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Gorilla Nests and Tracks

Early in the morning we got up, had a quick breakfast with our powder drinks and we packed the tent. We made some photographs of the magnificent views on the forest valleys below as well as a short video of Louis introducing the highlands and adjacent villages.

 


It was decided that the team would split up, with Daniel and Ginette taking the road going up the mountain and slowly making their way back to the village. The second team, including Louis, Arend and two porters, would decent further into the valleys and conduct more detailed surveys on the slopes where the gorillas have last been seen.

These slopes are very steep and there are no more trails, other than the few trails left by hunters which are barely visible. We are climbing over and below gigantic rock formations, and find the remaining of hunter camp sites. We also discover some nests of forest swallows. The Lebialem Highlands are a biodiversity hotspot with plant species that haven’t yet been described by scientists. It is also well known for the large variety of birds, butterflies and other insects.

 



We find several trails of the gorillas as well as feedings sites with their favourite food species. The Cross River gorillas in this area are under pressure and therefore prefer the most dense vegetation, often secondary forests with a dense understory with many shrubs and herbs.

After a sharp turn around a hill, we suddenly find a gorilla nest site with 6 nests. The nests are quite old as the leaves used are brown and start decomposing. The decay rate of nests is a measure for how old the nests are. We continue the surveys until we reach another agricultural plot in the middle of the forest.

Cross River Gorilla nest site

There are still some larger trees but also oil palm and many other cash and food crops such as coffee, cocoa, and vegetables. Our other survey team, trained by WWF Conservation Biologist Eno Nku Manasseh, finds too many of these farms deep in the forest. This is not a good sign and makes clear that we need to act very fast in order to preserve the Cross River gorillas and their habitat in this area.

We don't see the Cross River gorillas, but that would have been too good to be true, wouldn't it? They are here - but there are not many left and they don't want to be found. In fact it is better when we don't find them as the last thing we want is to disturb these critically endangered primates.