Logos for Gorillas
Nov 23, 03:38 PM

Participating in the United Nations Year of the Gorilla campaign has given me the opportunity to meet scientists and conservationists who work to save and study Gorillas. One of these was Thomas Breuer. In the rainforests of central Africa Thomas and his colleagues witnessed the first documented tool used in wild gorillas. Thomas photographed wild gorillas using sticks and stumps to navigate swampy forest clearings. National Geographic reported on his discoveries online in text and film

Thomas does his research in rare open clearing in the dense rainforest called a Bai. While I was in Germany at the Frankfurt symposium I heard of Thomas’ need to create a logo for his research site and future ectourist destination. The name of the Bai is the Mbeli Bai. The logo reflects Thomas’ aesthetic wishes displaying the three “big game” species of the Bai; forest elephant, gorilla & stitatunga. I did several different logos and went back and forth until Thomas was satisfied with the overall design.

Visiting Mbeli Bai would truly be a unique experience. The majority of tourists who visit gorillas in the wild visit habituated gorillas. Naturally gorillas are very shy. The only way to get close to one is to slowly habituate them to human presence; to teach them not to run from people. Habituated gorillas, though they are still wild, behave in a subdued and blasé way according to the many scientists I talked to at the gorilla symposium. Another danger is the transmission of diseases. Being so close to gorillas communicable diseases as mild as a cold or flu could devastate a population. Gorilla permits are usually only for one hour and cost hundreds of dollars. Mbeli Bai would offer a different experience that would be less invasive to gorillas. Perched on elevated platforms built around the forest clearing observers could watch gorillas, forest elephants and sitatunga without disturbing them. Truth be told I’d like to visit both the habituated mountain gorillas and their wilder tool using counterparts of Mbeli Bai.

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