The only Cross River Gorilla in captivity in the world that was at the Limbe Wildlife Centre is no more. She died few weeks ago after a protracted illness and was laid to rest on the same day in the wildlife sanctuary amid well-wishers who combed the premises to pay their last homage to the rear specie now out of captivity, to the world beyond.
‘Nyango’, as she was fondly called, according to the Assistant Coordinator at the Limbe Wildlife Sanctuary, Mr Eneigho Kenneth, got so sick that her intestines got ruptured. All efforts by the medical department of the sanctuary to rescue the great ape, proved futile.
“That animal (Nyango) for quite some time now has been very sick. We have put in every necessary effort to see that it gets well, in terms of medication, human care, feeding… but when God decides, that’s how it happens. We played our parts, the eco guards, medical department and administration to no avail” Mr Eneigho explained.
The Assistant Coordinator said the remains of Nyango was well conserved before burial.
“Nyango was buried near the laboratory, in front of the buckaroo that is the viewing point of the gorilla. We buried it in such a way that nothing like termites (or other microorganisms) will destroy the carcass. We intend to get the skeleton intact and in the nearest future, we will preserve it in a glass box in such a way that people will pass and see it. It will send the message that once upon a time, the Limbe Wildlife Centre housed the world’s lone Cross River Gorilla in captivity” Mr Eneigho expounded.
Before Nyango’s death, she had encountered some challenging moments while at the Wildlife Centre.
“It came a time when Nyango jumped out of the fence and went playing in the house of a woman frying puff balls. The woman mistook Nyango’s pranks for wild agitation that she shot at one of the Gorilla’s eyes. That eye ended up permanently damaged. Also, in 2012, Nyango ingested some vegetables that affected her lungs and other internal organs, making her stomach to swell. She was placed under thorough medical care where she has been until her demise” Mr Eneigho stated.
The 29 year old Cross River gorilla was rescued by an American missionary family from hunters more than two decades ago in Mamfe, a town in the South West Cameroon. They named her ‘Nyango’. Nyango was orphaned when hunters killed her parents in the then Takamanda forest in Mamfe.
With a population less than 300 in the wild, the Cross River gorilla is the most threatened sub-species of gorilla.
“Cross River gorillas are not just critically endangered, but they are found only in Cameroon and Nigeria and Cameroon has over 80% of the Cross River gorilla range. Being the only known case of Cross River gorilla in captivity, any researcher who wants to conduct studies on the behaviour of the sub-species and interaction with other gorillas only came to Cameroon; and to the Centre. Since she was brought here, we have had hundreds of visitors from all over the world who came just to see her given that it is very difficult to encounter them in the forest,” said Glenn Motumba, Education Officer at the zoo.
Before her passing on to glory, the Limbe Wildlife Centre in collaboration with conservation organisations like World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) have been mapping out the possibility for her reintroduction into the wild.
By Yanick Fonki & Queen Achingale
