KIGALI - Following the recent deaths of four gorillas, Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has embarked on an exercise to closely monitor the primates.

According to Rica Rwigamba, who is in charge of tourism at RDB, the gorillas succumbed to extreme cold weather in the Virunga Massif in the Northern Province.

"There is high mortality rate of babies (Gorillas) between 1 to 3 years. But, we have increased close monitoring by the wardens who will report any abnormality or sign of illness so that our veterinary doctors treat them immediately,” Rwigamba said.

Rwigamba, however, said that tourism activities have not been affected by the loss. 

"Our aim is to increase the number of gorillas and to conserve them; what happened was unusual, but it was a loss in terms of conservation,” she said.

The dead gorillas have been identified as Intwali and her one-and-a-half year-old baby, Mutesi (named last year), a baby belonging to Mahane and Imvune’s two-week old.

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