Gorillas in the misty Virunga Mountains

The silverback we saw first! He sat there big and mighty, leaning against a tree. He had turned his head to get a good look at us. Bored best described the very look. His young son had his attention - playfully he whacked the kid with his paw, which sent the youngster rolling over the forest floor. What seemed rather violent to us was mere fatherly tenderness…

Lots of others, large and small, young and old were climbing, wandering around, but darn, it was too dark to take photos in the bamboo forest. Only filming produced some kind of image. Edward showed mercy and suggested to follow the group to a clearing and start the countdown then. Time never is more precious, only one hour can be spent with a group. Well, the gorillas chose the bottom of a crater and by the time we caught up with them we had an injured lady. She slipped on the moist vines and ended up with a big cut on her temple.

First lesson, gorillas are quiet animals. All we could hear was the noise made when they rip the vines from the bushes and trees. Then, the leaves are pulled off with hand or mouth and devoured. Soothing is what best describes the feeling when you watch these animals.

Besides the repetitive feeding ritual, there was always something happening and I never knew where to look first. The young ones played, smacked each other, rolled over each other or climbed up vines often not strong enough to hold their weight. A female with a tiny baby broke through the bushes and almost ran me over. The silverback was popping by one more time.

It was hard, almost heart-breaking, to leave this peaceful and unique sight. Only the starting rain made it easier. Trotting back through the now almost dark forest with the fogged in volcanoes towering above was another experience not to be missed.

The Virunga Mountains, a chain of eight volcanoes along the borders of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, are the home of various gorilla groups. Rwanda prides itself being the home of 17 groups. 9 are visited by researchers only while 8 are “habituated”, which means they allow humans to come near them.

Of course, they cross the non-existent borders up in the mountains and even guides can get disorientated. An Australian lady who trekked the Virungas from the Ugandan side told me her guide was arrested for unknowingly crossing into the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Actually very few tourists trek the gorillas from the DRC side, since the political situation is still unstable there.