 25th
July 20th – Gorilla Doctors receive a call from ICCN (Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature) park rangers that Bukima, the dominant silverback of Rugendo group, was severely injured during an interaction with lone silverback Sebagabo. Trackers reported that Sebagabo was very aggressive, attacking all three silverbacks in Rugendo group before running away. Bukima was the most severely wounded, with multiple injuries to his hands and he was seen dragging his left leg.
Silverback Bukima feeding with visible injuries after interaction with lone silverback Sebagabo.
July 21st – A park monitoring officer reported to Gorilla Doctors that Bukima’s left leg was swollen, he was limping, moving very little and not eating. Group members remained around him with fellow silverback Baseka staying close to Bukima.
July 22nd – Drs. Eddy and Martin are prevented from safely traveling from Goma to Rumangabo because of civil unrest along the road.
July 23rd – Drs. Eddy and Martin arrive safely to the ranger station and learn that the rangers had seen Bukima climbing up a tree. When Drs. Eddy and Martin reached the gorillas around 10:25AM they found the group resting. Bukima was with adult female Bagambe and her infant. Silverback Baseka remained close and would occasionally charge at Drs. Eddy and Martin. They also observed silverbacks Baseka and Kongomani; both had superficial wounds on their hands and feet that did not require treatment.
During their veterinary assessment of Bukima, Drs. Eddy and Martin observed multiple bite wounds on both hands, his left shoulder, toes of his right foot and a large wound on his left thigh – the cause of his limp. While it was affecting his movement, the wounds were clean and superficial (not deep). In order to prevent post-injury infection, Drs. Eddy and Martin administered a long-acting antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory/analgesic.
Dr. Marin Kabuyaya prepares to fire dart gun to administer medication.
Once Bukima was administered his medication via dart, he moved away quietly without reacting and the rest of the group remained calm.
July 24-25th – The ICCN monitoring officer reports to Gorilla Doctors a slight improvement in Bukima’s feeding and movement but that Bukima was still trailing behind the group.
August 12th UPDATE – Dr. Eddy reports that Bukima is fully back to normal.
Note on lone silverback Sebagabo – Given the severity of Bukima’s injuries, it is possible that lone silverback Sebagabo may also have sustained injuries so park rangers are working to locate him and check on his condition. Sebagabo is quite the survivor – as an infant in 2006 he lost his right hand to a snare. Gorilla Doctors performed a surgical intervention to repair his arm as he was suffering from an open stump with exposed bones. This successful intervention allowed Sebagabo to stay in the wild and grow into a silverback engaging in natural male-male fighting behavior. We will update this post when additional information on Sebagabo is available.
www.gorilladoctors.org/injured-silverback-bukima-intervention-report/
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Post by Gorilla king on Jan 31, 2023 22:47:50 GMT -5
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Post by gorigorillas492 on Jul 24, 2023 9:31:03 GMT -5
Silverback guarding his troop from buffaloes.
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Post by Gorilla king on Jul 24, 2023 13:38:59 GMT -5
Awesome bro, never seen that before. Buffaloes better stay clear, the silverback will charge if it gets too close.
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Post by gorigorillas492 on Aug 5, 2023 9:15:45 GMT -5
Man hugging young gorilla that lost his parents.
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Aug 6, 2023 3:49:52 GMT -5
/\ This man understands gorilla body language. The gorilla at least is comforted.
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Post by Gorilla king on Aug 6, 2023 5:20:40 GMT -5
Man deserves a trophy. The poachers deserve the death penalty.
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Aug 6, 2023 9:32:53 GMT -5
Man deserves a trophy. The poachers deserve the death penalty. In certain parts of Africa, I heard people are allowed to hunt poachers.
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Post by Gorilla king on Aug 7, 2023 7:18:56 GMT -5
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Post by Gorilla king on Aug 7, 2023 8:01:16 GMT -5
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Post by Gorilla king on Oct 2, 2023 9:11:23 GMT -5
Violent encounters between social units hinder the growth of a high-density mountain gorilla population
Abstract
Density-dependent processes such as competition for resources, migration, predation, and disease outbreaks limit the growth of natural populations. The analysis of 50 years of mountain gorilla data reveals that social behavior changes observed at high group density may also affect population growth in social species. A sudden increase in social group density observed in 2007 caused a threefold increase in the rate of violent encounters between social units (groups and solitary males). A fivefold increase in the rate of infanticide and seven cases of lethal fights among mature males were subsequently recorded, and the annual subpopulation growth rate declined by half between 2000 and 2017. The increase in infanticide alone explains 57% of this decline. These findings highlight the complex relationship between population density and growth in social species and hold important implications for the management of island populations.
www.researchgate.net/publication/346702843_Violent_encounters_between_social_units_hinder_the_growth_of_a_high-density_mountain_gorilla_population
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Post by Gorilla king on Oct 2, 2023 9:12:16 GMT -5
Quote from the abstract above:
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Post by Gorilla king on Mar 26, 2024 10:35:29 GMT -5
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