Monkey Money for Gorillas

This was the 50,000 note used in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), from 1991, that depicted gorillas from Kahuzi Biega Park in Kivu. The silverback was named Maheshe, well-known as the patriarch of a habituated group for tourists. Maheshe was an eastern lowland gorilla, or Grauer's gorilla, Gorilla beringeri graueri.

Many local people were scandalized, calling the bill "monkey money," because animals were not revered in the culture. Only those communities living close to, and benefiting from tourism understood the importance of the gorillas to local economy and national pride.

While training as a Peace Corps vounteer, and then the following year as a trainer, I had the fortune to visit Kahuzi Biega Park ten times. We saw the gorillas eight times, and it was certain that I saw Maheshe.

The monkey money gorilla, Maheshe, was killed in November, 1993, during warfare in the region.