September 6, 2012

Adult Female Icyizere Dies

We are sad to report that an adult female from Isabukuru's group, 12-year-old Icyizere, was found dead this morning. Last week, our trackers reported that she seemed to be losing hair on her belly, but otherwise, she was behaving and feeding as normal. On Tuesday, however, she went missing, prompting our staff to form a special team that recovered her body today.

Icyizere leaves behind a juvenile male, Mushya. Fortunately, at approximately 4 ½ years old, we believe his chances for survival are good despite the loss of his mother. The Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP) will conduct a necropsy on Icyizere's body, so we hope to learn more soon about the cause of death.