Gorilla delivers Xmas baby
Dec 31, 2003
ONE of the habituated mountain gorillas at Nkuringo in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park gave birth on Christmas day,
ONE of the habituated mountain gorillas at Nkuringo in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park gave birth on Christmas day, reports Gerald Tenywa.
Dr. Arthur Mugisha, who heads the Uganda wildlife Authority (UWA), said habituation is a delicate process through which gorillas get used to human beings without losing their wild character.
UWA spokesperson Barbara Musoke said the gender of the baby was still unknown because the mother, Wagenyi, was too protective and baby was glued to her chest. However, she said a team of field officials was monitoring the habituated gorillas and that the baby would soon undergo a naming ceremony.
“Gorillas rarely give birth,’’ Musoke said, adding that the media would get engaged in the naming ceremony to help highlight the plight of the gorillas.
Musoke said the mother gorillas take between four to six years looking after the babies and then conceive as the baby gorillas become integrated into the group.
She said the new birth had increased the population of mountain gorillas at Nkuringo to 22.
Dr. Arthur Mugisha, who heads the Uganda wildlife Authority (UWA), said habituation is a delicate process through which gorillas get used to human beings without losing their wild character.
UWA spokesperson Barbara Musoke said the gender of the baby was still unknown because the mother, Wagenyi, was too protective and baby was glued to her chest. However, she said a team of field officials was monitoring the habituated gorillas and that the baby would soon undergo a naming ceremony.
“Gorillas rarely give birth,’’ Musoke said, adding that the media would get engaged in the naming ceremony to help highlight the plight of the gorillas.
Musoke said the mother gorillas take between four to six years looking after the babies and then conceive as the baby gorillas become integrated into the group.
She said the new birth had increased the population of mountain gorillas at Nkuringo to 22.