Tale of 'mist gorillas' to be told
By Cami Swanson
Emerald Reporter
As “Gorillas in the Mist"
plays at local theaters, one of
Dian Fossey’s former col
leagues will lecture tonight on
the “Mountain Gorillas of Afri
ca."
Stuart Perimeter, who gradu
ated from the University in
1978 with an anthropology de
gree, worked as one of Fossey’s
graduate student assistants for
nine months in 1980. He will
speak about his experiences at
Karisoke, Fossey's research
camp in the Virungas moun
tains in Kowanda, Africa. Put
most of the emphasis of his lec
ture will be on the gorillas
themselves.
“I will present the gorillas as
they are in the wild,”
Perimeter said. "1 want people
to leave with an understanding
of how endangered they are."
Perimeter estimates there are
only about 450 mountain goril
las left in the wild.
His lecture, sponsored by the
Eugene Natural History Socie
ty, will begin at 8 p in. in Sci
ence I Room 123. Slides of
mountain gorillas, including
some of the animals shown in
the film "Gorillas in the Mist,"
will accompany the lecture.
Fossey was mysteriously
murdered in 1985. The murder,
combined with publicity from
her book "Gorillas in the
Mist," spawned increased tour
ism to the area. Some people
are adamantly opposed to the
tourists. Perimeter has a differ
ent view,
“It is my personal belief that
if the gorillas (in the Virungas)
are to survive, then tourism
must be an integral part of any
conservation effort,” Perimeter
said in the Eugene Natural His
tory Society’s newsletter. The
tourism helps Rowanda's econ
omy, and “without their sup
port and encouragement, no
amount of money or anti
poaching patrols will save this
species,” Perimeter continued.
Perimeter attributes the rare
chance of studying the moun
tain gorillas at Karisoke in 1980
to Dr. Russell Fernald, a Uni
versity biology professor.
After Perimeter completed
his undergraduate degree, he
took graduate classes in animal
behavior from Fernald. Fernald
submitted Perl meter’s name
when he discovered the oppor
tunity for graduate students to
work with Fossey.
"She sent a wire and said be
there in one month — and 1
went,” Perimeter said.
While Perimeter was in Kari
soke, Fossey left the camp for
about three months to teach a
class at Cornell University.
During her absence. Perimeter
was left in charge of the poach
er patrols, which Fossey had
established to defend the goril
las.
“She liked him very much,”
said Tom Ellis, a member of the
Eugene Natural History Socie
ty’s board of directors. Ellis
said that in addition to main
taining poacher patrols. Perl
meter was instructed by Fossey
to keep another researcher, Dr.
Sandy Harcourt, from taking
over her facility.
“According to Stuart, the
pressure was really intense,”
Ellis said. "He found himself
caught in the middle.”
One of Perimeter’s biggest
accomplishments at Karisoke
was reintroducing “Charlie,” a
female orphan gorilla baby res
cued by Fossey from poachers,
into one of the gorilla groups at
Karisoke. Perimeter would not
elaborate on his experiences in
the Virungas mountains, but
Ellis stressed the importance of
such an accomplishment.
“It requires a really strong
intuitive understanding (of the
gorilla group),” Ellis said.
Turning the tables, he asked,
“Would you accept a human
baby from a subhuman?”
Returning to Eugene after his
experiences in Africa, Peri
meter began teaching handi
capped children for the Lane
Educational Service District.
He is currently teaching sci
ence at Springfield Middle
School.
Ellis said he expects a large
turnout for Perimeter's lecture,
partly as a result of the success
of the movie “Gorillas in the
Mist.”
-Activities Calendar.
Friday, Oct. 21
•The University and Asso
ciated Artists presents
“Woman’s Work," a free
gallery showing at Ware
house Gallery, Fourth Ave
nue and Lawrence Street.
An open reception for the
showing will be held at 7
p.m. Gallery hours are 1-5
p.m. daily.
Saturday, Oct. 22
•Learn the art of origami at
the F.MU Craft Center’s Ori
gami Mask Workshop. Class
will run from 1-4 p.m. and
is limited so pre-registration
is advised. The cost is $7.
Sunday, Oct. 23
•The Survival Center will
host a Riverfront Communi
tyPicnic on the South bank
of the Willamette River near
the Autzen Stadium foot
bridge from 11 a.m. to 5
p.m. The event is free and
open to the public.
• Discussion of social rela
tionships between male and
females in various cultures
7:30 p.m. in the EMU’s In
ternational Lounge. The dis
cussion is part of the United
Nations Day celebration.
THI FAR SIDI
By GARY LARSON
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