Adventure trekking with gorillas in the mist

Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, offers a once-in-a-lifetime adventure wildlife trip into the heart of safari land. Oh, and our close cousins, the mountain gorillas, might stop for a chat.

It had rained for days and the cloud forests of Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, were blanketed in mist. Majestic old-growth trees and volcanoes towering over 14,000 feet filled the landscape. Finally, we got a break in the weather. A steep hike through extremely dense vegetation of bamboo and vine forests took us to where the mountain gorillas had been spotted the day before. Luck was with us. The ‘Susa group’ moved into a clearing in the jungle. The morning fog had burned off under the rising sun, providing much needed natural light for photography. The 38 critically endangered primates surrounding us were going about their daily business: resting, socialising, grooming, foraging, knuckle-walking, climbing, swinging, playing, sun-basking, beating their chests and tending to their infants.

As my guide and I manoeuvred through the Susa group, I was struck by the massive physique and facial expressions of a male at home in its appetising realm of leaves, shoots and stems. Silverbacks are the largest of the apes. Weighing in at about 180kg and typically over 11 years of age, dominant males have an arm span of about two metres, and large canine teeth. A cluster of thoughts – of power, authority, intelligence, mystery – filled my mind as the silverback knuckle-walked toward us, supporting the weight of its back with its curved fingers.

Would it charge? Possible, but doubtful. This group of wild yet gentle mountain gorillas had been habituated for tourism and therefore accepted peaceful visits from humans. With no room or time to move away (as per park guidelines) my guide made a hand gesture to remain still, crouch down and look at the ground, avoiding eye contact with the male, which could be mistaken as an act of aggression. It soon became apparent that the mammoth mountain gorilla had wandered over simply to investigate our presence. Just a few feet away it paused and looked us over, maintaining a smug yet inquisitive look on its face. Satisfied, the gorilla nonchalantly wandered off to an adjacent area to feed on a patch of wild celery, roots and flowers.

Exhilarated, I moved on to the main group, reloading my camera. My focus turned to a two-week-old baby restlessly crawling over its mother and exploring its surroundings. Its insatiable curiosity brought its attention toward me. When our eyes met I pressed the shutter on my camera, resulting in an image I am very proud of.

The Susa gorilla family is the largest ‘tourist group’ in the national park. Each day eight ecotourists are permitted to spend one hour with this group of highly endangered mammals. Four groups of gorillas in the park have been habituated for tourism and are opened to a maximum of 32 tourists for a time-limited visitation. The four groups are stable families and are easy to visit. Trackers continuously monitor the movements of the gorilla groups. For this reason there is a very good chance of seeing the assigned gorilla family group on any given visit to Volcanoes National Park.

Given Rwanda’s geographically small size and large population (approaching 10 million), it is incredible that the park and gorillas exist at all. The former is located amid some of the most fertile grazing and agricultural lands in the country, and encroaching human activities threaten its existence. The last three decades have been characterised by a cruel and unstable history. It is the genocide of the last decade that first comes to mind when people mention Rwanda.

What really struck me during my travels in the country is how fast Rwanda has recovered from its recent history. One feels very safe and secure walking the streets here, even during the darkness of night in the heart of the capital city, Kigali. It’s a ray of hope for this region of Africa, especially given Rwanda’s proximity to the Congo and Burundi, where civil unrest continues.

Continuing our adventures in the park, my guide and I hiked to Dian Fossey’s gravesite, en route admiring the old-growth trees and spectacular backdrop replete with towering volcanoes. During a rest period I wandered into the forest, bewitched by the incredible beauty and wildness of this scenic landscape. As the sun broke through the clouds, the rays highlighted this panoramic scene, adding a sense of awe and wonder to the distant rainforest canopy, reflecting the true wildness of this last Eden in the heart of East Africa.

By Greg Shaw

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Courtesy of lifestyleandtravel.com