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Show Going ape studying primates in African forest ALIETTE SPECIAL 10 THE TRIBUNE Nyirmachabelli means “woman wholives alone in the moun- @ Continued from J-1 tains.” It is the epitaph on the grave of Gorillas in the Mist auing out of the park, destroying thor Dian Fossey — only a few a away in Karasoke, Rwan- plantations and increasing their contact with humans, the gorillas have becomevictims of poaching, disease and defensive landowners. ‘a Primatologist and Dartmouth anthropology professor Michele vyika. Goldsmith is studying the comparative behavior and ecology of ‘The Salt Lake Tribune the mountain gorillas (Gorilla go- of Uganda has been suffering pe- rilla berengei) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), She says, “I camehere to study gorilla ecology, but that’s not whatI'm studying.” Because the vegetation outside the park is not the preferred food source of chimpanzees, getting them accus- tomed to humans is not so much a problem here. However, when gorillas become habituated to humans, every aspect of their behavioris affected, It is no longer possible to study only gorillas. “The fact that gorillas are eating human food makes the ques- niodsofintense flooding, damaging crop yields. A widespread cholera outbreak has prevented food saies at the markets while the number of mouths to feed continues to increase. “Each year I must produce [a child]. It is cus- tom,” says Rutaro. Choosing between dinner and respect for an endangered species is not unusual. That only 600 mountain gorillas maystill exist (about 320 of whichlive in Bwindi, and could be a separate subspecies) may be insignificant compared with a void in the tion one of human/gorilla inter- stomach. actions, not a question ofgorilla Further, the gorillas often range on land previously used as a latrine. Seeing through theflies ecology,” Goldsmith says. It has created vicious circle: Original attempts at increasing revenuefor education andgorilla conservation may be decreasing the gorillas’ chances of survival. Gorilla tourism was introduced in the area in April 1993. Revenue was targeted toward gorilla conservation and public education. But, in the park’s attempt to ex- pand the tourism program,this new group of gorillas is losing its fear of humans. forest, and now thatfear is gone,” Goldsmith says. On a near- population within a triangle be- tween Cameroon, Congo and he oe lakes area of Eastern Afri Reach Out: Rick Barongi, di- opment at Disney’s Animal King- dom, says, “If you reaily want to do something significant in the 1990s, you have to go beyond throughtheir centers. Wafting throughtheair is a stench from of what’s geing on, and silence tense as the buzzing insects. There is no line of yellow tape where the jungle stops and the sweet potatoes Goldsmith wonders what will happen whenthe groupsplits, leaving males solitary. In the past, the lone males have tended to act more aggressively to humans.“The park has to realize that thatis gorilla behavior. Those gorillas are pretty far from being habituated, that’s my only hope,” she says. Already, the has been summoned to address problems with gorilla encounters. “We're trying to show the landowners how to act when approached by a gorilla,” Mihandasays. The researchers pursue their work only with the park’s permis- sion, and somefeel that, if they express concerns about the way In this wild land, few are aware at University of Southern California, says, “We are the only mzungus [white people] these people have ever seen, and we have only said ‘hello.’The people have never had a voice, but perhaps now they can begin to speak. howeverforeign their language of Rukiga may be. ‘The basics of human need tran- scend language barriers: The obvious needs for medicine, trans- portation and education require notranslation. Malaria has killed more people in Africa than AIDS. “We want mzungus to teach and instruct and give advice about land and how we can get medicines. The hospital and dispensaries are very far away and we need transportation to go to jeopardize future research. Richard Malenky, director of the In- school,” says David Twinamatsiko, a tracker for the park. “Wewantschoolto seek knowledge, so we can tell the fu- stitute for Tropical Forest Con- ture,” says a boy living in Ntako. tion, you'll find a wall of noncom- school maynotbe a fortuneteller, it is a critical componentin re- the gorillas are treated, it could servation in Ruhija, Uganda,says, “In Africa, regardless the situamunication.” Those not doing research in the park recently coined the term “prima-donna-tologist.” They believe some foreign primatologists come to the park to reap person- al success by returning home with data to strikeit rich. This vernacular is only one byproduct of the manytensions felt between researchers and park figures. Fuzzy Future: More than gorillas and chimpanzees may be endangered. “The political instability and uncertainty about the future is just a part of working in Africa. C’est l'Afrique,” says Goldsmith. A fuzzy future is especially imminent here. Bonobo re- searcher Nancy Malenky says, “With all the action in Rwanda and Zaire, Uganda's got to get involved soon, and this is where it will happen first.” “We will fight them,”says Wil- liam Rutaro, a native from Ru- hija working for the park. “With machetes and arrows and spears, and we throw rocks. Ha ha... we have no weapons. We can only run and hide in the forest there." He motions to the forested hills of Bwindi behind him. “But then wedie of starving.” Starvation has become an issue independentof rebelinvasion or crop destruction by gorillas. “Bwindi” means “place of darkness,”reflecting the thick vegetation. Recently, the omnipresent thunderheads have been as deserving of the name. The whole comparison to my isolation. After one month, our food supply was runninglow, our medicines were dwindling, and research supplies needed replenishment. My professor had hiked five hours out of the forest, then driven 12 hours back te Kampala to reprovision. For 2% weeks, I was unaware of proceedings beyond the walls of mytent. i survived alone in the forest, living mostly off poshu (corn maize) and what edible native Revamping Attitudes: While vamping the prevailing attitude. “In Africa, things just happen, if not today, tomorrow or next week,” says Grant Anderson, a South African managing the Buhoma tourist camp, Abecrombie and Kent. “Americans have big dreams, and that’s the right way to think. Here, big goals seem un- attainable because our actions are too small. We are happy if we was frightened by the prospect of a dangerous encounter, a gash from 2 machete, fall in the river, or twist of the knee, but much more difficult to overcome was the worry for my profes- sor's well-being. Not knowing if she was safe,or evenstill alive, , was more torment than my own subjections. Time passedtoo slowly, and I had to divert my mind from paranoid thoughts. Some degree of paranoia was necessary: I madeevery step with great deliberation, and took those steps one at a time, just like the days. Looking too far in the future wasfrightening. After my professor was six days overdue, with no word of her status or whereabouts, my mind was plagued by ‘whatifs.” I was sick of waiting. Each day I became more and more menially and physically drained. I formulated a plan of action. who worked for the high wage I hadno identification and only 20,000 shillings ($20 U.S.) in my pocket. I never thought money might becomean issue in the depths of the African forest. Finally, 242 weeks after her departure, my professor ap- packed up and went hometo hills. Landslides caused by in- limited — the Pygmies spoke no English and my Rukiga was to and from camp. In addition, an outbreak of cholera had pre- vegetation I could gather. Mud and incessant rain were daily themes. My sole support system was a nearby camp oftrackers, of $2 a day. Even some of them gorillas as if axed straight last night’s gorilla’s nests as in- fears proved insignificant in sion of disease between two genetically similar species would not be a first. AIDS is thought to have emerged from a monkey your borders, reach out, and touch local communities, and let people know what's going on in the wild.” by plantation, banana trees have been demolished, smashed by the During mytimealone in the forest of the Bwindi-Impenetrable, I was frightened by daily gorilla charges, poisonous flora and fauna, general lawlessness, and rampant disease. But these becomes even harder. Transmis- rector of animal-programs devei- FearIs Gone:“Fear was the only thing keeping them in the a. Despite my dwindling strength, I continued my research tracking the gorillas. I find food. Communication was poor. Torrential rains, a collapsing tent, deflated air mattress and severeallergic reaction to mango skin were trivialities. My stomach had shrunk so muchit hurt to stand straight. I was salivating uncontrollably, my coor- dination had dulled, I had not beento the bathroom for four days, and I awokenightly unable to sleep with hallucinations of any protein source. I found somepotatoes that wererotten, but ate them anyway, deeming the risk worth it. I was sick for three days. peared as a small dot on the tense rains had prevented access vented food sales at the markets. Food had notbeen the only precious commodity; so were positive thoughts. When trapped through circumstance, I could escape only through my imagi- nation. But at the sametime, imagination easily could have enfeebled me. Hadit not been for recollect- ing the quote hanging above my bed in Salt Lake City, “You've got to believe to achieve,” nyirmachabelli just might have been the epitaph on my own headstone. Aliette Frank sketched animals she encountered during her stay in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forestin eastern Africa. Excerpts from a jungle journal: gunshots,gorillas, ants in navel December25: 2:32 a.m.this morning was the first gunshot, the first of 38 fired. One, two, three Pierced thesilence. Four, five, six, seven, they werecloser. Speeding footsteps tore over the "Kids followed me, laughing and wanting to touch my skin. What do they think of me? My face covered in zinc, shoes, hat, sunglasses, waterbottle . probably one of the first mzungus (white people) ground rustling grass just feet they've ever seen.’ from my head. Blood pounded, footsteps pounded. TEN! Bullet hit a tree just feet away.” I was going to vomit. Was afraid to roll sideways for fear a bullet wouid strike and soak my sleeping bag red. Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, they kept com- ing. Felt like a suffocating fish out of water, trying to form words, but no sound cameout. Wasn’t even breathing — if only I tation? No answers to their questions. Maybe I'll becomea doctor and return to help them. I want to translate their needs. Here a little bit goes a long way, andit’s not that hard to make a difference. o rebels. Can't ever forget how January 14: I'm waiting in the a January 9: “Show me magic,” the little boy said. Magic? I don't know magic; all I could show him was the dung I'd collected and the mud on my hands. 40 people, mostly children, came to see me when I was walking in the banana fields. ... Kids followed me, laughing and wanting to touch my skin, What do they think of me? tent. Only one headlampbattery left. Lets of chestbeats down below — more than two groups of gorillas are close. Some animal's scratching underneath mytent. It’s probably the lizard I keep throwing outside, butfinds its wayback in.I’m sleeping on 2 slant. My Thermarest has a hole and won't inflate — maybe it’s just waterlogged. Ahhhh! Antin the beily button! They've put holes in myclothes. Have to go to the bathroom,butit’s pouring Sounds like they mightbe stuck outside. Bushed! No response when I whistled. a seen. Medicine? drive myself crazy. MELON! Questioning my sanity began long Food? Transpor- Been answering the tarp with frequent mosquito swats inside my about now. Yep, there it was again. That was thesilverback. hat, sunglasses, waterbottle . . probably oneof the first mzun- Myface covered in zinc, shoes, ago. Wind smashing the tarp outside woke me two hours ago. forest for the trackers to return. Swatting flies keeps my mindoff the solitude. “‘Screetch.” Guess they found the gorillas. That was just a female,the silverback should be running toward them January 20: YOGURT! CHICKEN! CEREAL!It's 2 a.m. So hungry. Can't sleep. Shouldn't sit here and think ofall this; I'll gus (white people) they've ever oO January 25: A hoe, a machete, a shamba of dung and wood — nothing inside: that’s the totality of the farmer's worldly possessions. He’s giving us each a mug of banana beer and a two-foot- Puzzle solutions 1) asparagus fern 2) Boston fern (CTATPTETR CTA[wINAle[1SMmalcicle[sTs) uriTeeTel [AILItTFle M@MalRiclo] LelAl oa OOGHDE lplalristife] [Tir jal) na 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18) Wieitis] [cirTE[NAloe) There's mystique behind track- ing mountain gorillas. It’s proba- bly one of the few remaining vacations your neighbors have nevertaken. January 29: Stop staring at me! It’s ironic in the wilds of Africa, I feel all eyes on me. Two kids brought word of someone stealing food in the market today. People had yelled and chased after him, and threw food at his face. bd kids have beensitting there, helding out their hands for three ~ hours. They both must have nialaria. Do they want medicine? I have noneto give. Two people have died of malaria in the last two days, a January 31: “You havelots of land here, many trees, but wehavelittle,” I said. “Then why can’t you stay here in Uganda and not go back?” the man said. “] will come back. likeit here.” “Your homeis notlike this?” “No,there is desert.” “Oh! So you ride camels?”I smiled. “No, there are roads everywhere.” — Aliette Frank wemam Dpertence §) holy basil 7)jade plant InJals|we (mlolN{clo} [as IAINITIAIRIE|S}are shu (corn maize). Oo BRE’ cos Bile 5) fatsia fasoie) lelolstriotatrfey I'm alonewith all this mud and wet — trackers returned home UO ek teers] 4) dumb cane *Coed ages 7-16 + Programmingin Basic, G, C++ + Day & Overnight camps 8) Japanese maple would pay it,” Anderson suggests. sugarcanewill probably make ine sick. I am so hungry, don't care. Computer Camp 3) cornplant avoiding the habituation of more oe groups, may be incompati- ne osteed of habituating more gorillas, they should charge more than the $150 a day. People looks like creamy yellowness. Blow- Your, Soaks Off Fun © Solutions to this environmental these people will have a choice to either sell their land to the park, or receive reimbursementfor the destruction the gorillas have caused,” Mihanda like bananas with little zip, and long piece of sugarcane. Peering own a cow.” dilemma, involving both an endangered species and an endania people, are far from clear ready wrinkled: definitely smells because no more beans and po- had known it was thieves, not scared I was. inside the mug, my noseis al- marijuana mother spleenwort peperomia philodendron poison ivy rubberplant snakeplant spider plant umbreila tree Jew weepingfig “Beginners to advanced *Web dasign-HTML, Java 1-S800-FUN-4ACE’ POTNeeNL ace@computercamp com Aliette Frankis a 1996 graduate of Rowland Hall-St. Mark's High School in Salt Lake City and is now a sophomore at Dartmouth College. Candy Easter Almondettes 856 E. Ft. Union Bivd, 50 stars and stripes ~ $12.95 130 W. Commonwealth (Next to Subway) Buy yours at theTribstore, 143 §, Main, Mezzanine Level The Store (6200 8. Mehler) \ . (2130 So, W, Temple) 486-2015 Frosts Book Store (Foctll Via) ’ a |