Gorillas

Vulcanoes National Park
Rwanda
January 2 2020

"The gorillas are coming down," the Rwandan guide whispers excitedly. Now we know for sure. We have made the right choice. The mountain gorillas, the largest primate on earth, can be found in three countries: Rwanda, Uganda and Congo. The ease with which the gorillas are found varies by country. A mountain trip of 22 kilometers can be a reality. Onno has been suffering from his back in recent weeks. A long and heavy climb can become the straw for serious complaints. We choose Rwanda, where you are assigned to a gorilla group at your own request, in our case easily accessible.

Bummer
The cause of the pain in my stomach, present since New Year's Eve, identifies itself on New Year's Day. A bacterium has taken possession of my stomach. This manifests itself strongly and causes a lot of inconvenience. The fever thermometer also gives no positive message. The permits cannot be canceled. Continue is the only option. A quickly accessible gorilla group is now also extremely important to me. The less time spent burning a toilet, the better.

Windfalls
When it gets light at 6 am, the sun is shining. Clear blue sky. Only a cloud around to see the crater mouth. It hasn't rained in four days. The deep mud has dried up somewhat. That makes walking less difficult.
At the visitor center they know that today the 'Amahoro group' is only a 40-minute walk from the starting point with a mild mountain rise. We are very lucky with this opportunity. Because the poster in the center states: "The family is very worthwhile, but only accessible with a long steep climb."
The guide receives us, an enthusiastic lady who shines when she talks about the gorillas. Only two other tourists are assigned to our team. They are Espen and Heidi from Norway. Less than half the normal team size. That is good, then we do not photograph elbow to elbow to get a good picture of the same Silverback.

Amahoro group
The name Amahoro means peace. The family consists of 20 gorillas, of which no fewer than three are Silverbacks. One of them, Ubumwe, is the leader. In addition to women, Blackback males and 'teenagers', Amahora also has an 8-month-old gorilla baby in its midst. The guide provides the rules for the visit. We must keep a minimum distance of 7 meters from the gorillas. If a primate weighing between 100 and 200 kilos comes very close, we must make ourselves small. Eyes down. And with reassuring deep throat sound let 'hum-humg' know that we are friendly. We all practice the cry. Not sure if we are looking forward to such an exciting encounter.

Dian Fossey
It is the mountain gorilla researcher Dian Fossey who argued in the 80's for tourists to visit the rare animals. In her view, the money and the attention benefit the primates. The preservation is guaranteed. The poaching of the gorillas stopped. The guide is pleased to announce that the population is growing again. The presence of the animals also provides employment for the villagers. Trekkers follow the families every day so that they know where they are. Carriers of the tourists backpacks. Guards who keep the buffalo and other aggressive people at a safe distance. And of course everyone who works in the tourism industry. Unfortunately, Dian no longer experiences the result. She was murdered in 1985. The how and why remains covered in mists.

On the way to the Gorillas
We drive to a village where the porters are already waiting. We exchange the backpacks with the words: "Thanks for giving me work" and "Thanks for carrying my back." We walk through the fields to the volcano. The rainforest on the mountain is separated from the inhabited area by a lava stone wall. It stops the buffalo from the forest. We look up at the huge trees of the forest when the guide gives the final instructions.

The f irst meeting
With the sticks at the ready we are ready to climb the mountain, through the thick vegetation. At that moment the tractor discovers that the gorillas are coming down the slope towards us. We are eagerly awaiting, as children, the announcement that Santa Claus is arriving. A Blackback steps out of the leaves wall, a few meters away. The first sight of a big hairy creature that looks a lot like us. We are all deeply moved. Right along our legs the large black animal runs away on all fours. A Silverback is the next one that shows itself. He grabs a branch, which I was still under a few seconds ago, to swing across the path. He lands with a lot of screeching. His footsteps thump loudly. "He wants to impress," the guide explains his behavior. We succeeded, our heart rate rose to 180.

Between the gorillas
Half of the family is already downstairs, when a Silverback disappears over the stone fence. On the way to the field where the favorite food is ready, thistles. The others follow him. We do the same. The gorillas are clearly visible on the open plain. The guide tells us when we can get closer or keep our distance. One by one the rest of the family climbs over the lava rock wall. They land a bit rough on the field. Finally, the Alpha Silverback, Ubumwe, appears. He remains on top of the stones. Overlooking his family as a true leader. It is an impressive sight.

Peaceful group?
In the field we are all busy photographing the peacefully chewing animals. Suddenly, out of the blue, a Silverback runs towards an unsuspecting, eating Blackback. And starts beating him and biting. He does not honor the name of his group. The Blackback fights back screaming. He lands on the ground. Under the heavy body of the Silverback. Full of attention we look at how this ends. The guide sounds the alarm. We must get rid of it immediately. The leader comes running from the wall to the fighters on a trot. We are exactly in between Ubumwe and the rolling gorillas. Before the leader reaches the battlefield, they are already separated. The Blackback is dripping off. He lazily lazes on the grass. Studying his fingers. According to the guide, the Silverback wanted to eat the branches that the Blackback had found. Envy is not just a human trait.

Privileged
The magic moment; in eye contact with a gorilla, as is sometimes claimed, stays out today. The Amahora gorillas are clearly used to people watching. They do not seek contact, look past or through us. They skillfully sit or lie down so that we are not in their field of vision. We don't care, we enjoy being amongst gorillas. With twenty hairy animals, it is always one that attracts attention with its special and sometimes recognizable behavior. This may take a long time. We find the baby and mother hidden in the green food. Endearingly we observe the little one sucking on the twigs. The pup climbs on the back of its mother and both disappear into bushes. It is also time for us to go, the guide says. We sadly cast a last glance over the gorillas in the field and walk back to the village.

The world still has only 880 mountain gorillas, all of which live in Central East Africa. We realize how unique and privileged the experience is to spend an hour of their lives with the gorillas. We can't stop talking about it and like to share the photos.

10 reply
  1. Els
    Els says:

    Hello Ingrid and Onno
    What an experience to be with the silverbacks! we were with the Sabiniyo group. Did you also buy the "walking stick" ??? We could buy it for $ 10. I can hear it. Have a great time.
    Love Els

    To answer
    • Ingrid & Onno
      Ingrid & Onno says:

      Hi Els,
      It was indeed quite an experience to be with the Silverbacks. We also wanted to join the Sabiniyo group, but this one was very popular, and therefore fully booked. Afterwards we were very happy to be assigned to another group. This allowed us to view them very closely and we didn't have to plow through the entire jungle first :). We did not buy the walking stick, nor was it offered.
      Greetings

      To answer
    • Onno & Ingrid
      Onno & Ingrid says:

      Indeed, superlatives fall short! This was really one of the nicer experiences this trip, besides staying with you in the “hide” in Zimbabwe of course :).

      To answer
  2. Thomas & Marjet
    Thomas & Marjet says:

    Wonderful experience and it was great that they came to you!

    In the days after Rwanda, Marjet also had a lot of stomach problems and was also feverish when we were counting back when she started to suffer from it, it was exactly after the first lunch at Alekis ...

    Where are you now?

    To answer
    • Onno & Ingrid
      Onno & Ingrid says:

      Indeed, it was unforgettable to see the Gorillas so close. How was your experience in Uganda with the Gorillas?
      Very annoying to hear that you, Marjet, have not been well for days either. When we were there you also had problems. I do indeed think that The Peak Spot's food hygiene is not optimal. We are now at Lake Bunyonyi and today drive through Bwindi to the entrance of the QENP. Are you still going to Kidepo? Seen beautiful things on the way? Good luck ... and of course have fun with the rest of the journey!

      To answer
  3. Elly
    Elly says:

    Get another lump in my throat when I think of our encounter with these amazing animals. An experience you'll never forget.
    Hopefully both of you have recovered a bit?

    To answer
    • Ingrid & Onno
      Ingrid & Onno says:

      Certainly, a very special experience that we would not have missed. We feel privileged!
      After a week, our bodies are more or less in control of the bacteria. We wanted to continue, and are now at Lake Bunyonyi. A very beautiful lake is sometimes called the most beautiful in Uganda, and they might be right about that. The single track road to it, which runs right past the abysses (steering error and you are the bobbin), was very worthwhile. In short: fully enjoy again.
      Greetings

      To answer

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