Titus (gorilla)
Encyclopedia
Titus was the name given by researchers to a silverback Mountain Gorilla
of the Virunga Mountains
. Titus was remarkable in that he was under almost constant observation by researchers since his birth in 1974, including Dian Fossey
, Veronica Vecellio and Felix Ndagijimana. He was the subject of a 2008 PBS
Nature
/BBC
Natural World documentary
entitled "Titus: The Gorilla King".
, who was observing his group at the time, after the eponymous protagonist of the Mervyn Peake
novel
Titus Groan
.
When Titus was four years old a blackback male joined his group and was named 'Beetsme' by Fossey (who was asked by a visiting friend who he was, and replied "Beats me"). Shortly afterwards Titus' father and dominant silverback 'Uncle Bert' (named for Fossey's uncle) was killed by poachers. Beetsme attempted to take control of the group, killing
the infant daughter of the group's dominant female 'Aunt Flossie'. However the blackback was rejected and the females left the group.
Titus appears to have formed a bond with Beetsme and the pair became the nucleus of an unstable bachelor group. The group was without females for eight years, during which time they were observed engaging in homosexual behaviour. Eventually five females joined Beetsme and Titus' group. Beetsme, now a fully-grown silverback, drove off all of the males but Titus and became the dominant male of the group.
The females however, especially dominant female 'Papoose', seem to have been more attracted to Titus and began to mate with him in secret. DNA
analysis of Titus' group showed that he sired his first child, called Kuryama, with Papoose in 1985 while still a blackback and subordinate of Beetsme. This is the youngest recorded siring by a gorilla. These secret encounters continued for six years as Titus matured into a silverback. In 1991 he began systematically asserting his dominance over the other males in his group and a year later, aged eighteen, he peacefully displaced Beetsme as the dominant male of the group. Beetsme continued to aid Titus in maintaining the group until his death in 2001.
Titus sired more children than any other gorilla on record and by 2004 controlled the largest known gorilla group in the world. At age thirty however his dominance was fading and he began regularly fighting with his silverback son Kuryama. He was also observed biting a female after she was caught mating with Kuryama in secret. This was noted by researchers as being at odds with Titus' "calm" leadership style in previous years. Jane Goodall
was never able to observe the group Titus controlled but has acknowledged his unique attributes.
In the spring of 2007 Titus led the group to a the peak of a volcanic mountain. The low temperature at that altitude posed a threat to the younger members of the group and as Titus tarried there Kuryama made a bid for leadership. He "displaced" Titus and then led the majority of the group, including most of the sexually mature females and their offspring, away from the mountain. Titus did not resist but was not willing to give up his dominant position and so the group was split in two. Some of the older females, including the dominant female Tuck, and their infants remained with Titus as well as a young silverback named Tuyizere.
In May 2008 Titus and his following rejoined the main group, which had expanded by four new infants and two females from other groups. Titus, seemingly aware that he was unable to protect the group at thirty-three years-old, supported his son Kuryama as the dominant male until his death on 14 September 2009. Researchers reported that he was still regarded with great respect and affection by the entirety of the group.
On 14 September 2009, at age 35, Titus died after a week's illness.
Mountain Gorilla
The Mountain Gorilla is one of the two subspecies of the Eastern Gorilla. There are two populations. One is found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, within three National Parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga in the eastern Democratic...
of the Virunga Mountains
Virunga Mountains
The Virunga Mountains are a chain of volcanoes in East Africa, along the northern border of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The mountain range is a branch of the Albertine Rift, a part of the Great Rift Valley. They are located between Lake Edward and Lake Kivu...
. Titus was remarkable in that he was under almost constant observation by researchers since his birth in 1974, including Dian Fossey
Dian Fossey
Dian Fossey was an American zoologist who undertook an extensive study of gorilla groups over a period of 18 years. She studied them daily in the mountain forests of Rwanda, initially encouraged to work there by famous anthropologist Louis Leakey...
, Veronica Vecellio and Felix Ndagijimana. He was the subject of a 2008 PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
Nature
Nature (TV series)
Nature is a wildlife television program produced by Thirteen/WNET New York. It has been distributed to United States public television stations by the PBS television service since its debut on October 10, 1982. Some episodes may appear in syndication on many PBS member stations around the U.S. and...
/BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Natural World documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
entitled "Titus: The Gorilla King".
Biography
Titus was born on 24 August 1974. He was named by gorilla researcher Dian FosseyDian Fossey
Dian Fossey was an American zoologist who undertook an extensive study of gorilla groups over a period of 18 years. She studied them daily in the mountain forests of Rwanda, initially encouraged to work there by famous anthropologist Louis Leakey...
, who was observing his group at the time, after the eponymous protagonist of the Mervyn Peake
Mervyn Peake
Mervyn Laurence Peake was an English writer, artist, poet and illustrator. He is best known for what are usually referred to as the Gormenghast books. They are sometimes compared to the work of his older contemporary J. R. R...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
Titus Groan
Titus Groan (novel)
Titus Groan is a novel by Mervyn Peake. It is the first novel in the Gormenghast series.-Plot introduction:The book is set in the huge castle of Gormenghast, a vast landscape of crumbling towers and ivy-filled quadrangles that has for centuries been the hereditary residence of the Groan family and...
.
When Titus was four years old a blackback male joined his group and was named 'Beetsme' by Fossey (who was asked by a visiting friend who he was, and replied "Beats me"). Shortly afterwards Titus' father and dominant silverback 'Uncle Bert' (named for Fossey's uncle) was killed by poachers. Beetsme attempted to take control of the group, killing
Infanticide
Infanticide or infant homicide is the killing of a human infant. Neonaticide, a killing within 24 hours of a baby's birth, is most commonly done by the mother.In many past societies, certain forms of infanticide were considered permissible...
the infant daughter of the group's dominant female 'Aunt Flossie'. However the blackback was rejected and the females left the group.
Titus appears to have formed a bond with Beetsme and the pair became the nucleus of an unstable bachelor group. The group was without females for eight years, during which time they were observed engaging in homosexual behaviour. Eventually five females joined Beetsme and Titus' group. Beetsme, now a fully-grown silverback, drove off all of the males but Titus and became the dominant male of the group.
The females however, especially dominant female 'Papoose', seem to have been more attracted to Titus and began to mate with him in secret. DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
analysis of Titus' group showed that he sired his first child, called Kuryama, with Papoose in 1985 while still a blackback and subordinate of Beetsme. This is the youngest recorded siring by a gorilla. These secret encounters continued for six years as Titus matured into a silverback. In 1991 he began systematically asserting his dominance over the other males in his group and a year later, aged eighteen, he peacefully displaced Beetsme as the dominant male of the group. Beetsme continued to aid Titus in maintaining the group until his death in 2001.
Titus sired more children than any other gorilla on record and by 2004 controlled the largest known gorilla group in the world. At age thirty however his dominance was fading and he began regularly fighting with his silverback son Kuryama. He was also observed biting a female after she was caught mating with Kuryama in secret. This was noted by researchers as being at odds with Titus' "calm" leadership style in previous years. Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall
Dame Jane Morris Goodall, DBE , is a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. Considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best known for her 45-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National...
was never able to observe the group Titus controlled but has acknowledged his unique attributes.
In the spring of 2007 Titus led the group to a the peak of a volcanic mountain. The low temperature at that altitude posed a threat to the younger members of the group and as Titus tarried there Kuryama made a bid for leadership. He "displaced" Titus and then led the majority of the group, including most of the sexually mature females and their offspring, away from the mountain. Titus did not resist but was not willing to give up his dominant position and so the group was split in two. Some of the older females, including the dominant female Tuck, and their infants remained with Titus as well as a young silverback named Tuyizere.
In May 2008 Titus and his following rejoined the main group, which had expanded by four new infants and two females from other groups. Titus, seemingly aware that he was unable to protect the group at thirty-three years-old, supported his son Kuryama as the dominant male until his death on 14 September 2009. Researchers reported that he was still regarded with great respect and affection by the entirety of the group.
On 14 September 2009, at age 35, Titus died after a week's illness.