Rare footage captures the moment an eastern lowland gorilla breastfeeds her baby in the tropical rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“To see this behaviour so close was remarkable and what struck me was how familiar it looks, just like humans,” filmmaker Vianet Djenguet told Live Science in an email. “The infant was suckling whilst looking at us, like I have seen in so many villages across the world. The simplicity of life just hits you.”
The clip was filmed for the new PBS series “Nature,” with the first episode — “Silverback” — following Djenguet as he documents the lives of eastern lowland gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri), a critically endangered subspecies of eastern gorillas (Gorilla beringei) found in the eastern part of the DRC.
Djenguet is working with DRC conservationists to habituate a group of gorillas in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park led by an alpha male known as Mpungwe. Habituation is the process of getting a group of gorillas used to the presence of humans so the animals can generate income from tourism, allowing visitors to safely view them in the forest.
The revenue generated from tourism in the region would be used to protect the species and pay for local community efforts to reduce poaching and deforestation.
Related: Wild gorillas in Gabon eat plants with antibacterial abilities against drug-resistant E. coli
Habituation is not a straightforward or quick process, however. It hinges on the male silverback of the group accepting humans, which can take years to achieve. This is the second attempt to habituate Mpungwe, according to the BBC. Mpungwe was raised by habituated gorillas but was orphaned when his family was killed during a civil war, the BBC reports. Over time, he built a family with wild gorillas, and is fiercely protective of them.
“Silverback” is the first time the process of habituation has been filmed, and capturing a mother gorilla breastfeeding shows the effort is working. “There is a big difference between habituated and wild gorillas,” Djenguet said. “To film this [feeding] behaviour so close can only happen with the silverback allowing you to do so. He [Mpungwe] was watching us carefully. Many wild gorillas are not going to allow this as they have a deep fear of humans from many years of persecution.”
Getting so close is risky.
“The silverback is a very real threat whilst filming a scene such as this,” he added. “If he wants to, he can grab one of your feet and bite you or drag you along the ground until he is satisfied, by which time your limbs are possibly wrecked.”
There are approximately 5,000 eastern lowland gorillas left in the wild. A female only has one infant every four to six years, making population recovery slow and difficult, especially with threats of disease and poaching.
“Should Mpungwe pass away or a war breaks out around that region, the forest will be a vulnerable spot,” Djenguet said. “Eastern DRC is one of the richest places in the world in terms of natural resources. Hence the endless years of instability, conflict and plundering. It is the local communities and wildlife that bear the brunt, whilst many outsiders profit.”
“Silverback” airs on PBS on Wednesday, Oct. 23. For times check local listings. It will also be available at pbs.org/nature and the PBS app. Select episodes will be available to stream on the Nature YouTube channel.
