Mountain Gorilla and Baby by artists Gillie and Marc
LOCATIONS
EDITION 1 - SINGAPORE - 19 May 2023 - 18 May 2024
Gardens By The Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018953
Visit the sculpture, click for map >
__________________
CLICK HERE TO DONATE DIRECTLY TO WWF >
NAME
Marge and Maggie
TITLE
Love The Mountain Gorilla and Baby
GENDER
Female
AGE
4 months and 10 years
FOUND
Virunga Mountains & Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Africa
CONSERVATION STATUS
Endangered
At 10 years old this is the first time this female has become a mother, and she is very excited! Her baby is still completely dependent on her and she is willing to rise to the occasion, keeping her close and feeding her so she can grow big and strong. But she’s worried. She knows her baby is very valuable to more than just her. The humans, who she seems to encounter more and more frequently, look at her baby with dollar signs in their eyes. She must stay close to her family, the male silverback can help protect them both. The mother, she will focus on showering her baby with love so she can grow up with only love in her heart.
One of the two subspecies of eastern gorillas and also one of the largest of all living primates is the Mountain Gorilla. This beautiful giant shares 98% of our DNA. They can only be found in two places; just over half live in a home made up of extinct volcanoes bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, and the Virunga Mountains, the rest can be found in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. High up in their forested mountains, these gorillas stay warm with the help of their thick fur, incredibly important when temperatures can drop below freezing. These gentle and shy animals live peaceful lives, avoiding conflict and preferring to focus on their favourite foods, mainly leaves, shoots and sometimes snails, ants or bark (a good source of sodium).
Mountain gorillas are very social, they live in groups of tight-knit family members made up of females, infants, a few younger subordinate males, and one dominant male - the great silverback.
The silverback is huge with a large silver saddle on the base of his back which he develops around the age of 12, giving him his name. His job is to protect his family. He will lead them to different spots to feed, mediate conflicts within the group, and protect them from outside threats such as leopards, other gorillas, or humans. He will do whatever it takes to protect his family, even if it means risking his own life. These incredible fathers are often the ones who will take in orphans when they lose their mother, providing them with lots of love and letting them sleep in his nest. Some have also been known to remove snares from the hands and feet of his family left behind by poachers.
Female mountain gorillas will often give birth to their first baby when they reach the age of 10 and will continue to have children every 4 years or so. The babies are born completely helpless, weighing only 4 pounds. They develop in a very similar way to human babies but twice as fast! Everyone in the family plays a part in caring for them, giving them lots of hugs, kisses, playing with them, and carrying them around. They are weaned when they are 3 and become more independent. When the gorillas reach maturity, most of the males (aged 11-13) and about 60% of the females (aged 10-12) will leave their family to join another troop.
Mountain gorillas are very endangered with only around 1,000 remaining in the wild. It was thought that they would become extinct by the end of the 20th century. But through hard work and incredible conservation work, the population of mountain gorillas grew. It is now the only gorilla species in the world to have an increasing population.
Nonetheless, there are still many threats to their survival. The biggest threat is habitat loss. As humans expand into their homeland, they clear the forests for communities, agriculture and livestock, even in protected areas. This makes it harder for the gorillas to find food but also threatens their genetic diversity as groups become increasingly more isolated. Another major threat is war. The war in Rwanda in the ’90s and the now ongoing civil conflict in DRC have had a huge effect on the gorillas. With refugees fleeing to the Virunga Mountains, it causes habitat destruction, poaching, and also makes it very difficult for conservation workers to come in and protect as rebels threaten their visit. With such similar DNA, this close contact with humans is also a problem for the transfer of disease, mountain gorillas are susceptible to many of the same illnesses but do not have the same immunity. Mountain gorillas have been known to die from the common cold. Poaching is not so much of a threat but they are still being killed for their heads, hands and feet which are sold to collectors and are often caught in snares. The infants are also being caught and sold to zoos, researchers, and even as pets, fetching up to $5,000 on the black market.
HOW TO HELP
Inspired by animals that Gillie and Marc met on their travels, we invite the public to discover and interact with these beautiful creatures up close and personal – this allows audiences to connect, take photographs and share their favourite species with friends and family.
With more exposure comes more awareness and builds on the love we already have for animals around the world. With love comes a greater sense of urgency to create a change and save all endangered animals.
The sculpture will be aligned with the hashtag #LoveTheLast to raise unparalleled awareness about the sculpture’s cause across the globe.
To help protect these animals, please donate to the WWF: https://www.wwf.sg/
PARTNER
WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisations. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. As one of WWF’s international hubs, WWF-Singapore supports a global network spanning over 100 countries. We work to meet key conservation goals, such as deforestation, haze pollution, food security, sustainable finance, sustainable consumption and illegal wildlife trade.
For more information, visit https://www.wwf.sg
ABOUT GILLIE AND MARC
Gillie and Marc’s highly coveted public artworks can be found worldwide including in New York, London, Singapore, Shanghai, and Sydney. They are Archibald Prize finalists, won the Chianciano Biennale in Italy, took out the Allens People’s Choice Award in 2016 and 2018 and Kids’ Choice Award in the 2016 Sculpture by the Sea and received the Bayside Arts Festival People's Choice Award in 2019 in Sydney.
The husband-and-wife duo are on a mission to make art for a better tomorrow. They are best known for their beloved characters, Rabbitwoman and Dogman, who tell the autobiographical tale of two opposites coming together as best friends and soul mates.
Gillie and Marc are also passionate eco-warriors and have dedicated their lives to protecting nature.
Gillie grew up with the wildlife in Zambia and Marc studied chimpanzees in Tanzania as a young man. Over time, the artists developed a deep appreciation for all living things and a desire to preserve the magnificence of the natural world.
Gillie and Marc’s mission is to save species from extinction. Through their practices, they are transforming passive audiences into passionate advocates for animal conservation, spreading awareness about endangered species and leading to change.
Their art has raised hundreds of thousands in donations for the many wildlife charities and causes they support through their project Love The Last.
Please follow @gillieandmarcart
If you are interested in buying art related to the Loved the Last March, you will also be directly helping real animals in the wild, with 30% of sales going to WWF to continue their fantastic work for animal conservation. Click here to browse art > https://gillieandmarc.com/collections/love-the-last-march
SPONSORED BY
Keyashian Family
SOURCES
https://www.wwf.sg/
https://www.iucn.org/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/
https://www.awf.org/
LOCATIONS
EDITION 1 - SINGAPORE - 19 May 2023 - 18 May 2024
Gardens By The Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018953
Visit the sculpture, click for map >
__________________
CLICK HERE TO DONATE DIRECTLY TO WWF >
NAME
Beatrix and Anne
TITLE
Love The Mountain Gorilla and Baby
GENDER
Female
AGE
6 months and 9 years
FOUND
Virunga Mountains & Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Africa
CONSERVATION STATUS
Endangered
This endangered lady is one proud mum. In her opinion, she has the best baby in the world! Little Beatrix is so loving and Anne can already tell that she will be a particularly caring mountain gorilla once she grows up. They spend their days eating, playing, and cuddling, enjoying their beautiful relationship - all the while Beatrix continues to grow big and strong like her mum. Anne just hopes that there will still be a forest for Beatrix to grow old in.
It may seem like a struggle living so high up in the cold air of the mountains, but this amazing species of gorilla has learned to adapt remarkably well. Mountain gorillas can live up to a very great age despite their intense mountainous environment. They can live over 40 years old and are considered an adult at 8 years old; that’s quite old in the animal kingdom!
Like us, each gorilla looks different, especially if you look at their nose. The print of their nose is as unique as our fingerprints!
Mountain gorillas also have a unique form of communication with 16 different calls. This could be short barks when they’re interested in something, a small shock or loud roars and growls to intimidate a rival. Their most commonly used sound is a belch, a sign of contentment (not dissimilar to us!) They also use a lot of non-verbal communication. Males will walk around with stiff legs and beat their chest to intimidate others, if a submissive member recognises the dominance of another, simply moving out of the way and making a submissive posture will get the message across. Very adorably, they have a play face, a face commonly seen in young gorillas! They will laugh when you tickle them and cry when you hurt them, a testament to how closely related we really are to this incredible species.
Being so closely related to us, you would expect us to share a similar diet. Not at all! These gentle giants are nearly exclusively vegetarians only eating the odd snail or ant when it comes along. They can eat as much as 18kg of food per day, a necessary amount to make sure these large creatures get all the nutrients they need. They also hardly ever drink water. They get everything they need to quench their thirst from the succulent plants they eat as well as the morning dew.
In the 1980s, there were thought to be less than 400 mountain gorillas. Thankfully, this number has more than doubled thanks to intense conservation efforts. Habitat loss is the biggest threat to these animals, so by working with locals to preserve and protect their habitat, not only will the mountain gorillas have a better chance of survival, so will all the many animals who share their home. New sustainable economic opportunities must also be developed to protect the local communities, ensuring they will always have a way to make ends meet. Conservation work such as this can help to elevate thousands of people out of poverty while protecting one of our closest relatives.
HOW TO HELP
Inspired by animals that Gillie and Marc met on their travels, we invite the public to discover and interact with these beautiful creatures up close and personal – this allows audiences to connect, take photographs and share their favourite species with friends and family.
With more exposure comes more awareness and builds on the love we already have for animals around the world. With love comes a greater sense of urgency to create a change and save all endangered animals.
The sculpture will be aligned with the hashtag #LoveTheLast to raise unparalleled awareness about the sculpture’s cause across the globe.
To help protect these animals, please donate to the WWF: https://www.wwf.sg/
PARTNER
WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisations. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. As one of WWF’s international hubs, WWF-Singapore supports a global network spanning over 100 countries. We work to meet key conservation goals, such as deforestation, haze pollution, food security, sustainable finance, sustainable consumption and illegal wildlife trade.
For more information, visit https://www.wwf.sg
ABOUT GILLIE AND MARC
Gillie and Marc’s highly coveted public artworks can be found worldwide including in New York, London, Singapore, Shanghai, and Sydney. They are Archibald Prize finalists, won the Chianciano Biennale in Italy, took out the Allens People’s Choice Award in 2016 and 2018 and Kids’ Choice Award in the 2016 Sculpture by the Sea and received the Bayside Arts Festival People's Choice Award in 2019 in Sydney.
The husband-and-wife duo are on a mission to make art for a better tomorrow. They are best known for their beloved characters, Rabbitwoman and Dogman, who tell the autobiographical tale of two opposites coming together as best friends and soul mates.
Gillie and Marc are also passionate eco-warriors and have dedicated their lives to protecting nature.
Gillie grew up with the wildlife in Zambia and Marc studied chimpanzees in Tanzania as a young man. Over time, the artists developed a deep appreciation for all living things and a desire to preserve the magnificence of the natural world.
Gillie and Marc’s mission is to save species from extinction. Through their practices, they are transforming passive audiences into passionate advocates for animal conservation, spreading awareness about endangered species and leading to change.
Their art has raised hundreds of thousands in donations for the many wildlife charities and causes they support through their project Love The Last.
Please follow @gillieandmarcart
If you are interested in buying art related to the Loved the Last March, you will also be directly helping real animals in the wild, with 30% of sales going to WWF to continue their fantastic work for animal conservation. Click here to browse art > https://gillieandmarc.com/collections/love-the-last-march
SPONSORED BY
Jade Pearce and Bryan Wee
SOURCES
https://www.wwf.sg/
https://www.iucn.org/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/
https://www.awf.org
