Trackers from the Rwanda Development Board contacted Gorilla Doctors on August 5 to report that Zirikana, a 7-year-old male mountain gorilla in Umubano group had become caught in a wire snare. This was the second time this poor guy had been caught in a snare (Gorilla Doctors freed Zirikana from a snare in January 2011 when he was just 3-years-old.) Click here to read about the intervention. 

Zirikana, a 7-year-old male mountain gorilla in Umubano group.

Drs. Jean Felix assembled the intervention team and they trekked up the mountain first thing in the morning to remove the snare and administer treatment. Gorilla Doctors director Dr. Mike Cranfield, Drs. Jean Felix, Noel and Elisabeth Nyirakaragire (RDB Veterinary Warden) comprised the intervention team and were joined by Gorilla Doctors interns Jean Claude Tumushime and Gaspard Nzayisenga, RDB trackers and porters to haul the intervention kits. The team trekked up the Bisoke volcano early morning on August 6 and reached the group where they were ranging at 2,919 meters altitude. 

“When we arrived in the group, Zirikana was climbing trees and his limb was free of the snare; he was behaving normally and feeding with the group” said Dr. Jean Felix. “We observed the group for 30 minutes while older brother Ntakibazo groomed Zirikana carefully. Zirikana could have removed the snare himself, but with Ntakibazo’s close attention to his little brother, we suspect he may have been responsible for removing the wire. No injury was noticed where the snare was but there was a circumferential line around the wrist and some hair was missing. The entire group was moving together and behaving normally.”   

Older brother Ntakibazo grooms Zirikana.

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