The historic mountain gorillas that were first monitored by Dian Fossey
Dian Fossey, an American primatologist and conservationist undertook an extensive study of mountain gorillas in Rwanda from 1966 till she was murdered in 1985. She left behind many gorillas that she had groomed that went on to become great and influential in their groups and in the jungle at large.
The good work started by Dian Fossey of protecting mountain gorillas was carried on even after her death majorly by conservation authorities in Rwanda and non-government organization like the Fossey Fund, thanks to her initiative.
These bodies especially the Fossey Fund took up all the historic gorillas left behind by Dian Fossey helping them to survive through the decades until as late as earlier this year when Dian Fossey’s last surviving gorilla disappeared.
The following are some of the historic gorillas that went through Dian Fossey’s hands;
Poppy
Poppy was nearly 43 years old by the time of her disappearance early this year and she was the last surviving gorilla studied by Dian Fossey. Fossey wrote about Poppy several times in her articles calling her “little darling”, who could do no wrong.
Poppy made history when she became the oldest mountain gorilla to give birth at the age of 41. The researchers from the Fossey Fund say that they learned a lot from Poppy including the social reproductive life of female mountain gorillas and their dominance structure plus personality.
In her last birth, Poppy shocked all those who knew her when she transferred at an older age from her original group to join a very young and inexperienced Silverback to have a baby.
Digit
Digit was first discovered by Fossey in 1967 when he was still very young and they both formed a strong bond even as he grew up into a powerful silverback. Fossey named him Digit after noticing that one of his fingers was injured from a poacher’s trap.
According to Fossey, Digit was a playful and curious young gorilla who was also gentle and trusting, the qualities he retained even after becoming a mature silverback.
Unfortunately, Digit was killed and beheaded by poachers who ended his life prematurely. Given the love Fossey had for Digit whom she had referred to as “beloved Digit”, she established a non-profit organization known as the Digit Fund in his honor to raise funds to fight against poaching.
After her death in 1985, Fossey’s grave was made next to that of Digit in what is now Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and the Digit Fund was renamed to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International which is still in operation up to date.
Cantsbee
Cantsbee was the last surviving silverback that went through Fossey’s hands before his death in 2017. He set the record as the oldest silverback that has been monitored by the Fossey Fund from birth by the time he died at the age of 38 years.
Cantsbee also held many other records including holding the longest reign of dominance after serving about 21 years as the leading silverback of the Pablo group. He also led the largest gorilla group ever recorded during his reign when he was in charge of a 65-member group. Cantsbee is also remembered as an active and responsible father who could sometime babysit his infants when their mothers were away looking for food.
Effie
Effie was also first monitored by Fossey and she went on to become the most dominant female in the Pablo group before she died. She started the most productive group ever in the whole of the Virunga Mountains that has produced over 100 descendants.
Today five gorilla groups in Volcanoes National Park are led by descendants of Effie’s family. Fossey described Effie in her book as a compassionate mother who endowed her infants with love and offered them protection as they grew up.
Pablo
Born in 1974 in one of the groups monitored by Fossey during her pioneering studies, Pablo became one of Fossey’s darling gorillas. Fossey wrote about Pablo that he had a sense of frolic and an outgoing personality during his early days that kept many attracting many other juvenile gorillas to him.
Pablo formed a group in 1993 that was named after him though he only reigned over it for just one year before Cantsbee took over its leadership. He remains as one of the most popular silverbacks among the gorillas for his influential role in shaping the families.
Isabukuru
A brother to legendary silverback Cantsbee, Isabukuru gained more popularity especially among females perhaps for being exceptionally large. He made a record when he became a father as a young blackback even as he was still a subordinate male in Pablo’s group.
In 2007, at the age of 14, Isabukuru left Cantsbee’s group to form his own that attracted several females from his former group and by the time he died in 2008, he had successfully expanded his group.
Coco and Pucker
Coco and Pucker were initially not part of the young gorillas that Fossey monitored. They had been captured to be taken into a zoo in Europe an act that Fossey disapproved of. However, she still offered to take care of them until their departure.
Coco and Pucker were almost at a point of death when Fossey took them up and she successfully restored them to full health again during the two months when they were under her care. She compassionately turned one of her cabins into a small habitat for the two young gorillas to sleep and play.
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