Archive for October, 2008
Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda
mallaisj asked:
Here are the highlights of my hour spent with the mountain gorillas in Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda. Many thanks to my guide Bill Mulumba at Primate Safaris (www.primatesafaris-rwanda.com) for making it possible. Enjoy!
Zoopharmacognosy: Nature’s Pharmacy Used by Animals
Sonia Singh asked:
Zoopharmacognosy: Nature’s Pharmacy used by animals
Author’s name: Prof. Pradeep Mishra, Bhupesh C Semwal, Sonia SIngh*
Introduction: Self-medicating behavior is a topic of rapidly growing interest to behaviorists, parasitologists, ethnobotanists, chemical ecologists, conservationists, and physicians. Scientists from various disciplines are currently exploring the possibility that many species use plants, soils, insects, and fungi as ‘medicines’ in ways that guard against future illness (preventive medicine) and/or relieve unpleasant symptoms (curative or therapeutic medicine). It is important to note that the scientific study of animal self-medication is not based on an assumption that animals possess an innate ‘wisdom’ by which they flawlessly know what is good for them. Self-medication strategies are survival skills honed by natural selection. In most cases self-medication could be motivated by a desire to immediately reduce unpleasant sensations. Some species, particularly great apes, show an intention of purpose in their medication and in these cases the term ‘zoopharmacognosy’ was coined to describe the process by which wild animals select and use specific plants with medicinal properties for the treatment and prevention of disease1.
In other words we can say that, “Zoopharmacognosy” refers to the process by which animal self-medicate, by selecting and utilizing plants and soils and insects to treat and prevent disease. Coined by Dr.Eloy Rodriguez a biochemist and professor at Cornell University, the word is derived from roots zoo (”animal”), pharma (”drug”), and gnosy (”knowing”)2. Since ancient times people have recorded observations of animals apparently healing themselves with natural medicines. Many herbs still retain a common name that infers this use: dog-grass (Agropyron repens), catnip (Nepeta cataria), and horny goat weed (Epimedium sp.), to name a few. However, these observations remain largely unexplored by science. Many stories of animal self-medication are clearly designed to inform and communicate herbal lore rather than fact. Others are simply misinterpretations of animal behaviour.
According to Chinese folklore, many centuries ago a farmer in the Yunnan district found a snake near his hut. Fearful for his life, he beat it senseless with a hoe and left it for dead. A few days later, the same snake returned. Again he tried to kill it, but again it returned. After he had beaten it a third time, the farmer followed the severely wounded snake as it crawled into a clump of weeds, started feeding on them, and thereby rapidly cured the worst of its injuries. The plant in the story was Panex notoginseng, which now forms the main ingredient in the herbal formulation ‘Yunnan bai yao’, a white powder that cauterizes cuts and stems external bleeding immediately. It was standard issue in the Vietnam War, for use when soldiers were wounded far from conventional medical treatment1.
Self-medication by animals:
Chewing plants: Huffman is one of the pioneers of zoopharmacognosy, thanks to his observations in 1987 of an animal -the chimp – attempting to heal herself. Intrigued by her speedy recovery and curious about the cause of her illness, Huffman analyzed the chimp’s dung and found the intestinal parasite Oesophagostomum stephanostomumto is the most likely explanation for her symptoms. What’s more, he found lower levels of the worm in another female chimp’s excretions 20 hours after she ate the bitter pith from a Vernonia tree, when suffering from diarrhea. Huffman and his colleagues isolated an entirely new class of compounds from the pith, one of which, vernonioside B1, was found to possess antiparasitic, antitumor, and antibacterial properties.
Why chimpanzees go to all this trouble to find Aspilia leaves? For several reasons, scientists think that chimpanzees eat this plant to exploit its medicinal properties. First, chimps consume more of these leaves during the rainy season, when parasitic larvae abound and there is increased risk of infection. Second, swallowing the leaves whole rather than chewing they provide no nutritional benefit to the animals, as they pass through the animal undigested. Africans use Aspilia plant, for a wide variety of illnesses such as lumbago, sciatica, scurvy, malaria, and rheumatism.
Experts are now searching for answers to the bigger question: What is the mechanism by which leaf swallowing acts against parasites? One analysis showed Aspilia leaves to contain a bright red oil known as thiarubrine-A, a compound clinically proven to kill parasites, viruses, fungi, and bacteria. Huffman found live worms in chimp feces stuck “like Velcro” to leaf hairs and trapped within the folds. He speculates that worms may become attached to the leaves or somehow enticed into the folds during digestion, taking a “magic carpet ride” through the gastrointestinal tract, eventually to be excreted from the body. Chemicals in the plant may also decrease the ability of the parasites to adhere to the intestine, making it easier for them to be swept out by the leaves. To date, experts have documented 30 plant species whose hairy leaves are “swallowed whole,” not just by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), but by pygmy chimps, or “bonobos” (Pan paniscus), and eastern lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla graueri). These great apes, of course, share their forest pharmacy with another important primate: Homo sapiens. . Rubia cordifolia is the antiparasitic plant Ugandans use to relieve stomach ailments. Traditionally, people of that country also rely on Aneilema aequinoctiale for fevers, earaches, and to stop bleeding. Lippia plicata is ingested by Africans for more serious threats such as dysentery and malaria. And in Tanzania, Ficus exasperata is the preferred antidote for ulcer sufferers.
Wild remedies for reproduction: Animals may have “stumbled” upon a wealth of ways to control reproduction, and scientists believe recent discoveries are only the tip of the iceberg. According to World Wildlife Fund scientist Holly Dublin, African elephants (Loxodanta africana) seek a particular species of tree, possibly to induce labor. Dublin followed a pregnant elephant for more than a year in East Africa, and observed that the elephant followed a strictly uniform diet and pattern of daily behavior until near the end of gestation. At that time, the elephant walked 17 miles in one day -many more than her usual three- and ate a tree of the Boraginaceae family from leaves to trunk! Four days later she gave birth to a healthy calf. The University of Wisconsin anthropologist Karen Strier found that, at different times, muriqui monkeys (Brachyteles arachnoides)of Brazil go out of their way to eat leaves of Apulia leiocarpa and Platypodium elegans,and the fruit of Enterlobium contortisiliquim(monkey’s ear). The first two plants contain isoflavanoids which are componds similar to estrogen. Ingesting the leaves may increase estrogen levels in the body, thereby decreasing fertility. Alternatively, eating monkey’s ear may increase the monkey’s chances of becoming pregnant because the plant contains a precursor to progesterone (the “pregnancy hormone”) called stigmasterol.
Fur rubbing behavior: Mary Baker, an anthropologist at the University of California, studied that white-faced Capuchin monkeys ( Cebus capucinus) breaking open the fruits of certain species of Citrus plants, and rubbing the pulp and juice into their fur. They also tore stems, leaves, and seed pods from Clematis dioica, Piper marginatum and Sloanea terniflorastems, mixed with saliva and vigorously rubbed them in as well. These botanicals contain secondary compounds with healing and insect- repelling characteristics. Baker also observed that fur-rubbing behaviour becomes more frequent when temperatures and humidity rise during the rainy season. This may be due to the corresponding increase in the risk of bacterial or fungal infections. North American brown bears (Ursus arctos) chew the root of Ligusticum porteri, making a paste of the plant with saliva, rub on their faces. Ligusticum porteri contains coumarins- fragant organic compounds that may repel insects when topically applied3.
‘Fur rubbing is a typical behaviour of rubbing masticated plant materials and other objects such as insects on the external surface of the body by animals. Fur rubbing has been reported in a variety of primates, like Cebus capucinus, C. olivaceus, C.paella, Atelos geoffroyi, A. belzebuth, Aotus boliviensis, A. lemurinus griseimembra, A. nancymaae and Eulemur macaco. It has been suggested that fur rubbing serves to repel or kill ectoparasites. In Venezuela, Capuchin monkeys rub highly toxic millipede secretion into their fur during the humid met season when insect bites are high. The millipede seretions contain benzoquinones, which are well known for their insect repellant property.White- nosed coatis (Nasus narica) have been observed coating their body with the resin of Trattinnickia aspera (Burseraceae). These may also serve to control ectoparasites and thus should be considered a self-medication4.
Eating bacteria for digestion: The folivorous, or leaf-eating, hoatzin, however, uses specialized bacteria in the crop to break down hard-to-digest leafy plant material. Research indicates that the bird’s gut bacteria also neutralize toxic secondary compounds found in the plants it eats.
Antimicrobial property of plant: According to biologist John Berry at Cornell University, sweet red fruits of Aframomum angustifolium, having antimicrobial properties actually pose a digestive threat to the normal, healthy population of microorganisms found in the gorilla’s gut. After eating fruits of this wild ginger, antibacterial compounds in the plant can temporarily damage these microbes, in turn upsetting the gorilla’s digestive system if they aren’t already a regular part of the diet. Evidence shows that the gorilla’s microbiota has developed resistance to the biologically active components of the plant in areas where it is commonly eaten–an adaptation3.
Anting behaviour: ‘Anting’ is a behaviour in which birds rub crushed ants throughout their plumage and some birds let the ants to crawl over their plumage by directly lying on ants nests. Anting is reported in more than 200 species of songbirds and it is used to soothe irritated skin, help with feather maintenance and repel or reduce ectoparasites. The most commonly used ants by birds for anting are those species which contain formic acid. Subsequent empirical studies with bird lice revealed that formic acid is harmful to feather lice.
Antimicrobial lining in the nests: The leaves of wild carrot (Daucus carota, Umbelliferae), significantly reduces the number of fowl mites (Orntithonysus sylviarum) in starling nests. The dusty-footed wood rats (Neotoma fuscipes) place bay foliage around their sleeping nests and it has been experimentally shown that the inclusion of bay foliage significantly reduces the flea larval survival. The wood ants, formica paralugubris often incorporate large quantities of solidified conifer resin into their nests. By creating resin-free and resin –rich experimental nests, it was demonstrated that the included resin inhibits the growth of pathogenic micro-organism inside ant nests4.
European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), lining their nests with select fresh vegetation, these birds are protecting themselves from a myriad of possible infections. Wild carrot (Dauscus carota), for example, kills fowl mites in starling nests. The carrot contains the steroid B-sitosterol, a compound that repels mites and inhibits their egg-laying abilities. Wood storks also reuse old nests, often for generations, over many decades and also bring fresh green material to their nests. Many of the plants they use are also highly volatile such as red cedar (Juniperus silicola), cypress (Taxodium distichium), black gum (Nyssa bioflora), poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), red maple (Acer rubrum), wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), and water oak (Quercus virginiana). When tested against large skin beetles that infest wood storks, these plants had no effect. However, wood storks’ selections show the same profile of aromatic, bitter and astringent plants, suggesting that medication may be about treating the symptoms of mites and bites rather than impacting directly on the ectoparasites.
The domestic house sparrow is in on the act too. In Calcutta, scientists have noticed that the house sparrow usually brings neem (Azidiachta indica) leaves, which are powerful insecticides, to line its nest at hatching time. These sparrows have also been observed to change from neem to quinine-rich leaves of Krishnachua tree (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) during an outbreak of malaria. Quinine controls the symptoms of malaria and scientists wonder whether the sparrows were selecting leaves to deal with malarial symptoms1.
Consumption of soil: ‘Geophagy’ is an act of deliberately consuming soil, stones and rock by herbivorous and omnivorous mammals, birds, reptiles and insects. This behavoiur is observed and studied in the context of self-medication in Japanese macaques (macacca mulatta), mountain gorillas (gorilla gorilla), chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) and african elephants. Geophagy is suggested as a means to maintain gut pH, to meet nutritional requirements for traces minerals, to satisfy hunger for sodium to detoxify previously consumed plant secondary metabolites and to combat intestinal problems like diarrhea4.
Conclusion:
Self-medication in animals remains a field with endless unexplored avenues. Washington University biologist Jane Phillips-Conroy, who studied self-medication in baboons, says, “Just because a monkey eats a particular plant doesn’t mean he knows it’s medicinal. We need more definitive studies like those of Huffman, with actual proof that particular plants are effective against particular illnesses. “According to Huffman, “With growing chemoresistance to the Western world’s current arsenal of antibiotics and anthelmintics [antiparasitics], we cannot afford to let that potential source of knowledge disappear3”. Actually, Zoopharmacognosy is based on the apparent ability of animals to show a cognitive grasp of potential medicines in their environment. Further new discoveries in the field of zoopharmacognosy is essential in order to teach us more about behavior, botany, and with respect to medicine, all areas in which we may apply our knowledge to benefit the upcoming future generations.
References:
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Entomology
http://en.wikipedia .org/
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/publications
Raman R and Kandula S. Zoopharmacognosy: Self-medication in wild animals. Resonance 2008: 245-53.
Zoopharmacognosy: Nature’s Pharmacy used by animals
Author’s name: Prof. Pradeep Mishra, Bhupesh C Semwal, Sonia SIngh*
Introduction: Self-medicating behavior is a topic of rapidly growing interest to behaviorists, parasitologists, ethnobotanists, chemical ecologists, conservationists, and physicians. Scientists from various disciplines are currently exploring the possibility that many species use plants, soils, insects, and fungi as ‘medicines’ in ways that guard against future illness (preventive medicine) and/or relieve unpleasant symptoms (curative or therapeutic medicine). It is important to note that the scientific study of animal self-medication is not based on an assumption that animals possess an innate ‘wisdom’ by which they flawlessly know what is good for them. Self-medication strategies are survival skills honed by natural selection. In most cases self-medication could be motivated by a desire to immediately reduce unpleasant sensations. Some species, particularly great apes, show an intention of purpose in their medication and in these cases the term ‘zoopharmacognosy’ was coined to describe the process by which wild animals select and use specific plants with medicinal properties for the treatment and prevention of disease1.
In other words we can say that, “Zoopharmacognosy” refers to the process by which animal self-medicate, by selecting and utilizing plants and soils and insects to treat and prevent disease. Coined by Dr.Eloy Rodriguez a biochemist and professor at Cornell University, the word is derived from roots zoo (”animal”), pharma (”drug”), and gnosy (”knowing”)2. Since ancient times people have recorded observations of animals apparently healing themselves with natural medicines. Many herbs still retain a common name that infers this use: dog-grass (Agropyron repens), catnip (Nepeta cataria), and horny goat weed (Epimedium sp.), to name a few. However, these observations remain largely unexplored by science. Many stories of animal self-medication are clearly designed to inform and communicate herbal lore rather than fact. Others are simply misinterpretations of animal behaviour.
According to Chinese folklore, many centuries ago a farmer in the Yunnan district found a snake near his hut. Fearful for his life, he beat it senseless with a hoe and left it for dead. A few days later, the same snake returned. Again he tried to kill it, but again it returned. After he had beaten it a third time, the farmer followed the severely wounded snake as it crawled into a clump of weeds, started feeding on them, and thereby rapidly cured the worst of its injuries. The plant in the story was Panex notoginseng, which now forms the main ingredient in the herbal formulation ‘Yunnan bai yao’, a white powder that cauterizes cuts and stems external bleeding immediately. It was standard issue in the Vietnam War, for use when soldiers were wounded far from conventional medical treatment1.
Self-medication by animals:
Chewing plants: Huffman is one of the pioneers of zoopharmacognosy, thanks to his observations in 1987 of an animal -the chimp – attempting to heal herself. Intrigued by her speedy recovery and curious about the cause of her illness, Huffman analyzed the chimp’s dung and found the intestinal parasite Oesophagostomum stephanostomumto is the most likely explanation for her symptoms. What’s more, he found lower levels of the worm in another female chimp’s excretions 20 hours after she ate the bitter pith from a Vernonia tree, when suffering from diarrhea. Huffman and his colleagues isolated an entirely new class of compounds from the pith, one of which, vernonioside B1, was found to possess antiparasitic, antitumor, and antibacterial properties.
Why chimpanzees go to all this trouble to find Aspilia leaves? For several reasons, scientists think that chimpanzees eat this plant to exploit its medicinal properties. First, chimps consume more of these leaves during the rainy season, when parasitic larvae abound and there is increased risk of infection. Second, swallowing the leaves whole rather than chewing they provide no nutritional benefit to the animals, as they pass through the animal undigested. Africans use Aspilia plant, for a wide variety of illnesses such as lumbago, sciatica, scurvy, malaria, and rheumatism.
Experts are now searching for answers to the bigger question: What is the mechanism by which leaf swallowing acts against parasites? One analysis showed Aspilia leaves to contain a bright red oil known as thiarubrine-A, a compound clinically proven to kill parasites, viruses, fungi, and bacteria. Huffman found live worms in chimp feces stuck “like Velcro” to leaf hairs and trapped within the folds. He speculates that worms may become attached to the leaves or somehow enticed into the folds during digestion, taking a “magic carpet ride” through the gastrointestinal tract, eventually to be excreted from the body. Chemicals in the plant may also decrease the ability of the parasites to adhere to the intestine, making it easier for them to be swept out by the leaves. To date, experts have documented 30 plant species whose hairy leaves are “swallowed whole,” not just by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), but by pygmy chimps, or “bonobos” (Pan paniscus), and eastern lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla graueri). These great apes, of course, share their forest pharmacy with another important primate: Homo sapiens. . Rubia cordifolia is the antiparasitic plant Ugandans use to relieve stomach ailments. Traditionally, people of that country also rely on Aneilema aequinoctiale for fevers, earaches, and to stop bleeding. Lippia plicata is ingested by Africans for more serious threats such as dysentery and malaria. And in Tanzania, Ficus exasperata is the preferred antidote for ulcer sufferers.
Wild remedies for reproduction: Animals may have “stumbled” upon a wealth of ways to control reproduction, and scientists believe recent discoveries are only the tip of the iceberg. According to World Wildlife Fund scientist Holly Dublin, African elephants (Loxodanta africana) seek a particular species of tree, possibly to induce labor. Dublin followed a pregnant elephant for more than a year in East Africa, and observed that the elephant followed a strictly uniform diet and pattern of daily behavior until near the end of gestation. At that time, the elephant walked 17 miles in one day -many more than her usual three- and ate a tree of the Boraginaceae family from leaves to trunk! Four days later she gave birth to a healthy calf. The University of Wisconsin anthropologist Karen Strier found that, at different times, muriqui monkeys (Brachyteles arachnoides)of Brazil go out of their way to eat leaves of Apulia leiocarpa and Platypodium elegans,and the fruit of Enterlobium contortisiliquim(monkey’s ear). The first two plants contain isoflavanoids which are componds similar to estrogen. Ingesting the leaves may increase estrogen levels in the body, thereby decreasing fertility. Alternatively, eating monkey’s ear may increase the monkey’s chances of becoming pregnant because the plant contains a precursor to progesterone (the “pregnancy hormone”) called stigmasterol.
Fur rubbing behavior: Mary Baker, an anthropologist at the University of California, studied that white-faced Capuchin monkeys ( Cebus capucinus) breaking open the fruits of certain species of Citrus plants, and rubbing the pulp and juice into their fur. They also tore stems, leaves, and seed pods from Clematis dioica, Piper marginatum and Sloanea terniflorastems, mixed with saliva and vigorously rubbed them in as well. These botanicals contain secondary compounds with healing and insect- repelling characteristics. Baker also observed that fur-rubbing behaviour becomes more frequent when temperatures and humidity rise during the rainy season. This may be due to the corresponding increase in the risk of bacterial or fungal infections. North American brown bears (Ursus arctos) chew the root of Ligusticum porteri, making a paste of the plant with saliva, rub on their faces. Ligusticum porteri contains coumarins- fragant organic compounds that may repel insects when topically applied3.
‘Fur rubbing is a typical behaviour of rubbing masticated plant materials and other objects such as insects on the external surface of the body by animals. Fur rubbing has been reported in a variety of primates, like Cebus capucinus, C. olivaceus, C.paella, Atelos geoffroyi, A. belzebuth, Aotus boliviensis, A. lemurinus griseimembra, A. nancymaae and Eulemur macaco. It has been suggested that fur rubbing serves to repel or kill ectoparasites. In Venezuela, Capuchin monkeys rub highly toxic millipede secretion into their fur during the humid met season when insect bites are high. The millipede seretions contain benzoquinones, which are well known for their insect repellant property.White- nosed coatis (Nasus narica) have been observed coating their body with the resin of Trattinnickia aspera (Burseraceae). These may also serve to control ectoparasites and thus should be considered a self-medication4.
Eating bacteria for digestion: The folivorous, or leaf-eating, hoatzin, however, uses specialized bacteria in the crop to break down hard-to-digest leafy plant material. Research indicates that the bird’s gut bacteria also neutralize toxic secondary compounds found in the plants it eats.
Antimicrobial property of plant: According to biologist John Berry at Cornell University, sweet red fruits of Aframomum angustifolium, having antimicrobial properties actually pose a digestive threat to the normal, healthy population of microorganisms found in the gorilla’s gut. After eating fruits of this wild ginger, antibacterial compounds in the plant can temporarily damage these microbes, in turn upsetting the gorilla’s digestive system if they aren’t already a regular part of the diet. Evidence shows that the gorilla’s microbiota has developed resistance to the biologically active components of the plant in areas where it is commonly eaten–an adaptation3.
Anting behaviour: ‘Anting’ is a behaviour in which birds rub crushed ants throughout their plumage and some birds let the ants to crawl over their plumage by directly lying on ants nests. Anting is reported in more than 200 species of songbirds and it is used to soothe irritated skin, help with feather maintenance and repel or reduce ectoparasites. The most commonly used ants by birds for anting are those species which contain formic acid. Subsequent empirical studies with bird lice revealed that formic acid is harmful to feather lice.
Antimicrobial lining in the nests: The leaves of wild carrot (Daucus carota, Umbelliferae), significantly reduces the number of fowl mites (Orntithonysus sylviarum) in starling nests. The dusty-footed wood rats (Neotoma fuscipes) place bay foliage around their sleeping nests and it has been experimentally shown that the inclusion of bay foliage significantly reduces the flea larval survival. The wood ants, formica paralugubris often incorporate large quantities of solidified conifer resin into their nests. By creating resin-free and resin –rich experimental nests, it was demonstrated that the included resin inhibits the growth of pathogenic micro-organism inside ant nests4.
European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), lining their nests with select fresh vegetation, these birds are protecting themselves from a myriad of possible infections. Wild carrot (Dauscus carota), for example, kills fowl mites in starling nests. The carrot contains the steroid B-sitosterol, a compound that repels mites and inhibits their egg-laying abilities. Wood storks also reuse old nests, often for generations, over many decades and also bring fresh green material to their nests. Many of the plants they use are also highly volatile such as red cedar (Juniperus silicola), cypress (Taxodium distichium), black gum (Nyssa bioflora), poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), red maple (Acer rubrum), wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), and water oak (Quercus virginiana). When tested against large skin beetles that infest wood storks, these plants had no effect. However, wood storks’ selections show the same profile of aromatic, bitter and astringent plants, suggesting that medication may be about treating the symptoms of mites and bites rather than impacting directly on the ectoparasites.
The domestic house sparrow is in on the act too. In Calcutta, scientists have noticed that the house sparrow usually brings neem (Azidiachta indica) leaves, which are powerful insecticides, to line its nest at hatching time. These sparrows have also been observed to change from neem to quinine-rich leaves of Krishnachua tree (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) during an outbreak of malaria. Quinine controls the symptoms of malaria and scientists wonder whether the sparrows were selecting leaves to deal with malarial symptoms1.
Consumption of soil: ‘Geophagy’ is an act of deliberately consuming soil, stones and rock by herbivorous and omnivorous mammals, birds, reptiles and insects. This behavoiur is observed and studied in the context of self-medication in Japanese macaques (macacca mulatta), mountain gorillas (gorilla gorilla), chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) and african elephants. Geophagy is suggested as a means to maintain gut pH, to meet nutritional requirements for traces minerals, to satisfy hunger for sodium to detoxify previously consumed plant secondary metabolites and to combat intestinal problems like diarrhea4.
Conclusion:
Self-medication in animals remains a field with endless unexplored avenues. Washington University biologist Jane Phillips-Conroy, who studied self-medication in baboons, says, “Just because a monkey eats a particular plant doesn’t mean he knows it’s medicinal. We need more definitive studies like those of Huffman, with actual proof that particular plants are effective against particular illnesses. “According to Huffman, “With growing chemoresistance to the Western world’s current arsenal of antibiotics and anthelmintics [antiparasitics], we cannot afford to let that potential source of knowledge disappear3”. Actually, Zoopharmacognosy is based on the apparent ability of animals to show a cognitive grasp of potential medicines in their environment. Further new discoveries in the field of zoopharmacognosy is essential in order to teach us more about behavior, botany, and with respect to medicine, all areas in which we may apply our knowledge to benefit the upcoming future generations.
References:
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Entomology
http://en.wikipedia .org/
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/publications
Raman R and Kandula S. Zoopharmacognosy: Self-medication in wild animals. Resonance 2008: 245-53.
Camping at Noah’s Ark
Kiiza Kalamantu Calah asked:
The roar of Sipi falls, fighting an unending war wit rocks easily blends with the melodious sounds of the birds for Uganda bird watching safaris and insects playing in the foliage around the cliff.
The resulting natural music ia owesome and soothing. Every now and then, the tune is spiced up by a rumbling sound from vehicles snaking their way up the Kapcworwa –Mbale highway, a stone’s throw a way.
Kapchworwa is a beautiful mountainous area near Mountain Elgon. The landscape’s decorated with cultivated fields and water falls in several areas.
People who want to enjoy the beauty of Kapchorwa also known as the land of water falls, caves and donkeys, can camp a few kilometres before the town.
Amidst the soothing sound, a goat is slaughtered as picnickers at the hotel unpack their bags.
Noah’s Ark picnic site is seated above an unnamed smaller water fall on River Sipi. The river has three main waterfalls with the highest almost 100 metres, excluding that at Noah’s Ark recreational site whose trade-mark is the sound of water washing a way all that stands I its way.
The camping site is the latest proriater of Noah’s Ark Hotels based in Kapchorwa The hotel opened years ago as a Katogo kiosk offering free Katogo every morning to visitors who visit the palace.
The hotel also known as ‘the home of great people runs the first sports bar and night club in Kapchorwa town. Noah’s ark has got enough rooms and space for conference facilities built, suitable for camping with transport to the camping sites.
As a couple of four tourists who were from a gorilla safari in Bwindi gorilla frorest wait for the goat being roasted, lotich paces up and down making sure that every body is comfortable and that no glass or bottle is empty or half full.
The aroma of roasted meat attracts several village dogs which try to become part of the guest in vain.
Finally, the barbecue, ready. A basic table, made of thick timber is the banquet. Great is the combination of the roasted meat and bananas washed down with a cold soda. But even greater is the sound of the water continuously fighting its way through a narrow gorge, almost under visitor’s feet. The on looking dogs, hopefully praying that the next missile hurled at them turns out to be a bone, seen to be the only ones left out of the party.
The roar of Sipi falls, fighting an unending war wit rocks easily blends with the melodious sounds of the birds for Uganda bird watching safaris and insects playing in the foliage around the cliff.
The resulting natural music ia owesome and soothing. Every now and then, the tune is spiced up by a rumbling sound from vehicles snaking their way up the Kapcworwa –Mbale highway, a stone’s throw a way.
Kapchworwa is a beautiful mountainous area near Mountain Elgon. The landscape’s decorated with cultivated fields and water falls in several areas.
People who want to enjoy the beauty of Kapchorwa also known as the land of water falls, caves and donkeys, can camp a few kilometres before the town.
Amidst the soothing sound, a goat is slaughtered as picnickers at the hotel unpack their bags.
Noah’s Ark picnic site is seated above an unnamed smaller water fall on River Sipi. The river has three main waterfalls with the highest almost 100 metres, excluding that at Noah’s Ark recreational site whose trade-mark is the sound of water washing a way all that stands I its way.
The camping site is the latest proriater of Noah’s Ark Hotels based in Kapchorwa The hotel opened years ago as a Katogo kiosk offering free Katogo every morning to visitors who visit the palace.
The hotel also known as ‘the home of great people runs the first sports bar and night club in Kapchorwa town. Noah’s ark has got enough rooms and space for conference facilities built, suitable for camping with transport to the camping sites.
As a couple of four tourists who were from a gorilla safari in Bwindi gorilla frorest wait for the goat being roasted, lotich paces up and down making sure that every body is comfortable and that no glass or bottle is empty or half full.
The aroma of roasted meat attracts several village dogs which try to become part of the guest in vain.
Finally, the barbecue, ready. A basic table, made of thick timber is the banquet. Great is the combination of the roasted meat and bananas washed down with a cold soda. But even greater is the sound of the water continuously fighting its way through a narrow gorge, almost under visitor’s feet. The on looking dogs, hopefully praying that the next missile hurled at them turns out to be a bone, seen to be the only ones left out of the party.
Mountain Gorillas in Uganda
MaueKay asked:
Footage of Mountain Gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forrest
National Park
Travelling to Barcelona With Your Children
Miranda Sol asked:
Barcelona has got to be one of the favourite Spanish destinations for travellers from the world over. Children also tend to choose this charming city as their favourite place when they get older. If you want to enjoy one of the best family holidays ever, a quaint city such as Barcelona has a fantastic choice for both parents and children. Also, you will appreciate that Barcelona has an ideal climate all year round, with mild temperatures in winter and warmer temperatures in summer. This is great because children can go to the parks and to the beaches throughout the year which is a bonus.
Travelling with children nowadays is not a problem. In fact it is quite the opposite! Children will not have time to get bored and both you the parents along with your children will enjoy the city as a whole family. In addition to the many things to see and do, Barcelona has some fine beaches and mountain ranges. Can there be any other reason why you need to bring your children to Barcelona? You will all have a wonderful time!
One of the best ways to start the day and get the ball rolling is a visit to Poble Espanyol, where the children can have fun while they discover the streets and the plazas all over Spain. Poble Espanyol is a place where some of the most enchanting buildings and monuments from around Spain are reproduced. Its narrow streets also hide a whole world full of life: small shops, interesting museums, workshops, restaurants and even greenery reserved for playing on.
After touring around the different parts of Spain without even leaving Barcelona, our next stop would be to take the children to the Aquàrium. There you can take a walk under a 80 metre glass tunnel to see the sharks being fed. This particular Aquarium is one of the largest in the world: it holds around 11,000 animals from 450 different marine species. Recently a section for the Humboldt penguins aka Peruvian Penguin, or Patranca has been open. In addition, the children might like to play in Explora which is an interactive leisure and educational section of the Aquarium, with more than 50 interactive things to touch, look at, listen to, investigate and discover nature with. This can be a wonderful experience for both children and adults alike!
And talking about animals – the next stop should definitely be the Zoo. Barcelona’s Zoo is one of the oldest in Spain. It was inaugurated in 1940. Unfortunately, the main attraction of the zoo, Copito de Nieve – a beautiful and unique albino gorilla died in 2004, but there are many other animals to be enjoyed such as the dolphins, the lions, the tigers and many more.
The Zoo is located in one of the most beautiful and charming parks in Barcelona, The Ciutadella. It is one of the largest open spaces in the city and a must for both you and your children. Walking among its many avenues and gardens is a real joy. Inside the park, there is a lake where children can sail in a small boat. After, you can visit the Geology and the Zoology Museums in the park, too.
After strolling lazily around The Ciutadella Park, why not take your children to the Imax Cinema. It is a large-format cinema located in Port Vell – not too far from the park. Projections take place on a special 600 square metre screen. You will also need to wear the special 3D glasses so you can fully experience the magic of an Imax cinema.
Do you want your children to have a culturally refreshing afternoon? If so, why not take them to Cosmocaixa. This is the Science Museum in Barcelona. Visitors are invited to interact and participate with the many scientific experiments. This is a firm favourite with many schools in Barcelona and just makes the whole experience richer and more entertaining, particularly for the young ones.
The Camp Nou is a must especially if you are a football fan. The Camp Nou Tour is the best way to experience Barcelona F.C from the inside. This tour takes you through the past and present of an emblematic stadium and includes a visit to the Barcelona F.C Museum. The array of silverware on display is literally mind boggling!
If you and your children are lovers of amusement parks then you need to take at least a day trip. You can go to the Tibidabo Park, a beautiful and charming theme park, which has the most stunning views of the city. The theme park has around 100 years of history and the goal of Tibidabo Amusement Park is to ensure that your expectations are exceeded. If you are feeling more adventurous you can travel down to Port Aventura. It is located in Tarragona which is outside Barcelona and an hour and a half by car will get you there. It is a theme park full of action-packed adventures from the four corners of the globe: the Far West, Imperial China, Exotic Polynesia, Aztec Mexico and the laid back Mediterrania.
Finally, you and your children have to go to Las Ramblas, the most famous street in Barcelona. It starts at Plaza Catalunya and goes all the way up to the statue of Columbus. Your children will surely have a great time there looking at the newspaper stands with their many souvenirs, the flower and animal stalls, and all sorts of street artists that paint themselves and appear to be statues – great fun.
Travel to Barcelona with your children and rent an apartment in Barcelona – it is a lot cheaper than a hotel and you will enjoy more privacy and freedom and making both you and your children feel at home in this enchanting city.
Barcelona has got to be one of the favourite Spanish destinations for travellers from the world over. Children also tend to choose this charming city as their favourite place when they get older. If you want to enjoy one of the best family holidays ever, a quaint city such as Barcelona has a fantastic choice for both parents and children. Also, you will appreciate that Barcelona has an ideal climate all year round, with mild temperatures in winter and warmer temperatures in summer. This is great because children can go to the parks and to the beaches throughout the year which is a bonus.
Travelling with children nowadays is not a problem. In fact it is quite the opposite! Children will not have time to get bored and both you the parents along with your children will enjoy the city as a whole family. In addition to the many things to see and do, Barcelona has some fine beaches and mountain ranges. Can there be any other reason why you need to bring your children to Barcelona? You will all have a wonderful time!
One of the best ways to start the day and get the ball rolling is a visit to Poble Espanyol, where the children can have fun while they discover the streets and the plazas all over Spain. Poble Espanyol is a place where some of the most enchanting buildings and monuments from around Spain are reproduced. Its narrow streets also hide a whole world full of life: small shops, interesting museums, workshops, restaurants and even greenery reserved for playing on.
After touring around the different parts of Spain without even leaving Barcelona, our next stop would be to take the children to the Aquàrium. There you can take a walk under a 80 metre glass tunnel to see the sharks being fed. This particular Aquarium is one of the largest in the world: it holds around 11,000 animals from 450 different marine species. Recently a section for the Humboldt penguins aka Peruvian Penguin, or Patranca has been open. In addition, the children might like to play in Explora which is an interactive leisure and educational section of the Aquarium, with more than 50 interactive things to touch, look at, listen to, investigate and discover nature with. This can be a wonderful experience for both children and adults alike!
And talking about animals – the next stop should definitely be the Zoo. Barcelona’s Zoo is one of the oldest in Spain. It was inaugurated in 1940. Unfortunately, the main attraction of the zoo, Copito de Nieve – a beautiful and unique albino gorilla died in 2004, but there are many other animals to be enjoyed such as the dolphins, the lions, the tigers and many more.
The Zoo is located in one of the most beautiful and charming parks in Barcelona, The Ciutadella. It is one of the largest open spaces in the city and a must for both you and your children. Walking among its many avenues and gardens is a real joy. Inside the park, there is a lake where children can sail in a small boat. After, you can visit the Geology and the Zoology Museums in the park, too.
After strolling lazily around The Ciutadella Park, why not take your children to the Imax Cinema. It is a large-format cinema located in Port Vell – not too far from the park. Projections take place on a special 600 square metre screen. You will also need to wear the special 3D glasses so you can fully experience the magic of an Imax cinema.
Do you want your children to have a culturally refreshing afternoon? If so, why not take them to Cosmocaixa. This is the Science Museum in Barcelona. Visitors are invited to interact and participate with the many scientific experiments. This is a firm favourite with many schools in Barcelona and just makes the whole experience richer and more entertaining, particularly for the young ones.
The Camp Nou is a must especially if you are a football fan. The Camp Nou Tour is the best way to experience Barcelona F.C from the inside. This tour takes you through the past and present of an emblematic stadium and includes a visit to the Barcelona F.C Museum. The array of silverware on display is literally mind boggling!
If you and your children are lovers of amusement parks then you need to take at least a day trip. You can go to the Tibidabo Park, a beautiful and charming theme park, which has the most stunning views of the city. The theme park has around 100 years of history and the goal of Tibidabo Amusement Park is to ensure that your expectations are exceeded. If you are feeling more adventurous you can travel down to Port Aventura. It is located in Tarragona which is outside Barcelona and an hour and a half by car will get you there. It is a theme park full of action-packed adventures from the four corners of the globe: the Far West, Imperial China, Exotic Polynesia, Aztec Mexico and the laid back Mediterrania.
Finally, you and your children have to go to Las Ramblas, the most famous street in Barcelona. It starts at Plaza Catalunya and goes all the way up to the statue of Columbus. Your children will surely have a great time there looking at the newspaper stands with their many souvenirs, the flower and animal stalls, and all sorts of street artists that paint themselves and appear to be statues – great fun.
Travel to Barcelona with your children and rent an apartment in Barcelona – it is a lot cheaper than a hotel and you will enjoy more privacy and freedom and making both you and your children feel at home in this enchanting city.
Ten Great Places That You Have To Visit In Congo
Jonathan Williams asked:
Congo is one of the countries in Central Africa and is also called the Democratic Republic of Congo. This country is made popular by its many national parks that have made the list of the UNESCO World Heritage List. When in Congo, do remember to visit these 10 great places, most of them national parks.
1.) Virunga National Park
This got listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List and is a protected piece of land. What you will see here are a diversity of Congo’s native floras and faunas. Among the most popular animals to see here are its mountain gorillas as well as its hippopotamuses.
2.) Kahuzi-Biega National Park
This is also listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Here, you will see some extinct volcanoes that are always a sight to behold, and these extinct volcanoes are the Kahuzi and the Biega volcanoes. Furthermore, they also have gorillas that are well protected from poachers as well as a plethora of other animals and plants.
3.) Garamba National Park
When you visit the Garamba National Park (also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List), you will be awed by the vast savannahs it has as well as its majestic grasslands and woodlands. These are filled with all kinds of animals like the giraffes, hippopotamuses, and elephants. You will also see here the unique white rhinoceros as well as the black rhinoceros.
4.) Salonga National Park
This is a tropical rainforest national park and is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List as well. In this immense rainforest, you will see the antics of the dwarf chimpanzee and be amazed of the Congo peacock. This is also made more famous because of the African slender-snouted crocodile or what is also called a false crocodile.
5.) Okapi Wildlife Reserve
Also listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List, this reserve is popular for the variety of birds and primates that it has. It also gives anybody who visits this place a true sense of what the beauty of nature is about as they gaze at the waterfalls. Be amazed at the wonderful scenery Ituri and Epulu Rivers offer.
6.) Nyiragongo Volcano
Another beautiful tourist destination, this volcano is a must-see in Congo. Here, you will marvel at the sight of the lava lake. But remember, this magnificent sight posts danger to the people living near it.
7.) Kinshasa
This is the capital city of Congo. Here, you can stay at budget hotels like Al Dar and La Bloque. If you want a nightlife, go to Matonge at night because this is where you can find most of the bars as well as restaurant and popular night clubs.
8.) Falls of Zongo
This is also a great place to go to if you are a nature lover. Here, you will surely love the splendid view of the Zongo Falls and admire the beauty of the nature that surrounds it. You can also stay the night here as you can camp here in a tent or you can rent a bungalow for a night’s stay.
9.) Bombo-Lumene Game Park
This is a wonderful place to spend some quality time with our loved ones. You can spend a quiet and peaceful time in the many small gazebos located here. Or you can take a short nature walk along its trails and rest on a quaint bamboo bench if your legs get tired from all the walking.
10.) Bukavu
This is a city in Congo that you can also visit. Here, you will be given a scenic view of Kivu Lake. From here, you can visit the gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park.
Congo is one of the countries in Central Africa and is also called the Democratic Republic of Congo. This country is made popular by its many national parks that have made the list of the UNESCO World Heritage List. When in Congo, do remember to visit these 10 great places, most of them national parks.
1.) Virunga National Park
This got listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List and is a protected piece of land. What you will see here are a diversity of Congo’s native floras and faunas. Among the most popular animals to see here are its mountain gorillas as well as its hippopotamuses.
2.) Kahuzi-Biega National Park
This is also listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Here, you will see some extinct volcanoes that are always a sight to behold, and these extinct volcanoes are the Kahuzi and the Biega volcanoes. Furthermore, they also have gorillas that are well protected from poachers as well as a plethora of other animals and plants.
3.) Garamba National Park
When you visit the Garamba National Park (also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List), you will be awed by the vast savannahs it has as well as its majestic grasslands and woodlands. These are filled with all kinds of animals like the giraffes, hippopotamuses, and elephants. You will also see here the unique white rhinoceros as well as the black rhinoceros.
4.) Salonga National Park
This is a tropical rainforest national park and is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List as well. In this immense rainforest, you will see the antics of the dwarf chimpanzee and be amazed of the Congo peacock. This is also made more famous because of the African slender-snouted crocodile or what is also called a false crocodile.
5.) Okapi Wildlife Reserve
Also listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List, this reserve is popular for the variety of birds and primates that it has. It also gives anybody who visits this place a true sense of what the beauty of nature is about as they gaze at the waterfalls. Be amazed at the wonderful scenery Ituri and Epulu Rivers offer.
6.) Nyiragongo Volcano
Another beautiful tourist destination, this volcano is a must-see in Congo. Here, you will marvel at the sight of the lava lake. But remember, this magnificent sight posts danger to the people living near it.
7.) Kinshasa
This is the capital city of Congo. Here, you can stay at budget hotels like Al Dar and La Bloque. If you want a nightlife, go to Matonge at night because this is where you can find most of the bars as well as restaurant and popular night clubs.
8.) Falls of Zongo
This is also a great place to go to if you are a nature lover. Here, you will surely love the splendid view of the Zongo Falls and admire the beauty of the nature that surrounds it. You can also stay the night here as you can camp here in a tent or you can rent a bungalow for a night’s stay.
9.) Bombo-Lumene Game Park
This is a wonderful place to spend some quality time with our loved ones. You can spend a quiet and peaceful time in the many small gazebos located here. Or you can take a short nature walk along its trails and rest on a quaint bamboo bench if your legs get tired from all the walking.
10.) Bukavu
This is a city in Congo that you can also visit. Here, you will be given a scenic view of Kivu Lake. From here, you can visit the gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park.
mountain gorillas 2
aliciawolcott asked:
mountain gorillas in volcanoes national park, rwanda
Why is it important to keep gorillas from going extinct?
designdavey asked:
What would be the impact if mountain gorillas were to die out?
What would be the impact if mountain gorillas were to die out?
Dian Fossey’s Forgotten Gorilla Orphans
Georgianne Nienaber asked:
Older readers may recall seeing a photo of Dian with two young gorillas on the cover of the January 1970 issue of the National Geographic magazine. Few know what became of the youngsters. This is their story.
It is February 1969. Dian Fossey has just rescued a young male gorilla from a corrupt park conservator in the Virungas who paid the notorious poacher Munyarukiko to acquire a young mountain gorilla for the Cologne Zoo. Dian learns that the cost of filling the “order” involved the slaughter of ten adults as they made one last stand in defense of the infant on the mist-shrouded slopes of Rwanda’s Mount Karisimbi. Dian strikes a bargain with the conservator. The infant has been horribly mutilated by the wire snares utilized to bind his hands and feet. Gangrene is a real possibility, and malnutrition and dehydration have already taken their toll. Dian agrees to nurse the infant back to health, at which time she will return the baby to the conservator for shipment to the Cologne Zoo, since the zoo has paid upfront and is still demanding its “cargo.” Her hope is that she will have time to convince authorities to return the infant to the wild.
Dian’s hopes were not destined to become reality. No sooner had Dian converted her storeroom to a gorilla rehabilitation facility, when there was a knock at her cabin door. The conservator had dispatched another baby, this one a female, of about three years of age, who had also been poached for the zoo. Dian (who had already been studying mountain gorillas for two years) immediately noticed that both gorillas had webbed toes on their right feet, which indicated that they might be from the same family. The orphans were named Coco and Pucker, and Dian Fossey embarked upon yet another episode in her life at Karisoke that started ripe with promise, but would end in tragedy. Dian’s plans to convince park authorities to allow her to release the babies back into the wild would never be realized.
On May 3, she was forced to watch as Coco and Pucker were nailed into a crate and loaded aboard an airplane for the trip to Germany. The young gorillas arrived in excellent condition, due to the care Dian had lavished upon them, but died within a month of each other after eight years of exhibition for the delight of human primates. Dian later wrote that she was certain that Coco and Pucker died of broken hearts.
Exactly twenty years after Dian’s death at the hands of unnamed assailants in 1985, a listing on an obscure gorilla list serve was noticed by a friend of IPPL who lives in the UK. A man had some photos of Coco and Pucker that were taken at the Cologne Zoo in 1974! His former girlfriend happened to see them playing in a grassy area and snapped a few shots of Coco and Pucker, all the while having no idea of the significance of the two young gorillas. Shirley McGreal wrote an email to the photographer, explaining that McGreal was a former friend of Dian’s, and that Dian’s own heart was broken by the shipment of the gorillas to the zoo and their subsequent deaths. After several aborted attempts to send the scanned photos by e-mail, the grainy, scratched, digital images arrived at IPPL. The photographer, Ria Bakker, graciously gave permission for IPPL to use the historic photos as Shirley saw fit. The photos offer a brief glimpse through a window in time. One in particular is rather chilling, showing a young gorilla standing upright and looking directly into the camera lens. Whether it is Coco or Pucker is impossible to tell, but it is almost as if the gorilla is reaching through the years, with eyes reminding the viewer of the consequences of humans’ bungled attempts to manage other species. Ria Bakker did not work at the Cologne Zoo, but was visiting in either 1973 or 1974, according to information she supplied to IPPL. Bakker was a zookeeper at the Wassenaar Zoo in the Netherlands. This zoo was forced to close down in 1986, due to financial problems.
“At that time I did not have a clue that Coco and Pucker were very special. I only noticed that they were different than the Western lowland gorillas in our zoo,” Bakker said.
“Coco and Pucker had two cages in the very old ape house, and the zookeepers took them out once a day to the playground in the grass, which was in the front of the building. They would play there with them for half an hour or so. Because the keepers knew that we were visiting from another zoo, we were allowed to be there and watch them,” Bakker explained.
More than thirty years after Ria Bakker first saw Coco and Pucker, the incident remains fresh in her memory. Her bittersweet reflection includes the memory that “the longer I worked as a zookeeper, the more aware (I became) of the situation of the gorillas in the wild. When I found out what happened with these two poor creatures, it just broke my heart,” Bakker wrote to IPPL.
An interesting footnote to this story is that the poacher of Coco and Pucker, Munyarukiko, was allegedly instrumental in the death of Dian’s beloved silverback Digit and remained an adversary of the gorillas for many years. Digit’s severed hands, feet, and head were buried outside of the poacher’s hut, but were removed before Dian and other officials could retrieve them. Only Digit’s torso is buried in the gorilla cemetery adjacent to Dian’s grave.
Older readers may recall seeing a photo of Dian with two young gorillas on the cover of the January 1970 issue of the National Geographic magazine. Few know what became of the youngsters. This is their story.
It is February 1969. Dian Fossey has just rescued a young male gorilla from a corrupt park conservator in the Virungas who paid the notorious poacher Munyarukiko to acquire a young mountain gorilla for the Cologne Zoo. Dian learns that the cost of filling the “order” involved the slaughter of ten adults as they made one last stand in defense of the infant on the mist-shrouded slopes of Rwanda’s Mount Karisimbi. Dian strikes a bargain with the conservator. The infant has been horribly mutilated by the wire snares utilized to bind his hands and feet. Gangrene is a real possibility, and malnutrition and dehydration have already taken their toll. Dian agrees to nurse the infant back to health, at which time she will return the baby to the conservator for shipment to the Cologne Zoo, since the zoo has paid upfront and is still demanding its “cargo.” Her hope is that she will have time to convince authorities to return the infant to the wild.
Dian’s hopes were not destined to become reality. No sooner had Dian converted her storeroom to a gorilla rehabilitation facility, when there was a knock at her cabin door. The conservator had dispatched another baby, this one a female, of about three years of age, who had also been poached for the zoo. Dian (who had already been studying mountain gorillas for two years) immediately noticed that both gorillas had webbed toes on their right feet, which indicated that they might be from the same family. The orphans were named Coco and Pucker, and Dian Fossey embarked upon yet another episode in her life at Karisoke that started ripe with promise, but would end in tragedy. Dian’s plans to convince park authorities to allow her to release the babies back into the wild would never be realized.
On May 3, she was forced to watch as Coco and Pucker were nailed into a crate and loaded aboard an airplane for the trip to Germany. The young gorillas arrived in excellent condition, due to the care Dian had lavished upon them, but died within a month of each other after eight years of exhibition for the delight of human primates. Dian later wrote that she was certain that Coco and Pucker died of broken hearts.
Exactly twenty years after Dian’s death at the hands of unnamed assailants in 1985, a listing on an obscure gorilla list serve was noticed by a friend of IPPL who lives in the UK. A man had some photos of Coco and Pucker that were taken at the Cologne Zoo in 1974! His former girlfriend happened to see them playing in a grassy area and snapped a few shots of Coco and Pucker, all the while having no idea of the significance of the two young gorillas. Shirley McGreal wrote an email to the photographer, explaining that McGreal was a former friend of Dian’s, and that Dian’s own heart was broken by the shipment of the gorillas to the zoo and their subsequent deaths. After several aborted attempts to send the scanned photos by e-mail, the grainy, scratched, digital images arrived at IPPL. The photographer, Ria Bakker, graciously gave permission for IPPL to use the historic photos as Shirley saw fit. The photos offer a brief glimpse through a window in time. One in particular is rather chilling, showing a young gorilla standing upright and looking directly into the camera lens. Whether it is Coco or Pucker is impossible to tell, but it is almost as if the gorilla is reaching through the years, with eyes reminding the viewer of the consequences of humans’ bungled attempts to manage other species. Ria Bakker did not work at the Cologne Zoo, but was visiting in either 1973 or 1974, according to information she supplied to IPPL. Bakker was a zookeeper at the Wassenaar Zoo in the Netherlands. This zoo was forced to close down in 1986, due to financial problems.
“At that time I did not have a clue that Coco and Pucker were very special. I only noticed that they were different than the Western lowland gorillas in our zoo,” Bakker said.
“Coco and Pucker had two cages in the very old ape house, and the zookeepers took them out once a day to the playground in the grass, which was in the front of the building. They would play there with them for half an hour or so. Because the keepers knew that we were visiting from another zoo, we were allowed to be there and watch them,” Bakker explained.
More than thirty years after Ria Bakker first saw Coco and Pucker, the incident remains fresh in her memory. Her bittersweet reflection includes the memory that “the longer I worked as a zookeeper, the more aware (I became) of the situation of the gorillas in the wild. When I found out what happened with these two poor creatures, it just broke my heart,” Bakker wrote to IPPL.
An interesting footnote to this story is that the poacher of Coco and Pucker, Munyarukiko, was allegedly instrumental in the death of Dian’s beloved silverback Digit and remained an adversary of the gorillas for many years. Digit’s severed hands, feet, and head were buried outside of the poacher’s hut, but were removed before Dian and other officials could retrieve them. Only Digit’s torso is buried in the gorilla cemetery adjacent to Dian’s grave.
The Central African Republic Has The Potential to be a Major Tourist Destination
Douglas Scott asked:
The Central African Republic is in essence an undulating plateau. Central and south is a series of forested, rolling hills, with some topping 2000 ft. A dense tropical rainforest in the southeast fronts the Ubangi River, and in the north, the land flattens into a treeless, desert like savanna grassland. On the western border with Cameroon the land rises into the high granite plateau of the Karre Mountains. The Bongos Massif in the far northeast extends into Sudan. Numerous tributaries of the Chair and Longone rivers crisscross the land, central and north, while the Ubangi River system dominates the south, as it forms much of the countries southern border with the DRC.
The Central African Republic is famed worldwide for its lowland gorilla population, Pygmy culture, and fabulous national parks.
In the 1800s, the local Pygmy population was all but decimated by the slave trade. The French to their credit were anti slavery and began to take control of this land in 1905 by establishing the colony of Ubangi Chair. In the 1940s the country became a French overseas territory, finally gaining its independence from France in 1958. From 1965 to 1979, the country suffered through the dictatorial reign of Colonel Jean Bedel Bokassa. A series of military coups followed, with multiparty elections finally held in 1993.
The country has the potential to be a major tourist destination, but generally, thats defeated by its poor infrastructure. However, for those that somehow venture, mostly Europeans, the pristine parks and wildlife are second to none, and hunting safaris sadly are still a big business.
National parks are home to forest elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and countless other animals. One of the lowland gorillas last habitats is found in the rainforests of the south.
Due to consistent flooding, the land is lightly cultivated, and agriculture is mostly at the subsistence level. Diamond and Uranium mining, as well as timber harvesting remain important industries.
Within the Central African Republic, HIV/AIDS is still spreading, and the country is seriously afflicted by destabilizing financial and social problems.
April through October is the rainy season, and in the southern part of the country, annual amounts exceed 70 inches, and severe flooding is commonplace. The north is much drier, but some areas do receive near 30 inches of rainfall. Countrywide, temperatures are hot with very high humidity. Overall, mean high temperatures are in the mid 80s, however, daily highs are often in the high 90s, especially in the north. Lows average in the high 60s.
The Central African Republic is in essence an undulating plateau. Central and south is a series of forested, rolling hills, with some topping 2000 ft. A dense tropical rainforest in the southeast fronts the Ubangi River, and in the north, the land flattens into a treeless, desert like savanna grassland. On the western border with Cameroon the land rises into the high granite plateau of the Karre Mountains. The Bongos Massif in the far northeast extends into Sudan. Numerous tributaries of the Chair and Longone rivers crisscross the land, central and north, while the Ubangi River system dominates the south, as it forms much of the countries southern border with the DRC.
The Central African Republic is famed worldwide for its lowland gorilla population, Pygmy culture, and fabulous national parks.
In the 1800s, the local Pygmy population was all but decimated by the slave trade. The French to their credit were anti slavery and began to take control of this land in 1905 by establishing the colony of Ubangi Chair. In the 1940s the country became a French overseas territory, finally gaining its independence from France in 1958. From 1965 to 1979, the country suffered through the dictatorial reign of Colonel Jean Bedel Bokassa. A series of military coups followed, with multiparty elections finally held in 1993.
The country has the potential to be a major tourist destination, but generally, thats defeated by its poor infrastructure. However, for those that somehow venture, mostly Europeans, the pristine parks and wildlife are second to none, and hunting safaris sadly are still a big business.
National parks are home to forest elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and countless other animals. One of the lowland gorillas last habitats is found in the rainforests of the south.
Due to consistent flooding, the land is lightly cultivated, and agriculture is mostly at the subsistence level. Diamond and Uranium mining, as well as timber harvesting remain important industries.
Within the Central African Republic, HIV/AIDS is still spreading, and the country is seriously afflicted by destabilizing financial and social problems.
April through October is the rainy season, and in the southern part of the country, annual amounts exceed 70 inches, and severe flooding is commonplace. The north is much drier, but some areas do receive near 30 inches of rainfall. Countrywide, temperatures are hot with very high humidity. Overall, mean high temperatures are in the mid 80s, however, daily highs are often in the high 90s, especially in the north. Lows average in the high 60s.