May 26, 2015
Young male gorilla reappears, in new group
Seven-year-old male mountain gorilla Ntaribi had been traveling alone since April 6, after facing dramatic changes in his groups, starting last fall. He was the most affected when the leader of his natal group – silverback Bwenge – died after a fight with a lone silverback in October of last year. This may be because he was strongly bonded with father Bwenge, after his mother died when he was only 4 years old.
After leaving the remaining members of Bwenge’s group and going on his own for some time, in January Ntaribi finally reunited with the remaining members of his group, who were now fully merged with Ugenda’s group. However, this too turned tragic, when silverback Ugenda was also wounded and then died, after a similar fight, in early April. Again, Ntaribi decided to leave the remnants of the group and began traveling alone.
On May 23, our trackers had a big surprise, when a gorilla of Ntaribi’s description appeared in a different group, called Isabukuru. Our staff could not believe that a “foreign” male, even though young, could be accepted by a group like this, with two silverbacks (Isabukuru and Kubaha), both of whom are known for their temperaments and ability to fight. Yet, it seems the entrance of Ntaribi into the group was peaceful and no threats against him were seen. We hope this will finally be a safe and peaceful place for this young gorilla.
