THE WAY FORWARD
David McGowan
Hellbenders and gorillas have very little in common; one is an ugly amphibian and the other a noble-looking primate. However, what they do have in common is an alarming decrease in their numbers along with many other animals. How is it possible to save these creatures as well as many others in immediate need of our attention? |
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The hellbender is at a distinct disadvantage. Slimy with beady eyes, it is not a candidate for a Disney movie. So why have the people of the Blue River adopted it as a mascot for their river? It won't increase the value of their land, it won't bring status to the community and the only interaction these folks will have with hellbenders is occasional fishing bait theft.
The hellbenders are a symbol of commitment to this river, a living reminder of how these people and their forebears guarded the river from abuse. If the hellbender is disappearing, the people living on the Blue River want to know about it and will exert the political muscle to stop it.
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Mountain gorillas, on the other hand, are impressive animals. Eco-tourists are willing to pay a lot of money to observe them in the wild, bringing the Mfubira people of the Bwindi Inpenetrable Forest an incredible amount of capital. For the Mfubira, who have suffered from war and poverty, their primary concerns today are education and proper health care for their children. The gorillas are a means to these ends.
With no practical way to patrol the forest, the Uganda Wildlife Authority fought a loosing battle with poachers who had nearly decimated the mountain gorilla. Today, the Mfubira act as the eyes and ears of the UWA to report suspicious activity. As a result, poaching has been nearly eradicated in Bwindi. |
In the case of both the hellbender and the mountain gorilla, their survival depends on the will of the local people. Perhaps, we can't all have mountain gorillas in our backyards, but if we look hard enough we can find something worthy of our attention. Whether it's a mussel, a butterfly, a bear or a frog, what does matter is that we find something to care about and take it seriously.
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GORILLA ORPHANAGE
David Cottrell
The goal of wildlife veterinary medicine is to protect humans as well as animals in the wild. The effort involves saving species as small as a salamander and as big as a mountain gorilla. Wildlife veterinarian Dr. Mike Cranfield, director of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP) Inc., knows that big or small, animal numbers in the wild are going down and we are responsible for saving them.
Dr. Cranfield of the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore frequently travels to Africa to study and work with orphaned gorillas. The baby gorillas are torn from their dead mothers' arms by poachers and sold into the illegal pet trade.
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Custom officials confiscate the babies and send them to the Eastern Gorilla Rehabilitation and Relocation Project (EGRRP) headquartered in Kinigi, Rwanda. Dr. Cranfield believes, "We rely on diagnostic treatments developed at zoos to tend to these traumatized gorillas, in the hope we can safely return them to the wild."
According to Dr. Cranfield, the largest threat to East Africa's mountain gorillas is logging, destruction of habitat, and the killing of animals for bush meat. The gravest threat for both humans and the animals is disease. "Ebola, S.A.R.S., or measles…if this goes through a population of 700 gorillas, we are going to be in trouble," Dr. Cranfield warns. |
There are presently 800 to 900 mountain gorillas left in the wild in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Prevention of disease is one of the most important aspects of Dr. Cranfield's work. In fact, when Dr. Cranfield arrives at the clinic he avoids any direct contact with the gorillas for two weeks to avoid exposing them to human transferred infection.
"Our goal is to reintroduce these orphaned gorillas back into the wild," states Dr. Cranfield. "No mountain gorilla has ever successfully been returned to non-natal groups in the wild."
Gorillas learn their group behavior from their mothers and other family members. The orphaned gorillas socialize with each other in preparation for leading normal gorilla lives. Caregivers spend every hour of every day monitoring the eight rescued gorillas but are careful not to create a bond between themselves and the orphans.
In the wild, juvenile gorillas spend their day following the lead of their adopted silverback, searching for areas to eat, play, and rest. "At daybreak," Dr. Cranfield explains, "they arise from their nests and are like vegetarians at a big salad bar."
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For some reason, not yet understood, gorillas defecate in their nests in the morning and never use the same nest twice. After spending a day eating plants, resting, and socializing, the gorillas build new nests by sundown. "They are nomadic animals by nature and are always looking for fresh plants," says Dr. Cranfield.
Dr. Innocent Rwego is one of seven other veterinarians who consider it a privilege to work on conservation efforts through the Reintroduction Project. Dr. Rwego was born in the small town of Kisoro near the gorilla habitat of the Virunga Mountains. Currently, Dr. Rwego is involved in monitoring the health of the gorillas by studying potential pathogen transmissions between humans, domestic animals, and the apes. "The most rewarding part of the day," Dr. Rwego says, "is seeing the gorillas relaxed, playing, and looking healthy."
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Veterinary medicine has taken a critical turn in recent years toward a practice of not only dealing with sick animals, but also becoming more knowledgeable about environmental issues affecting our planet. "Training was, until recently, concentrated on pets and domestic animal medicine," says Dr. Rwego. "However, it has now evolved to care for ecosystem health both in terrestrial and aquatic environments." Dr. Rwego's commitment to protect the remaining mountain gorilla populations is partially motivated by a strong regional pride. "This is an endangered non-human primate in my own back yard."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has taken a major lead in international conservation efforts. In 2006, they granted EGRRP over $77,000. |
Dr. Richard Ruggiero, chief of International Conservation, explains, "We don't want these orphaned gorillas to end up as genetic dead ends." USFWS also recognizes that without places like the gorilla orphanage to send confiscated animals, even the toughest laws become unenforceable. USFWS last year granted over $3.8 million to several projects around the world through their Great Apes Program.
To donate to the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project you can write to: Dr. Mike Cranfield c/o the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland 21217.
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...ONLY A MOTHER COULD LOVE
THE HELLBENDER (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis)
Sue Crombie
It's hard to warm up to an animal known as the "snot otter" but the hellbender has inspired activists across its range to rally for its survival. Hellbenders favor pristine, clear, rocky streams and rivers. Their numbers have been declining rapidly in the last twenty years.
Hellbenders are the largest amphibian in the western hemisphere, some reach lengths of two and half feet. Their closest relatives are the truly giant salamanders of China and Japan. Hellbenders are entirely aquatic and their mottled, brownish-red bodies are flattened for living under rocks. When handled, the hellbender leaves a sticky, odious mucus on its tormenter's hands. It is a creature so ugly that it evokes a Yoda-like charm.
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Zach Walker, a herpetologist with the Indiana DNR, wades into the clear, cold water of the Blue River that flows through the rolling hills of southern Indiana's cave country. Zach and his team are conducting their annual hellbender survey in the only river left in Indiana that the amphibians still inhabit. "Things look grim," he states, "in 1998 we found 48 hellbenders and this year we've only found 15." Historically, hellbenders had occupied lots of rivers and streams that fed the Ohio River from Indiana. Today, the Blue River represents the hellbenders last stand in the state.
"I got one!" yells Steve Harris, a volunteer from the Hoosier National Forest. Steve carefully pulls up a squirming hellbender and drops it into a net. He pries his sticky fingers apart and rolls the mucus into a little rubbery ball. He reaches out toward me "Want some gum?"
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Hellbenders are a long-lived species, the record age in captivity is 29 years. The life cycle starts when females deposit as many as 700 eggs in a nest built and guarded by the male. Young hellbenders are very susceptible to predation and changes in water quality.
After weighing and measuring the hellbender, Zach releases it back into the swift current. "The scariest part of these surveys," he explains, "is we're not seeing any young hellbenders." And that could mean they have ceased to reproduce in the Blue River. So little is known about the life of young hellbenders, it is hard to say why they can't be found. The optimists believe they hide in stream gravel and are hard to detect. "I'd like to believe that" says Zach "but I'm not finding any evidence of nests this year." |
In order to answer these difficult questions, Zach turned to Dr. Rod Williams of Purdue University. Dr. Williams, an expert in salamander reproduction, will look at a number of factors for the declines, from water quality to chytrid fungus. States across the US have, in recent years, been cutting back on conservation efforts yet Zach was able to convince the Indiana DNR to support the project. Partially because, he says "Purdue has a long history with the Indiana DNR in regards to wildlife research" and because the hellbender has become an important symbol for the Blue River region. |
The Nature Conservancy's (TNC) Blue River Project office is working with the city of Salem to improve their wastewater treatment. The project contributes to the health of the Blue River and improves the habitat for the hellbender. TNC is also working with local partners and landowners to prevent soil erosion by planting trees along the river that act as a filtering system for erosion. The trees and shrubs will limit silt in the river, their roots will help stabilize the bank and slow the river so rocks, where hellbenders make their nests underneath, are not disturbed.
Zach pulls another hellbender from the net to weigh. I ask him how did it get that name? "Well, there are several myths about that but the one that rings true to me is," he looks the amphibian in the eye, "they are as ugly as hell and they're bent on going back."
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NGAMBA ISLAND CHIMPANZEE SANCTUARY
David Cottrell
Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary lies just off the shore of Lake Victoria near Kampala, Uganda. It was created in 1998 to serve as a home for chimpanzees that have been used as pets, in circuses, or rescued from the grasp of poachers. There are approximately 200,000 chimps in Africa and 5,000 in Uganda. They are considered an endangered species.
The 40+ chimps on the 100 acre island sanctuary spend most of their time looking for food in the forest and then return to a holding facility at night. The research being done here helps people understand more about these beautiful primates. Every year poachers slaughter 5,000 chimpanzees, primarily for bush meat.
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"These orphaned chimps serve as a reminder to save the rest of the chimpanzees in Africa. We hope that future generations will be able to see chimpanzees and other great apes back in the wild," explains veterinarian Dr. Lawrence Mugisha, the sanctuary manager. "There are guidelines for primate reintroduction into the wild. These chimps will need suitable habitat if they are going to survive and their population to expand."
Chimps are an endangered species and every individual matters. Sanctuary groups across Africa are coming "together in Africa to protect the remaining habitats for the great apes," Dr. Mugisha says. "So I am very optimistic that if we cooperate, we can save the great apes and other wild animals." |
To find out more about the sanctuary, visit the Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust at www.ngambaisland.org.
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THE POWER OF FILM
Cindy Sandeno
On October 23, 2007, the U.S. Forest Service and over 30 other partners presented a one-of-a-kind event, the Cave Conservation Café. This event included the screening of " Caves: Life Beneath the Forest," and a panel discussion about the current state of cave conservation. The program served as a catalyst to begin a dialogue about cave protection between many federal and non-governmental agencies.
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The goal of the Forest Service was to raise government awareness of cave and karst resources. The planning team consisted of Jonathan Stephens (Congressionally Designated Areas and Trails, Program Manager, Forest Service), Joseph Fagan (Karst Protection Specialist, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation), Val Hildreth-Werker (Conservation Chair of the National Speleological Society), Cynthia Sandeno (Karst Coordinator, Hoosier National Forest), and Jerry Trout (National Coordinator for Cave Resources.) |
Opening remarks were given by Jim Bedwell, National Director of Recreation for the Forest Service about cave resources in the United States. Guest speakers included Penny Boston, Associate Director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute and many others. Dr. Boston spoke about the importance of her research on microbial communities in caves that is funded by both the Forest Service and NASA.
A panel discussion followed the screening of the film. Representatives from The Nature Conservancy, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Indiana Karst Conservancy, and the National Speleological Society talked about the many challenges and opportunities for cave conservation.
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The Cave Conservation Café has led to a shift in thinking for the Forest Service. Currently, caves fall under the purview of recreation. The agency now plans to incorporate cave management into many other disciplines; wildlife, geology, hydrology, etc. They will also provide better coordination between regions for cave management programs.
We hope that Cave Conservation Cafe will be the beginning of a larger discussion about the preservation of caves and the protection of the creatures that depend on the cave ecosystem. This is a hopeful time for cave conservation in the United States.
Allen Pursell, Julien Lewis and Dave McGowan
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NEW TO THE RAVENSWOOD MEDIA TEAM |
David Cottrell is a writer and producer for Answers Media in Chicago. David has a journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an emphasis on Native American studies. Some of his core accomplishments include award-winning work in the field of educational documentaries with subject matter ranging from the Great Wall of China, fair trade practices with indigenous populations, and privately funded space flight.
David has hiked throughout the Rocky Mountains, the California Desert, the North Woods of Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and the volcanic terrain of Hawaii. David enjoys kayaking, biking, and most anything else involving the great outdoors. An avid environmentalist, David looks forward to a career of discovery, conservation/educational journalism, and saving the planet one day at a time. |
CONSERVATION MEDIA
David McGowan |
The Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival was more than just a screening opportunity. The event organizers strove to create an environment for people to meet and talk about their projects. Unfortunately, for someone from the Midwest, this year's theme was Oceans.
It's always awkward to mingle when you don't know anybody but it's twice as hard when everyone in the room spends their entire waking life 60' underwater. But I soldiered on and learned a lot about diving. The high def images of coral reefs, whale sharks, and just about every conceivable underwater animal were stunning.
It felt good to talk to other filmmakers committed to making programs about natural history and conservation. There was camaraderie among people working hard to mitigate the environmental disasters lurking ahead. Instead of doom and gloom, I found enthusiastic professionals who believe the environment is still worth fighting for. |
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