Chest-beaters of Africa

Press, 29 December 1979, Page 13

Chest-beaters of Africa

The Wandering Gorillas. By Alan Goodall. Collins. 253 pp. $19.95. (Reviewed by Stan Darling) Gorillas in the wild — are they ferocious beasts, ready to take chunks out of unwary humans? Or pussycats with a penchant for beating their chests? Pussycats, it seems, according to the experience of British zoologist Alan Goodall. His book is a good introduction to the domestic wanderings of these animals, in the volcanic uplands between Zaire and Uganda. Books of this type are becoming noted for their photography, and “Gorillas” is among the best, with the animals given backgrounds of lush green as they threaten, eat and generally mooch around. Goodall’s studies showed that one group ate parts of 104 different plants. For some of the observations, he almost had to join them as he cooed, scratched and pretended to feed to keep them from being scared off. The national park where these mountain gorillas spend their time is being invaded by cattle, poachers, firewood seekers and even a few natives hunting for gorilla parts to give them magic powers.

Goodall strikes a good balance between details of his studies, what he finds in the gorilla dung and that sort of thing, and tales of his jungle life, including the rescue of a captive chimpanzee. One disappointment is that the photographs are mainly close-ups. There are no pullbacks to show the surroundings, the Virunga volcanoes described by one former researcher as the most 'beautiful spot in the world. Maybe the scenic views were being saved for “National Geographic.”