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S43E1: Silverback | Clip

The Dangers of Saving Gorillas

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Filmmaker Vianet Djenguet documents the dangerous but vital process of habituating a notoriously protective 500-pound silverback. Habituation is a last-ditch effort to save the critically endangered Eastern lowland gorillas from extinction but it does not come without risks.

TRANSCRIPT

- There are actually two methods of habituating gorillas.

The first is a very submissive approach used by a female conservationist called Dian Fossey to get close to mountain gorillas for research purposes.

(speaking foreign language) But in Kahuzi-Biega, they've used a more assertive approach standing tall, facing the gorillas.

(speaking foreign language) The park's founders had a theory.

Because they were male, they had to behave in dominant fashion to win the respect of the silverback.

Obviously, I don't want him to attack me.

(speaking foreign language) But it's vital for him to get used to humans.

(gorilla ululating) (gorilla protesting) (gorilla screeching) (gorilla continues screeching) (gorilla screeching) There's a really big part of me that feel like we are harassing them.

Their droppings are diarrhea-like.

That means they are slightly stressed.

This, this is what worries me.

It's a very, very risky job, but he keeps doing it to protect these gorillas.