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An interview with primatologist Daniela Hedwig
In a remote corner of the Central African Republic, in a tropical rain forest on the border with Cameroon and Congo lies research camp Bai Hokou. There, behind a barbed-wire fence that provides the only but not always reliable protection against forest elephants, stand some fifteen wooden lodges for researchers and Pygmy scouts. At the time of our visit, there was only one European there: Daniela Hedwig from the Max Planck Evolutionary Biology Institute in Leipzig, Germany. She came for the same reason as we - a human-habituated troop of western lowland gorillas, but three months earlier and will stay for almost a year.
You are conducting research into gorillas in very tough conditions. Why have you come here and what motivates you?
It's hard to tell... This is something I always wanted to do. Of course, I love nature - I studied biology and zoology - but I always wanted to work with gorillas. This is the only answer I can give... It's wonderful to watch gorillas and meet them personally because each of them has a different character. It is also very important to raise awareness about them, especially about western lowland gorillas, because we do not know much about them.
What is your research about?
I focus on vocal communication in gorillas. I have a digital recording device and for one hour, I monitor one member of the troop, recording all his or her vocal communications. At the same time, I record data about the context of each utterance.
What do you see as the most interesting finding?
I worked with mountain gorillas for several years and now I am here to work with western lowland gorillas and compare vocal communication of the two species. And I see it as extremely interesting. Lowland gorillas are completely different from mountain gorillas. Their vocal expression is different, as is their behaviour in general. Since I came here I've eventually been able to see how theories work in practice - how it all works in the wild, how the environment shapes social behaviour in gorillas. For instance, mountain gorillas must compete for food because they always keep together, know about each other, rest together, groom each other. Here, it is different. Females will leave the troop with a silverback, they will spread in all directions, so they do not need to fight for food among themselves.
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Can you describe your typical day at Bai Hokou?
I normally wake up at six, have a light breakfast and go to the forest. I usually go with two BaAka guides. We always start from the same place where we left the gorillas the previous day and proceed to the night nests. The gorillas are always nearby. It takes about an hour, sometimes two to find them. When we find them, we stay with them the whole morning, or until another group comes to stay with the gorillas for the afternoon. So, when I set off so early in the morning, I return at around two in the afternoon and then save data and do a lot of other tasks, such as washing clothes, cooking and so on.
Do you go to the forest when it is raining, like today?
No, I don't. We always have to wait for the rain to recede, because the BaAka, our guides, wouldn't otherwise hear elephants and we could come across them unexpectedly, which is very dangerous.
How should one behave in the forest?
One of the key rules we have here is that we must not infect gorillas with human diseases. Gorillas and humans are close relatives but seemingly harmless human health conditions, such as common cold, flu, or respiratory diseases can be quite dangerous for gorillas. So, we never go out to the gorillas if we feel unwell, if we suspect we got the flu or have a cold. This is an absolute no-no - we never go to the forest if we are sick. Another, related rule is that we always keep a distance from the gorillas - about seven metres. Generally, the more often you go to see the gorillas the better you know them but you always have to stay calm and speak quietly. Naturally, you have to obey the guides who know the gorillas perfectly and better understand their behaviour.
Which of the gorillas do you like the most and why?
I like Makumba the best and then Malui, the female with the smallest young. She can be scary - she will make it very clear when she does not like something. She is always hungry. When she arrives in a place where others are feeding, she will immediately jump among them and start biting around, as if she were saying:: "This is my food! This is my food!" She is very strong, which is something I like about her.
What is your most powerful experience with Makumba's troop?
I always have a rare feeling when I go to see them. Perhaps the most powerful experience is when you are sitting next to a gorilla and she stands up and turns her back to you. She just knows you pose no danger and that she is safe in your company. She turns away and accepts you. This is something exceptions and I am always happy when something like that happens. It feels like being a member of the troop. I am glad I am allowed to experience this.
16.11.2009 Twiggs was born in the wild in Cameroon around the year 1997. She and another female gorilla, Brighter, was smuggled across the border to Nigeria as infants to be sold as pets on the locale pet marked.
09.11.2009 When Pitchou was very small, she was brought to Hotel Ilomba in Kribi to be sold, after her mother had been killed by hunters. She stayed there for three days, until the hotel owners could no longer bare to watch her suffer. The family donated her to the LWC.
02.11.2009 Chella came to Limbe Wildlife Centre when he was only two years old. He was found in the back of a bush-taxi sitting on his dead mother. Wildlife officials confiscated him and kept him three weeks before bringing him to the Wildlife Centre.
21.09.2009 Adjibolo came to Limbe Wildlife Centre when she was only about 6 months old. She was confiscated by senior civil servant in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Adjibolo, from a hunter who tried to sell her.
