Mabeka: Gorilla Teacher

 by: Nedda Wittels

Mabeke is a young gorilla who was born in captivity and then returned to the wild with several other gorillas of similar birth. I had an opportunity to meet Mabeke during one of the workshops I teach in Telepathic Communication with Animals.

A young woman workshop participant named Fleur was employed by a Dutch organization that sponsored the gorilla program. Fleur's job involved teaching the gorillas how to survive in the wild and encouraging them to form a family group.

Fleur brought photographs of the gorillas to the workshop, and during one of the practice sessions, I had a few minutes to speak with Mabeke telepathically.

The first thing I experienced was the sensation of hands touching my face. The hands felt cool, soft, and dry. They explored my entire head, then each of my hands. I waited patiently for the gorilla to finish. I had my eyes closed and could see him in my mind sitting in front of me.

Then I heard "You human...?" It was both a question and a statement. "You talk to me. Why?"

I replied telepathically, "Do you remember Fleur?"

"Yes, " said Mabeke.

"She is learning to communicate this way to help animals like you," I told him. Fleur had come to the workshop to develop her own telepathic communication skills with animals. She hoped to use it to speed up the process of teaching the gorillas to adjust to the wild.

"Fleur nice lady (female) person." Mabeke continued.

I agreed, and then asked Mabeke to tell me about where he lived. "Live in green forest with other family (members). We learn to live like real people." Mabeke emphasized the concept of "real", meaning a true gorilla who lived away from humans. I also felt that the word "people" was similar to indigenous human communities, who often refer to themselves as "the people" in their native tongues.

Mabeke continued describing his new life. "Gather food. Live peaceful. Confusing (at first), but happy time. Better now. Understand more now about lived in real world." Here, "real" meant living on their own, in nature, and not in a cage or human-made structure.

At that moment, I sensed another gorilla approaching us, and asked Mabeke who this is.

"This Umbutu," Mabeke told me. "He think this silly way to talk ... you so far away. Says I should stop talk. I tell him I like talk to you."

"I smart," Mabeke said. "I learn quick to hunt/gather good. I learn quick to find beetles. Very yummy. You try one?"

"No thank you," I replied. "I'm too far away."

"Too bad. Very tasty."

I glanced at the time, and I needed to stop. I said, "I need to say goodbye soon. What else do you want to tell me about yourself?"

"Mabeke very smart and remember what humans teach. Very proud mother."

"Do you have children?" I asked.

"Want to have," Mabeke answered. I sensed confusion about past/present/future. It seemed like there were already some new babies in the troop or would shortly be some, but I wasn't clear on the timing.

I thanked Mabeke for speaking with me, and said goodbye. It had been a fascinating experience. Only one thing confused me. Although Fleur had not told me Mabeke's sex, Mabeke's energy had felt very male. When Mabeke said, "Very proud mother", I began to wonder if I was mistaken in my feeling that Mabeke was male.

After each workshop participant had a chance to get feedback on their telepathic conversations, I described my visit with Mabeke. When I finished, Fleur said, "Mabeke is a male gorilla, and is the dominant male in his group. Male gorillas participate in raising the young. They are very nurturing and often baby sit." This was good confirmation on trusting what one experiences.

My conversation with Mabeke was delightful. He was clearly intelligent and very comfortable with humans, which I'm sure made the interaction go smoothly. I didn't have to draw him out. Sometimes animals who live their whole lives in the wild are suspicious of humans and reluctant to talk, but Mabeke wasn't afraid. His curiosity and openness had enabled us to meet and connect, even thousands of miles apart.