Continuing my latest blog.

Also in my last blog I said that she cannot have contact with the gorillas, well in the trailer below, Dian Fossey ( the actress) does have contact with the gorillas, that is because where I am right now she cannot have contact with the gorillas since she's only been there for a few months. Also I just wanted to add to my retell section in my last blog, that with protecting the animals from the traps (destorying the traps, and letting the animals free) there came consiquences. In Africa there is something they call black magic or they call it "sumu" wich means poison, kind of like witch craft. Example: If you destroy the traps of the poachers and they find out they would talk to a "umushitsi" (witch doctor). Sometimes poachers would cut two sticks from a tree, form them into a cross, and stick them into the ground along the trail leading to their trapline. This Christian-like symbol was meant basicly to convey a death threat to anyone who tries to mess with their traps. Since many of Dian's coworkers were locals of Africa, they believed these "curses" and wouldn't dare to cross these "cross's". Sumu exerts a powerful influence in the daily lives of many Rwandese, espceially those living in the more remote areas near the Kivu Province of Zaire, where the most prodigious umshitsi practice. Unknown to Dian at the time, one of the locals who worked with her, Seregera was also a poacher. He was to become one of the biggest elephant killers within the Virungas. Now that sucks.

Until next time :) By the way I know this picture is kind of irrelevant to my subject right up there^ but I couldn't figure out how to do it on my last blog ha-ha. But as you could probably guess yes that is Dian Fossey! ha-ha http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy_7OeoZCQY&feature=related <- The Gorillas in the Mist Movie! :)

Chapter 1-2

Since my chapters are so long and so informative I decided to join the first and second chapter. In the begining of the book, Dian retells her first trip to Africa wich only lasted a few weeks. I will do my blog on her second official 13 year + trip to Africa.

Retell:
"This story is set in the 1960s."
Dian has returned to Rwanda, Africa to study the mountain gorillas. She had set up a research center on top of the mountain Karisoke I believe and between the areas of Mts.Visoke, Karisimbi and Mikeno. She is accompanied by Dr. Leakey whom she had met on her first trip to Africa and some locals. They have set up tents and cabins to observe the mountain gorillas. Now it's not just looking at them then going back to there base, I guess you can call it. They have even named some of the gorillas and have kept track of their groups and social activities. She has even climbed up 10 foot trees just to get a better look a group. Taking pictures and writing notes is one thing but Dian nor her co-workers are allowed to make contact with the gorillas since if they did they would probably leave the area of wich Dian is located. She has played gorilla ( making gestures of gorillas and making their sounds WITHOUT TOUCHING THEM.) Now it's not just a day in the park. You might think; She's got it easy! Well my friends, no she doesn't, not one bit. Dian is a researcher but also a hero. As you might or might not already know, there are ALOT of poachers in Africa. Now I put emphasis on the alot, because they didn't just hunt and kill the gorillas and other animals, but they even sold there organs and body parts for money, I guess to make some sort of stew of something. There were multiple traps in the forests, that Dian and her co-workers would help release the other animals, like antellopes. Many times the traps would clamp down on the gorillas feet\hands then give the gorillas infections.
The book really explains different methodes the poachers would use to hunt these animals. I will continue this post on another blog since it's getting quite long.

Reflect:
While I read this book I feel happy and sad at the same time. Happy that Dian has done so much work to protect and study these wonderful creatures. Example; I never realized just how human these creatures are ha-ha! Whilst Dian and a few other locals who work with her were freeing a trapped antellope, sitting in a row on a large branch about twenty feet away were a group of gorillas examining Dian and the others. And she thought she was doing all the research ha-ha!

Relate: Well I can relate to the determintation Dian has in finding out everything, and I mean everything that has to do with gorillas. As it says in the back of the book "Gorillas in the Mist remains an invaluable testament to one of the longest-running field studies of primates and reveals her undying passion for her subject" That is all very very true! I must say I never met this wondeful lady, but she definitly gives me hope to never give up, because she never did. "Oops I fell down the hill while I was trying to herd and re-locate these gorillas away from the poachers, well I'll just get back up and finish my mission! Ha-ha, that was my impersonation of Dian Fossey, what did you think?

Until next time! :)