The Great Apes

[Tshokwane]

Ian Redmond:
Chimanuka the silverback leads his group into an open glade to feed on the lush vegetation after a rainstorm. This is in Kahuzi-Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is unedited footage, so if you can excuse the dodgy camerawork, you get a sense of how events unfolded and see how I moved to keep up and get the best view through the foliage whilst attempting to maintain the 7m distance (a rule designed to minimise risk of disease transmission; this also accounts for the surgical masks being worn). Towards the end, note the sub-adult male called Mukono (Swahili for 'hand') who lost his left hand in a poacher's snare - he copes well with this disability and it is interesting to see how the rest of the group accept him as he is.

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