Fresh Loaf

In October 2007, Scott Freeman wrote a cover story about Morganton, Ga.’s, Gorilla Haven, a kind of foster home for gorillas in need:

Traditionally, zoos have had to separate gorillas such as Oliver that don’t neatly fit into their outdoor habitats. And because of space limitations, they’re often housed in less-than-ideal conditions. But Oliver is among the fortunate ones; nestled in the mountains about 90 minutes north of Atlanta is a one-of-a-kind facility called Gorilla Haven that was built with gorillas like Oliver in mind. It is a place that few outside the primate world know about because it’s not open to the public.

Not open to the public — until now. Gorilla Haven’s holding a series of limited tours this fall on Sat., Sept. 13, Wed., Oct. 8, Sat., Oct. 11 and Sat., Oct. 18 from noon-2 p.m. (The Oct. 18 tour is already sold out, but a waiting list is available.) The tours will serve as fundraisers for the sanctuary, which has struggled financially since the economy took a nosedive.

According to the event press release, Gorilla Haven receives “no revenue from the government, zoos or grants. Until now, everything has been funded by [owners Jane and Steuart Dewar].” The couple operates the facilities through the Dewar Wildlife Trust, Inc.

A donation of $50 is suggested per person, $25 for additional family members. Contact Emily Moreland at 706-851-9440 or angelofahhs@live.com for reservations. Info can also be found on Gorilla Haven’s website, www.gorilla-haven.org.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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It’s almost a well-kept secret that the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is headquartered in Atlanta.

The nonprofit not only oversees gorilla conservation in Africa, but also oversees the Karisoke Research Center that Fossey founded in 1967 and which was immortalized in the movie Gorillas In The Mist. The Fossey fund landed here because of the prominence of Zoo Atlanta in the gorilla world – the zoo’s collection of 23 gorillas is the second-largest captive population in North America.

Last night, Dr. Katie Fawcett — the current director of Karisoke — spoke to a group of about 150 people at the Conservation Action Resource Center at Zoo Atlanta. “The more we know about the gorillas, the less we realize we know,” Fawcett said. “We’ve only seen one generation of gorillas. We’re still only answering basic questions, like the normal lifespan of a gorilla in the wild.”

Karisoke has often been a lightning rod of controversy in Rwanda. Fossey, of course, was murdered there in 1985, probably because of her campaign against poachers who were invading the gorillas’ habitat and killing the animals. Between 1990 and 1998, during a deadly civil war in Rwanda, the facility was evacuated five times and destroyed three times.

Today, Karisoke is located in a town at the foothills of the Virunga Mountains, which are divided between Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. It now has 84 staff members, many of whom go into the mountains to study gorillas in much the way Fossey did when she first founded Karisoke.

Although the civil war is settled in Rwanda, the Congo is being strangled by political strife that threatens gorillas in the Virunga National Park.

While the mountain gorilla population is estimated to be at 380 — more than when Fossey first when to Africa in 1967 — the animal is now listed as “critically endangered” and there is fear that human encroachment could wipe out gorillas in the wild in the next 20 years.

“The Congo is a disaster for gorillas at this moment,” Fawcett said, as she showed a slide of four gorilla corpses that brought gasps from the audience. She said 10 adult gorillas have been killed this year.

Clare Richardson, president of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, said the group is stepping up its efforts to protect the gorilla population in the Congo. “It’s a desperate situation,” she said. “The recent killings are a tragedy. The political situation is totally disrupting what we’re doing there.”

Richardson said the organization wants to increase its local presence and, for the first time, now has Atlantans on its board of trustees. “We’d like to stop being the best-kept secret in Atlanta,” she said.

(Photo courtesy Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International)

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One thing last week’s cover story on Gorilla Haven (Oliver, a 19-year-old at Gorilla Haven is pictured below; photo by Joeff Davis) didn’t mention is that the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International is headquartered in Atlanta. Fossey, of course, was the inspiration for the movie Gorillas in the Mist and was a fierce protector of the mountain gorilla.

Today, the mountain gorilla is under tremendous threat in its homeland in the Virunga Mountains, which are divided between Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The area is engulfed in a civil war. Natives are killing gorillas for bushmeat. And mankind is intruding on their habitat. In addition, the lowland gorilla population is also under threat of the Ebola virus.

Next Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m., Dr. Katie Fawcett will speak on the status of gorillas in the wild. Fawcett is the director of the Karisoke Research Center, which Fossey founded. It served as her base until her murder in 1985.

Only 380 mountain gorillas currently survive in the Virunga Mountains. Fawcett will share her experiences with the gorillas, and focus on how to ensure their survival.

Fawcett’s talk will be held at Zoo Atlanta’s Conservation Action Resource Center at 800 Cherokee Ave. Admission for zoo members is $5; $7 for non-members. You must register by Nov. 9. For information, click here.

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