Reader's Digest - USA (2019-08)

orultrasounds–technolog ythat
Rwandansarenotusuallytrained
touse– Denstedtgetscalledin.

THEEVENTSLEADINGtothedeci-
siontotreatBuzinzabegana week
beforetheteamheadedintothefor-
esttofindher.Thetrackersrespon-
sibleformonitoringtheRushegura
gorillagroupnoticedthatBuzinza
hadn’tusedherrightarmforsever-
aldays.“Wewereworriedthatshe
mighthaveafracture,”Denstedt
said,“becausegorillassometimes
fallfromtrees.”
Normallysuchaninjurywouldn’t
warrantanintervention– a human
didn’tbreakBuzinza’sarm,norwas
theinjurynecessarilylife-threaten-
ing.Still,Buzinzaseemedtobeget-
tingworse,andtheteamsuspected
somethingelsemightbewrong.If
Buzinzadied,chancesareherbaby
woulddie,too,especiallyifitwas
stillnursing.
Denstedt and Dr Mike Cran-
field,GorillaDoctors’co-director
atthetime,gatheredallthemedical
suppliestheymightneedtotendto
Buzinza’sarm,includingorthopae-
dicequipmentforpotentialsur-
gery.Theywaiteda weekfora suit-
case-sizedportableX-raymachine
tobedeliveredfromtheDemocratic
RepublicoftheCongo,thenassem-
bleda teamthatalsoincludedtwo
Ugandanfieldveterinarians,a vet-
erinarystudent,a parkwardenand
a smallgroupoftrackers and porters.

WhentheyfoundBuzinzaandher

babyonthatseconddayofsearch-

ing,theteamslowlyunpackedtheir

gear.Oneofthefieldveterinari-

ans,DrFredNizey imana,loadeda

pin k-tailedanaesthesiadartintoan

airpistolandcarefullycrepttoward

Buzinzausingtwooftheportersas

cover.ThegorillasofBwindihave

learnedtorecogniset hedar tg uns,

sovetsmustremainhiddenuntil

theyarewithinrange.Evengorillas

hatetogettheirshots.

Buzinza f linched when the dart hit

her.Sheclamouredawaybutwent

downquickly,slumpingontothefor-

estf loor.Atfirst,theteamfearedshe

mightrollintoa nearbystreamand

dreadedhavingtorescueherfrom

drowning,butBuzinzagrewstill.Her

babyseemedunperturbedbybothits

mother’ssuddenslumberandthe

humanswhoemergedfromthetrees.

Theyoungsterquietlywatchedthe

masked-and-gloveddoctorsfora few

minutesbeforegettingboredand

wanderingoff.

This was fortunate, Denstedt says.

BABYGORILLAS OFTEN

SCREAM WHENTHEIR

MOTHERSGOUNDER,

AND THISCANDISTRESS

THE WHOLE GROUP

(TOP) COURTESY OF DR. EMILY DENSTEDT; (BOTTOM) SKYLER BISHOP

28 Augus t 2019

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