17.02.2021
ca. 140 km Engagi Lodge Buhoma – Mutanda Lake Resort
Basically we had to drive around the north, east and south of the entire Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Matovu took the road north towards Butogota and then turned onto a side track avoiding the town taking a short cut. It was definitely the scenic route … rolling hills, forest and Tea gardens as far as we could see.
The first part of the route was around the north of the park through an inhabited agricultural region passing settlements along the road. It was my turn for the front seat today. By now everybody had gotten used to their spot in the car. They did not want to change anymore. A human being is a creature of habit – Bud was basically glued to the seat in the far back next to the fridge … with Ms Ping in the seat in front of him … HD across from her sitting right on the rear axle … Ree had chosen the seat next to the door on the left. Only Dr D and me … we were always taking turns … either the front seat or the seat next to the door on the right … the front seat was the best to take photos along the way …
The road was not as bad as the one we came down from Queen Elizabeth National Park the day before yesterday, but it was bumpy at times. It wound in numerous meanders through Tea gardens up into the forest. Bud and HD were constantly moaning about the rough ride … sitting on the rear axle it was certainly no wonder they got jerked around a bit more than the rest of us … But hey, welcome to Africa!
It was overcast this morning and still fresh. But the views were amazing nevertheless. There is a reason why so many Tea plantations are bordering Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – Tea is known to work as a buffer crop against Gorilla raids. Crop raiding Mountain Gorillas who venture beyond the confines of the park are a major problem that threatens the species’ conservation. Attempts at keeping the Gorillas within the park have not solved the problem. But past studies, including one done by the IUCN released in 2009, found that Tea is in fact an effective deterrent against Chimpanzees – hence so many Tea gardens around Kibale National Park – the same appears to hold for Gorillas. They do not like to cross Tea plantations and do not feed on that crop. Therefore, if Tea plantations are planted strictly as a mono-crop, they protect against the Great Apes and are now widely regarded as good Gorilla buffer crops.
The road crossed right through the narrowest part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This stretch was only approx 6 km long, but went through dense forest. The park is essentially composed of 2 blocks of forest that are connected by this narrow corridor of … forest. The shape of the park is a legacy of previous conservation management, when the original 2 forest blocks – the northerly Kayonza Crown Forest Reserve and the southerly Kasatora Crown Forest Reserve – were protected in 1932. Almost in the center of this corridor we crossed Ihihizo River. Numerous rivers run through the forest – these include River Ivi, Ihihizo, Ishasha, Munyaga and Ntengyere which all flow into Lake Edward. Only Dr D got out of the car to take a photo of the beautiful river crossing. I have to admit – that river was a perfect example for impenetrable vegetation. The bridge was not pretty – only functional – but had a very beautiful setting.
Once we had passed this stretch, the road followed the national park’s eastern boundary to Ruhija, were Bwindis highest Gorilla tracking trail head is located at an altitude of 2340 m. It was another 25 km or so before we passed there, though. For an extensive length the road was climbing through Tea plantations. The forest was to our right behind a hill and we had magnificent views to our left. I was sitting on the good side today … and we took a lot of photo stops! It was just beautiful.
Before the first Gorilla family for tracking from the Ruhija trail head was opened in 2008, the area was only accessible by very rough roads and tourist activity was limited to the odd visiting bird watcher. Recently, this backwater status has changed – 4 Gorilla families can now be tracked from Ruhija, which usually handles a lot of overspill from the upmarket Buhoma region during a regular tourist season. Therefore the road had been improved sufficiently in the last decade – a 4×4 is not even required anymore. We had one – of course – our trusted Landcruiser Safari Edition took it like a champ. We even passed small trucks loaded with whatever essentials were needed in the communities in the vicinity.
The vistas to the south were outstanding despite the overcast weather. Regularly there came the shout – Stoooop! Photo! – Often it came from Dr D, but not only … Most of the time we all trouped out of the car – except Bud and HD who were still not over the bumpy ride … it seemed they were sulking … but what would I know …
The pleasure we derive from journeys
is perhaps dependent more on the mindset with which we travel
than on the destination we travel to.
Alain de Botton
Extensive Tea plantations were spreading across the hillside along the road. Since researchers had concluded that Tea plantations are indeed effective buffers against Gorillas, Bwindi is practically surrounded by a sea of Tea plantations. Gorillas do not know where the national park ends and where community land starts … there is no fence around the Impenetrable Forest … As long as there is food, they will go there. But they apparently do not like Camellia Sinensis – the Tea shrub. However, the problem in some communities around Bwindi was that the locals had mingled the Tea plants with masses of herbaceous plants – the same food that Gorillas feast on in the park … Those plants acted as a Gorilla lure. If left unchecked, these herbaceous crops can proliferate within Tea plantations, turning the buffer zone into a Gorilla buffet …
Plantation of crops like Bananas or Eucalyptus should also be avoided as they seem to attract Gorillas as well. Now it is recommended to removing herbaceous foods growing on uncultivated land and plantations, and subsequently maintaining the land to keep it clear of foods consumed by the Gorillas. If planted continuously around Bwindi and kept clear of herbs, Tea plantations might be the best strategy to stop Gorillas from travelling into community land.
Tea grows best in regions of a warm, humid climate with a rainfall measuring at least 1000 mm annually. Ideally, it likes deep, light, acidic and well-drained soil. Given these conditions, it will grow up to altitudes as high as 2100 m above sea level. The northern and eastern flank of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest seems to be ideal for it. Elevations in the park range from 1190 to 2607 m above sea level with the highest elevations at the eastern edge of the park. Bwindi has a tropical climate with annual mean temperature ranging from 7-15 °C to a maximum of 20-27 °C and annual rainfall from 1400 to 1900 mm. The forest plays an important role in regulating the surrounding area’s environment and climate. High amounts of evapotranspiration from the forest’s vegetation increases the precipitation that the region outside the park receives. They also lessen soil erosion as well as flooding and ensure that streams continue to flow in the dry season. That makes for suitable conditions for Tea growing.
The Tea shrubs grow at a height of 1-2 m after which they are pruned and maintained at a short height to ease plucking of the leaves. Pruning is a vital process that halts the vertical growth, enabling the plant to achieve the extended growth horizontally. This eases the harvesting of Tea leaves and allows easier budding. It also allows branching in a superior pattern which will enable the plant to produce more leaves and buds.
We were lucky to see a few Tea pickers again – a bit closer than a few days ago near Fort Portale. Tea harvesting requires the most time during the Tea growing stages as it highly determines the quality of the produced Tea. To generate good quality Tea, the fine plucking method is used – only the 2nd and the 3rd leaves together with the bud are plucked. Plucking of more than those 2 leaves together with the bud is called coarse plucking and the Tea quality produced from this technique is very low. The fine plucking technique certainly produces better quality Tea, whereas coarse plucking produces more quantities of Tea.
I could not make out what kind of method of plucking they used here, but they sure had a different work flow than the Indian Tea pickers in Assam. There were women plucking and collecting it in their hands, then collecting the leaves on a tarp spread nearby. A few meters over men had a basket backpack plucking and collecting at the same time, while another woman carried the collecting basket on a belt across her forehead like they do in the Himalayas.
A Tea collecting truck came barreling down the gravel road. It looked like, as if they were passing the Tea plantations to buy the fresh leaves to transport them to the Tea factory. The truck was piled with bags filled with Te leaves. It passed us, but we met it a few kilometers up the road again, because it had broken down …
The road was soon leaving the Tea plantations and turned back into the forest. It still meandered uphill towards Ruhija. The national park is at the edge of the Western Rift Valley in the highest parts of the Kigezi Highlands. Its topography is very rugged, with narrow valleys intersected by rivers and steep hills. 10 primate species are native in the park and Matovu spotted one in a tree by the road side … No! … No Gorilla …
It would have been spectacular if a Gorilla family had crossed the road in front of the car, but we were happy with the Blue Monkey – Cercopithecus Mitisc – also known as Diademed Monkey – a species of Old World monkey native to Central and East Africa, ranging from the upper Congo River Basin east to the East African Rift and south to northern Angola and Zambia. Despite its name, it is not noticeably blue – it has little hair on its face and this does sometimes give a blue appearance, but it never has the vivid blue appearance of a Mandrill, for example. It is mainly olive or grey apart from the face – which is dark with a pale or yellowish patch on the forehead – the diadem from which the species derives its common name – the blackish cap, feet and front legs and the mantle which is brown, olive or grey depending on the subspecies. We only saw one and as quickly as Matovu stopped as quickly the monkey had disappeared.
A little further up the road at approx 2200 m of altitude, we stopped at a sort of viewpoint. We had our first view over Bwindi Impenetrable National Park towards the Virunga Volcanoes over at the border to Rwanda. Straddling the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC, the Virungas are not a mountain range as such, but a chain of isolated free-standing volcano cones strung along a fault line associated with the same geological process that formed the Albertine Rift Valley. The chain comprises 6 inactive and 6 active volcanoes – all are higher than 3000 m. The 3 we could see from our vantage point all lie partially within Uganda.
The furthest to the left was the extinct Muhavura Volcano – at 4127 m the 3rd highest of the 8 major volcanoes. In the middle the as well dormant Gahinga Volcano – at 3473 m the smallest of the 3 visible – is known in the local dialect as “a small pile of stones”. On the right Mount Sabyinyo – derived from the local word meaning tooth is 3669 m high and marks the intersection of the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Uganda holding great religious significance to local tribes. But because its serrated summit resembles worn teeth in a gum line – in contrast to the perfect conical summits of the adjacent mountains in this chain – it carries the local nickname Old Man’s Teeth. It is also the most ancient and weathered of the 8 volcanoes.
I think we all got off at this viewpoint, because even with the haze this morning, the views were outstanding. Dr D, Ree and me walked a bit along the road for the best photo … maybe the others were a bit photo-tired already. Matovu parked in the middle of the gravel track … no other car passed in the meantime …
When we bypassed the junction to Ruhija, we also saw a group of tourists heading out for their Gorilla tracking from the trailhead there. I have to admit … I was a little jealous … but my consolation was that we would go for another Gorilla adventure in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park tomorrow …
We made a facility stop at Ruhija Gate. I think Matovu checked us out and then he also fulfilled my wish! I had been bugging him since yesterday about a Bwindi Impenetrable National Park facemask … I had noticed that some of the staff and rangers at the Park Headquarters Buhoma had been wearing those special masks. In the new normality I am a sucker for cool facemasks … I had started collecting them when on assignment last summer on the river cruiseship and carefully had looked after my collection ever since hoping to expand it … You know, some people collect fridge magnets … my new obsession was collecting facemasks … A Gorilla mask was just what was missing … I had asked at the Park Headquarters, but they had told me, those facemasks had been issued only to immediate staff and there were none available for sale. I told Matovu about it and he said he would try and organize one … By now I had forgotten already about it … Obviously he had not … He told me I should get off the car and get my mask from the ranger lady he knew. She was willing to sell hers … US$ 15 would get me a Gorilla mask! – Alright! Bring it on! – I had the money out in no time and the lady was happy … I call it supporting the local community … I was happy, too … Unfortunately, by the time we returned home the rules had changed and only official medical masks were allowed … Bummer …
The road reached almost 2400 m and the vistas over the forest and the volcanoes were getting better as we went. For a while we could make out 5 of the volcanoes in the far and hazy distance. To the right of the 3 we had see already for a while, Mount Visoke became visible – a dormant volcano at 3711 m straddling the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the summit located in Rwanda. To the far right – almost hidden in the haze – was Mount Mikeno – another dormant located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At 4437 m it is the 2nd highest peak in the Virunga Mountains. Mikeno means poor and is so named for its harsh slopes which preclude human habitation.
Some 15 km past Ruhija we reached Ndego Gate at the south boundary of the forest and left Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for good. From now on the gravel track descended through settlements and agricultural fields with beautiful views over the rolling hills towards the Virunga Volcanoes.
Here south of the forest we did not see any more Tea plantations. The fields were terraced on the hillsides and tilled with vegetables like potatoes, cabbage, onions and corn. Small farmhouses dotted the landscape. We stopped a couple of times for photos.
It was not long until we reached the main – and since 2012 asphalt-surfaced – Kisoro-Kabale-Road and Matovu stepped on the gas. Traffic was heavier here since the road is the southern connection to the border crossings to DRC and Rwanda. Still there were many people walking along the road between settlements.
Around 12:00 we stopped for our lunch break at Heritage Camp Muko. We had made roughly 90 km since leaving Engagi Lodge Buhoma at 08:00 this morning. The lakeside resort was located at the northernmost tip of Lake Bunyonyi – “Place of many little birds”. Scientific literature generally quotes a maximum depth of 40 m, but some tourist guides and locals insist that it much deeper – approx 900 m – which would make it the second-deepest lake in Africa. The lake is some 25 km long, 7 km wide and has a surface area of 46 km² at an altitude of 1962 m and is dotted with 29 islands.
The Heritage Camp had a beautiful setting with a pretty garden, an over-water porch and wonderful views over the lake. We sat in the sun and enjoyed our regular lunch boxes. They had beer … if not cold at least it was cold enough for me. There were many small birds around and fishermen navigated their dugout boat picturesquely along the shoreline. Ms Ping came out with the truth why she had asked for Matovu’s mobile internet hotspot in the car and her mobile had been pinging constantly ever since she connected … it was her birthday today! On the occasion she invited us for the drinks at lunch. Thank you, Ms Ping! Happy birthday!
After lunch Matovu continued west on the Kabale-Kisoro-Road. Shortly after leaving Muko we had a fantasic view of Lake Bunyonyi to the south. The road had been winding up into the hills once more and despite the hazy weather the vistas were outstanding.
We passed an area which was obviously a stronghold of onion cultivation. Entire hillsides were planted with onions … and we could smell it! An oniony parfume was wafting over the fields and tickled our noses … it was not strong enough to make us cry, though. It seemed to be harvest time and we even passed a roadside onion market … that smelled even more oniony …
Asphalted highways always have a soporific effect on me … and it was this time of the afternoon … I could not help it, but my eyes involuntarily closed … I took a nap … It was not long, because we reached the district town of Kisoro shortly. Stopping at a gas station, Matovu filled up the car and I bought some Banana Chips. Then he had to stop at the Mgahinga National Headquarters in town to check us in and confirm our Gorilla tracking for tomorrow. He also did me the favour to stop at the Post Office once more. I had written 3 more postcards … It was a tiny Post Office and the clerk had to look up the postage first … probably she had not often tourists coming in … I could help her out – UGX 2700 per postcard! – but she had to verify … of course! Then she searched for stamps, but only small dominations were available … no problem … I just had to put 5 stamps on each postcard …
As I came out of the Post Office it started to rain a little … the sky had been overcast all day already with exception of a sunny break at lunch. The shower did not last long, though and it really was only a drizzle. We turned off the main highway in the town center and took Mutolere Road northwards out of town. It was the road leading to Nkuringo and Rushaga – the other Gorilla Tracking trailheads of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Therefore, in the settlement of Mutolere the road turned into Bwindi Road. It passed several villages and what looked like a sizable limestone quarry just by the road side. Young men were extracting there by hand.
Near Lake Mulehe we crossed the short Mucha River linking it with Lake Mutanda – a youngster was devotedly washing his motorbike in the stream. Matovu handed over some of our left-over lunch boxes to him and his friends before we turned west towards Lake Mutanda.
The road became a real adventurous, narrow dirt track from there on … hugging the steep slope a fair way above the lake … but well frequented by locals on foot, bicylce or motorbike. The rain of the last days had left some muddy potholes. We made only slow progress now … not only because of the road, but also because we stopped very often for photos. The views of the lake were just spectacular.
Lake Mutanda and Lake Bunyonyi form the core of what has been dubbed the Switzerland of Africa. Volcanic eruptions saw liquid lava flow across the adjacent plains blocking flowing streams leading to the formation of lakes. A narrow flooded valley system formed several thousand years ago when the Rutshuru River was dammed by the lava flow, the shoreline of the smaller – 22 km² – Lake Mutanda rises through terraced farmland into forested hillsides. The lake is punctuated by numerous small, forested islands. The lava that dammed Lake Mutanda is an iconic scenic feature.
The track deteriorated more and more as our trusted Landcruiser crept along. Once we even got stuck and Matovu had to back out to charge the muddy spot again. It was only approx 8 km from the last turn-off to the entrance of the driveway for Mutanda Lake Resort, but it felt much longer. The panoramic views over the lake made up for the bumpy ride, though … at least for me …
Seeing the sign for the turn off to the resort, we though the adventure was over … but the driveway was no less … special … It was very … and I mean it … very very steep … and bumpy … and narrow … Were we going directly into the lake? … The brakes were good on our Landcruiser, though … It was only approx 200 m until the track leveled out and we reached the parking lot and reception of Mutanda Lake Resort. We went through the usual check-in procedure and pre-ordered dinner then followed our luggage to our quarters. Perched on a peninsula in a superb location – basically plonked directly on the lake – this Dutch-owned resort had a dramatic back-drop of the Virunga Mountains and the volcanoes. I had bungalow #9 set on tall stilts with a stupendous southerly outlook!
My bungalow was medium sized, but adequate. It had a very spacious open bathroom and a great porch facing the lake southwards from which I could indeed see the volcanoes in the hazy distance. There were several power socket in the bungalow, but the generator would only be turned on 18:30 – 22:30. In preparation I plucked in everything already to make sure everything would be charged properly as soon as the power came on. Both powerbanks were depleated as well as almost all camera batteries, the laptop and the mobile phones.
We had arrived relatively early and had some time until we were supposed to go on a boat tour on the lake. So I went in search of the bar – I found it quickly – and got a cold Tonic. Back on my porch I enjoyed a V & T. It was not time for a sundowner yet, but the grandiose view just called for it.
The weather was a bit mixed at the moment … it had started drizzling again, but there was sun around the corner. When it was time to stroll over to the boat dock for 16:30, the sun was out and it was beautiful. Nevertheless I took the jacket along.
Reaching there I saw Ree and Dr D already gesturing … hush hush … we would postpone the boat tour by one hour, because Matovu had ordered a cake for the birthday girl! Anyway, the boat at this moment was overcrowded already with families and a horde of screaming children … I was not sorry, we had an extra hour to chillax … there was no space for us on that boat … I took the time to explore the resort for a bit. The boat dock doubled as a swimming platform. Swimming was actually allowed and safe in Lake Mutanda since it is free of Schistosomiasis – also known as Snail Fever or Bilharzia – a disease caused by parasitic flatworms and spread by contact with fresh water contaminated with the parasites. None of us dared, though …
On the southern side of the peninsula was another swimming platform with fantastic vistas towards the volcanoes. Ree and I had the same idea of taking photos from there and Dr D caught the photo shoot from the restaurant balcony, I think.
Deciding to immerse myself in the awesome views a bit more, I went back to my porch. I dug out my lensball … yes, it is one of those gadgets that actually live in my camera bag and most times I only remember I have it when it is too late … Not so today. I played a bit with it and took some photos before jotting down notes into the journal … there was so much to remember today again …
In brilliant sunshine we boarded the pontoon style motor boat at the dock at 17:30. I have to admit – it was just big enough for the 7 of us plus captain and boat boy. Matovu had organized a little birthday party for Ms Ping – our local agency had sponsored a cake and a round of softdrinks. Of course we all sang Happy Birthday for her before she had to cut the cake.
It was a leisurely cruise – not a safari cruise and we had not expected one. The lakeside environment accommodates a variety of animal species, though. In addition to the abundant and varied avian species, the lake shore supports several species of Snakes, Chameleons, Monitor Lizards and Frogs. The mammals found in Lake Mutanda include the African Clawless Otter. We actually only saw some Cormorants and Pied Kingfisher … Hippopotamus were also present in the area, but were last sighted here in 1994 …
The scenery was beautiful, however. The lake mirrored the hills and pretty clouds. While it was not sunset time yet, the lowering sun made for splendid photos.
A storm gathered over the hills near the lake … I think, the captain had the little engine on full throttle and tried to make it back to the resort before the rain reached us … We were all in a great mood and not worried at all.
We were not that lucky … but we were already in sight of the dock when it started … literally 5 min before our 1 hr was up … first it was just a bit of rain and we were laughing … the boat did not have a roof … so the captain pulled out umbrellas for all of us … That little rain could not cloud our mood … we were having fun … and there was sun on one side of the boat …
I had brought the rain jacket, but not the rain poncho on the cruise … oh well … a beautiful rainbow appeared … but the slight rain turned into a regular downpour now … I put my jacket on and packed the cameras away, because the wind picked up as we turned towards the dock … I moved the umbrella in front of me to hide behind it … I could not see much anymore, but I was wondering what those white spots appearing on my trouser legs and jacket were … then I saw it … the wind and rain blew now from the front and were hitting the left over birthday cake … the cream got propelled up by the hitting raindrops and the wind spread it evenly over anything and anybody in its way … shite … I tried to move the cake … it did not help … Oh well … I thought it was hilarious and was laughing a lot … The boys in their dugout canoes did not seem to mind the rain either …
The rain slightly led up, but as soon as the boat reached the dock everybody ran for their bungalows. By the time I reached my porch it had pretty much stopped. My trousers and jumper were wet, but well … I sat and watched the rain in the distance … The generator hat jumped on as well – I could not hear it, but the power was on and all my devices charged!
Dinner was at 19:00 and I went over to the restaurant a few minutes early. They had a large lounge area and a great porch with a fantastic view. I think it is possible to even have dinner outside when the weather is favourable. But today everything outside was still wet from the rain.
The Gang showed up one by one and we had a table in the middle of the packed restaurant. To our horror, the families with screaming children we had see before going on the boat cruise, all had their dinner at the same time as us. And there were several other guests. None of us was used to jam-packed restaurants anymore … The food was excellent. It was nothing local, but it was probably the best food we had so far in Uganda. The starter was a Crayfish Cocktail with – supposedly – Crayfish from the lake. It was so good! I asked for a second … unfortunately they did not have extra … Main course was Chicken with spaghetti and it was outstanding as well. Lip smacking good!
Dessert was some sort of Meringue Tart … it was not good, though … not even worth taking a photo of … I went early to my bungalow … it was too crowded and noisy in the restaurant for me … We had a really early start tomorrow for our next Gorilla adventure as well. So I had some rearranging and packing to do. After a hot shower I slept early.
18.02.2021
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park – GORILLAS!
We had to get up really … really early this morning. Just in case, I had set my alarm to ring at 04:30 – 04:45 – 05:00 … and eventually rolled out of bed. They had promised to turn the generator on at 05:00 and so they did – because it was still pitch black dark this early – and I could top up the charge of the mobiles phones again. Quickly I got ready and finished packing all bags. It was somewhat complicated today, because we were leaving for Lake Mburo National Park, but this morning we would go and see the Gorillas of Mgahinga … So the camera backpack had to be lightened a bit and unnecessary gadgets needed to be packed somewhere else … we would not come back to the resort after the Gorillas.
05:30 we were set for breakfast and before wandering in the dark to the restaurant, I put my big bag on the porch – the staff was already busy collecting the luggage. Breakfast was good – fresh juice, good cheese. I had ordered Cheese Omelet, but got Spanish Omelet … never mind.
06:00 – still in the dark – we all met at the car. Matovu had already loaded our bags and by 06:05 we were departing. In the pitch black dark the car screamed up the precipitous dirt track drive way.
We were all a bit worried if we would make it in time and safe to the Gorilla Tracking. We still had the 8 km dirt road to pass which had been rough yesterday, but might be even worse today after the rains … and it was dark … there are no streetlights around here … But we should not have worried. Matovu was a master of dirt tracks and navigated the Landcruiser without problems. We made good time in the fresh morning – the approx 20 km to town took us an hour – and when we reached Kisoro it was already light.
Not all of The Gang had opted and paid for this 2nd Gorilla Trek. The Chimpanzee and Gorilla adventures were all optional on this tour – while the game drives in the national parks were all included. For me it had never been a question – for the discounted price I was going to take both opportunities! Dr D, Ms Ping and HD had as well done so. Ree had rather wanted to visit a Batwa Village and Matovu had organized something for her, while Bud had thought about doing the optional – slightly less expensive – trek to see the Golden Monkeys, but when hearing that this trek would be as strenuous as the Gorilla trek … maybe more … he had decided to take a relaxed morning in the resort. To his dismay he had to get up as early as we did and come along, because we were continuing directly after the Gorillas and the resort was just too far off to return and pick him up …
In Kisoro we took a quick stop and picked up the Batwa Guide for Ree near the Park Head Quarters which were still closed – now we knew why Matovu had checked us in yesterday. From there it was another roughly 9 km up the rough Muhavura gravel road through settlements and agricultural fields to the end of the road just below the trail head. You can imagine, Bud was not too happy he had to come along …
At 07:45 we reached the point in Nkanda village – basically the end of the road – where Matovu had to leave the car – guarded by Bud. Here Ree and her guide were off in a different direction to the Batwa village. Porters were waiting for us to carry our bags and lead the way to the Muhavura Base Camp Park Office. Of course we all took a porter again – mine introduced himself as Ronald – I called him Ronald McDonald. He gave me his walking stick … he probably thought this old woman needs one … and I was happy to have it …
The porters led us through the village, up a muddy narrow path through walled agricultural fields and past farm houses. There were corn fields and Banana plantations. Up and up it went. We had to reach the forest line where the Gorilla trail starts. It was overcast today, but really humid … I was starting to sweat under the jacket … but there was no point taking it off. The wind was still fresh and in the forest I would need it anyway. But the path was steep and already after a few minutes I was out of breath huffing and puffing … and we had not even reached the forest and trailhead yet …
It was not far to the forest line – approx 500 m – and in the end it did not take us too long. We arrived at Muhavura Base Camp at 2381 m altitude right in time. The 34 km² Mgahinga National Park comprises the Ugandan portion of the Virungas. It is the smallest component in a 430 km² cross-border system of protected areas that incorporates also the Rwandan and Congolese sectors of the Virunga Mountains. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park sits high in the clouds, at altitudes between 2227m and 4127m. As its name suggests, it was created to protect the rare Mountain Gorillas that inhabit its dense forests and it is also an important habitat for the endangered Golden Monkey. As well as being important for wildlife, the park also has a huge cultural significance, in particular for the indigenous Batwa Pygmies. This tribe of hunter-gatherers was the forest’s first people and their ancient knowledge of its secrets remains unrivalled. Mgahinga’s most striking features are its 3 conical, extinct volcanoes, part of the spectacular Virunga Range that lies along the border region of Uganda, Congo and Rwanda. The volcanoe slopes contain various ecosystems and are biologically diverse.
Established in 1930 as the Gorilla Game Sanctuary, MGNP was gazetted in 1991 and more than 2000 Batwa Pygmies were relocated from within its boundaries in order to allow the cultivated land below the Bamboo zone to regenerate as forest. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is now home to approx 30 Mountain Gorillas – split in one habituated and 2 wild families – as opposed to the 18 habituated families in Bwindi. Only 8 permits per day are issued here … today we were lucky … we were the only tourists! Good for us and the Gorillas, not so good for the locals …
In 2019 another habituated Gorilla family had wandered over from Rwanda – the Hirwa family, one of those families wandering around the entire Virungas Conversation Area. For a short while 16 permits had been available at this trail head. But those Gorillas have crossed the border yet again and thus only 8 permits are now available here.
The Muhavura Base Camp Park Office was a far cry from the huge new Headquarter building in Buhoma. The one hut here reminded me more of the Park Office I had seen in 2002 in Buhoma … with the difference – it was already in the middle of the forest … Well, for a maximum of only 8 Gorilla tourists it was enough. However, this was also the trailhead for the hike to the park’s highest point Muhavura Volcano at 4127 m … no group had gone out to conquere the summit today, though.
Our Matovu – who had come with us – did the paper work for us. We had to write down our names in block letters once more – another Tracking Certificate was coming our way! Guide Caleb gave us the Gorilla talk … Oh yes, you have been in Bwindi only the day before yesterday? Yes, but I have to make sure you understand anyway! So … this are the rules … – He did his job properly! … But we were in the know and had been wearing our facemasks since we entered the forest just below the office.
Mgahinga National Park only hosts one habituated Gorilla family known as the Nyakagezi Group. The group is led by Mark, the dominant silverback, who used to like travelling and kept on crossing borders between Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. Lately, however, it seemed he was trying to regain the family’s Ugandan citizenship again as they have been back in Mgahinga National Park since 2012 and may likely be staying … Local opinion is that it would be highly unlikely for them to stray back across the close border since the regeneration of a large tract of former cultivation below the Bamboo zone means there is far more food available here than was a few years back. Most tour operators, however, shun Mgahinga in favour of Bwindi as a Gorilla tracking destination for this historic unreliability. We would not have come here either, if travel to Rwanda would have been easier under the new circumstances. Quite frankly, I was happy just because the discounted permits at US$ 400 here made a profound statement opposed to the not discounted permits at US$ 1500 in Rwanda … plus visa fees and the curent hassle … even if it would have added another country to my tally …
Caleb told us the trackers had left early in the morning and were en route to find the Gorillas … they were basically on their heels … they had not located them yet and we should wait a bit longer here by the park office. While the forest here was more open than Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and we were already in the forest, all trails were climbing up the slope … yesterday they had apparently been up there more to the east, but since they like travelling … they might have traversed the mountain and now hang out west of our position. While the Gorillas – and the trackers for that matter – could move easily through the forest, us tourists could not, apparently. If we started climbing to the east and then it turned out that the Gorillas were in the west, we would have to come down to the park office again and then climb again – instead of traversing … So it would be easier for us to just wait here until the trackers had made contact with the Gorilla family. We used the time for a facility break, getting organized with the cameras and a photo session. They had a selection of walking sticks there as well and I picked a longer one for me, so I could give Ronald McDonald his one back.
We did not have to wait long for Gorilla news, though! Around 08:40 Caleb received the call … What had they done before mobile phone or before mobile phone reception? … The Nyakagezi family had indeed moved over in westerly direction – they had not found them, but they had left a trail … and now we should get going! We waved Matovu off – he had to run down the path to redeem Bud from his car guarding duty! And off we were …
I was prepared to trek a long time and Caleb told us we would probably have to move at least one hour. There was a narrow but comfortable trail – it was leading up and down, but the forest was not as impenetrabel as Bwindi … It was more open in fact … and not as steep … Again we were accompanied by 2 armed guards. Generally, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park’s vegetation consists of an afromontane forest consisting of woodland and only a small area of pure montane forest still remains at the base of Muhavura Volcano. Montane woodland is an open forest with dense ground cover. At the lower slopes grow wild herbs and shrubs. Given that in the 1980s, there was encroachment on the park by the locals who live adjacent to the park, the tilled gardens have now grown into shrubs and grasslands. The vegation was most affected by farmers’ tree cutting and not much survived. It is now the favoured habitat of many small mammals that hide from their predators and search for food in the undergrowth. The main montane forest tree species grow up to the altitude of 3200m. Ground cover is composed of grasses, mosses, lichen and liverwort. Above the montane forest belt lies the Bamboo zone which covers about 60% of the park and is the favored habitat of larger mammals. Bamboo is mostly found between 1800m and 3300m. It is heavily used by herbivores and only the toughest shoots survive. This zone is known to support the Mountain Gorillas within the low slopes as well as some herbivores that feed on grass. Within the high slopes are the Golden Monkeys, another rare species that can only be found in the Virunga Mountains.
We did not meet any Golden Monkeys today … but we stumbled over a Giant Earthworm! That thing was huge! The Microchaetus Rappi – the African Giant Earthworm – is the largest of the segmented worms commonly called earthworms. It averages about 1.4 m in length, but can reach a length of as much as 6.7 m and can weigh over 1.5 kg. They life in burrows under the ground – their tunnels are 2-3 cm wide and can reach a depth of 5 m. Giant Earthworms usually do not come up to the surface, but sometimes come out after heavy rains. This one was crawling along the forest floor – we carefully stepped over it.
Shortly after the Earthworm encounter, the trackers called Caleb to let him know they found the Gorilla family! And he told us – We are close! Ohhh … exciting! We had not been hiking long yet … just a few minutes. The trek had not been as strenuous as our Bwindi trek yet. Mind you … I was sweating and panting nevertheless, but we did not have to climb into the mountains today. Caleb led us more or less at the same level traversing the slope and we just had to pass a few small depressions.
Only some 30 min after we left the Park Office, we met the 6 trackers. Phew, that was quick! Who would have thought that today our Gorilla trek would be shorter than our Bwindi trek! We had thought we had been lucky then … but today we were even luckier! By 09:15 it was time to leave the porters with our bags and walking sticks behind. A last sip from the water bottle … camera check … and … showtime!
Not more than 5 min later the trackers and Caleb signaled for us to keep quiet and pointed ahead into a tree … very close … right there … I could hardly make out anything … but then I saw a big black hand … and a big furry blop in the foliage … a Gorilla was sitting on a nearly breaking branch! Mountain Gorillas live in the border triangle of Uganda, DR Congo and Rwanda in just 2 isolated populations with scientists debating whether they may be 2 separate subspecies – the Virunga population and the Bwindi population. Despite years of civil unrest in the region, conservation efforts have found success. Findings show populations in the Virunga Mountains have grown just over 600 individuals according to the latest census in 2018. This puts the total global wild Mountain Gorilla population over 1000 individuals.
The trackers led us past the Gorilla in the tree and into a clearing where a huge Silverback was leisurely lounging in the grass and Caleb started the clock for our 1 hr. It was indeed a Mountain Gorilla – or more aptly – a Gorilla Mountain! He was lying there, but we could see how massive he was. It looked like he was pouting – his chin propped up on his hand and lips pushed forward as if in an expression of petulant annoyance … slowly turning his head towards us … trying to stare us down … Most probably he knew, it was too early for the daily visit of those irritating humans with their clicking cameras …
The Nyakagezi family has 9 members and is the only habituated Gorilla family in Mgahinga. It is specially known for its multi-male tolerance – it has the highest number of Silverbacks of all habituated Gorilla families. Initially habituated in 1991, this family was made available for tourist visits only in 1994. It had Bugingo as the dominant Silverback who was around 55 years old and died of old age in 2016. His son Mark has since been at the helm of the family as the lead Silverback who is helped by his brother Mafia. Nduguste is the 3rd Silverback – he used to be a loner who immigrated from Congo and joined the family. It was the strong Mafia who was sitting here looking all boringly annoyed of us … scratching his chin … as if to say – Alright, if this is the price for the families upkeep, protection and conservation of my species, then get on with it and hopefully be done with it soon!
We stayed with him for a bit. Caleb said it might be better because the other family members would be near and so to not alarm him. But then the trackers motioned us over to the far side of the clearing. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for sure offers a much more open vegetation making Gorilla Tracking a much more intimate affair due to great visibility ideal for photography without much obstruction. We could see the next Gorilla – with a baby! – shimmy through the foliage.
Upon us getting closer, the mother climbed down the tree and casually sauntered towards us into the sunlight. Last year’s Gorilla Baby Boom in Uganda also saw a new arrival in the Nyakagezi family – in September 2020 Nshuti – one of the 2 females of the family – had given birth to a baby, bringing her family’s number to 9 members. That was the information given by the UWA … Caleb and the trackers said the Baby was younger … information varied between 2 and 4 months … it was definitelly smaller than the baby we had encountered at the Rushegura family in Bwindi … The mother was very comfortable with us and – we tried to keep the 10 m distance – plopped down in a sunny spot and started munching away. We were directly at the forest line. It was still early and the sun was low. Against the sunlight filtered through the trees it was difficult to take great photos in any case. But I had the GoPro at the ready today …
The closest relatives of Gorillas are the other 2 Homininae genera – Chimpanzees and Humans – all of them having diverged from a common ancestor about 7 mio years ago. Gorillas have a patchy distribution – the range of the 2 existing species is separated by the Congo River Basin. All Gorillas are listed as endangered or critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. The Western Gorilla lives in west-central Africa, while the Eastern Gorilla lives in east-central Africa. The Western Lowland Gorilla – the most numerous of all Gorilla species with a population estimate of 95000 – inhabits the tropical forests of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Congo and Equatorial Guinea. The Cross River Gorilla is found in a small area between Nigeria and Cameroon and has a population of only approx 300. The Eastern Lowland Gorilla – with approx 6000 remaining – lives in the tropical forests of Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Mountain Gorillas’ only habitat is the high altitude tropical forests of DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda around the Virunga Volcanoes and in Bwindi. An interesting fact is that the Lowland Gorillas can survive in a zoo – which is not possible with the Mountain Gorillas.
For many years it has been assumed that the Mountain Gorillas of the Virungas and Bwindi are one and the same. However, research has proven that the 2 possess many differences. The Bwindi Gorillas have shorter body hair that is black with a brownish tint under the sun, the bare skin below their eyes shows a very fine wrinkling and they have no dorso-nasal cleft. Those in Virunga have long, shaggy jet-black hair, especially along their arms, and long facial hair that covers their ears and forms a beard on their face. They have a dorso-nasal cleft with large nostrils and a printed nose. The longer and more shaggy hair was something I immediately noticed – especially with the baby … The baby looked like a punk with this hair! So cute!
Bwindi Gorillas resemble the Lowland Gorillas more closely, although they still live in mountainous terrain. One reason may be that their habitat’s altitude is lower than that of the Virunga population – therefore they consume more fruits than the Virunga Gorillas. They tend to develop more slowly perhaps in regards to the higher seasonality in their diet and lower density of available herbs. In the Virungas, most Gorilla foods are constantly available, which results in less daily travel among the families as well as less inter-family conflict in terms of competition for food. Virunga Gorillas also tend to be slightly larger than the Bwindi Gorillas. This makes logical sense as larger body size and shorter limbs allow easier conservation of heat in colder – higher elevation – climates.
Mother and baby were not in the least disturbed by us watching. She sat there selecting the tastiest leaves and munching away calmly, the humid morning making her breath visible. What struck me in particular here were the millions of flies that buzzed around the Gorillas and the incredible stench! It really stank around the animals … Were they farting? … Or did they forget to shower? … I had not noticed such a stink around the Gorillas in Bwindi … it was nasty at times … Well, animals smell … But I asked Caleb and he said, it is not the Gorillas that stink, it is their poop! One of the trackers pointed over to the side … indeed there were the nests from last night and plenty of fresh poop around … and, yes, only over in that corner of the clearing it was stinking.
So I blended the Gorilla odor out and enjoyed the scene unfolding in front of us. A juvenile appeared from the same direction where the mother had come from. It marched right past us to sit next to its mother as if it had not a care in the world … it probably did not …
The trackers spotted another Silverback behind the bushes. It had snuck up unnoticed by us and was now watching us intensely from the distance. It was Silverback #3 named Nduguste and he is thought to be 32 years old. Mafia – who was still sitting in the grass at the far side of the clearing – is apparently 26 years old and wants to take over as the boss eventually. An underlying conflict was going on between him and Nduguste who was said to be stronger. I think the trackers had bets running on which one of them would win when the time came to decide.
The word Gorilla comes from the history of Hanno the Navigator of the 5th century BC, a Carthaginian explorer on an expedition to the west African coast and the area that later became Sierra Leone. Members of the expedition encountered “savage people, the greater part of whom were women, whose bodies were hairy and whom our interpreters called Gorillae”. It is unknown whether what the explorers encountered were what we now call Gorillas, another species of ape or monkeys or humans, though. The American physician and missionary Thomas Staughton Savage and naturalist Jeffries Wyman first described the Western Gorilla in 1847 from specimens obtained in Liberia.
We had shifted to the side to have a better look at the Silverback, but were a good 10 m away from him. He was very calm. Caleb stood next to me and told me, that it was most likely, that the Silverback might well be advancing towards the other family members soon … and he was right! Nduguste started moving … very calmly … and … oh gosh … he was coming right at me! No kidding! I still had the nerve to turn the GoPro on and shorten the pole so not to have the Great Ape pluck it out of my hand … or so I worried … but of course he was not even thinking of that. He was calmly sauntering towards us … Jeeeez … he was coming … Caleb grabbed my arm and whispered – Do not move! Stay very still! He will pass! – I am not moving! I am calm! … at least on the outside … inside I was – metaphorically speaking – shitting my pants … The largest of the Great Apes are stocky animals with broad chests and shoulders, large, human-like hands and small eyes set into hairless faces … I remembered not to stare into his eyes … But I doubt he would have cared … Majestically he strolled towards us and past. He was soooooo close! His thick fur and his bum brushed my trouser legs! … I was so excited … oh my lord … he was so impressive … this was so brilliant … I was lost for words … good thing I was supposed to be quiet anyway … He only walked a few meters past me, then stood there propped up on his front knuckles and huge feet … He looked around himself and then plopped down on the spot … and lay down to take his morning nap …
Shortly after, we also saw the boss – Silverback Mark – or better … we saw his behind … from afar … The trackers had told us, that he would be somewhere in the off for sure and now he let us have a glimpse … We had not noticed him before and now he walked away from us … His Majesty could not be bothered to say hello to the tourists … He had justed checked on his family and now he was off again …
Nduguste on the other hand was getting comfortable in a shady spot surrounded by myriads of flies. He had stretched out just like a human … on his side … his head rested on his arm … for a while he was observing his surroundings, but his eyes closed …
The clearing the Nyakagezi Gorilla family had chosen this morning was quite level and had no thicket. It was easy to change positions for us and find the best vantage point for great photos. And the photo opportunities were endless! The family is known for its entertainment and tourists love its playful nature and character. We certainly did … and we were just a third through our time with the family yet! Caleb and the trackers told us, it was the first time they saw the baby play so openly around its mother. It stayed close and there was always the arm of the mother snaking out for a grab as soon as it went more than a meter away, but it was all over the place in its allowed radius. So cool with the punk hairstyle!
Another juvenile – Caleb called it baby … – appeared up in a tree and was shimmying down … his mouth full of tasty leaves not willing to give them up … The trackers and Caleb were actually constantly talking to the Gorillas. He told us, he could understand 7 of their 16 different identified vocalization types. The vocalizations serve different purposes for communication, ranging from infants communicating distress to their mothers, to Silverbacks showing off how strong they are. This can include short barks when they are mildly alarmed or curious. To intimate rivals, male Gorillas strut with stiff legs, beat their chests and use roars or hoots – soft grunting noises are used to keep check on the rest of their group. Caleb and the trackers used those soft grunts as well.
Until 2001, all Gorillas were assigned to the species Gorilla Gorilla. The Western race was formally described in 1847, but the Mountain Gorilla remained totally unknown to zoologists until 1903. In October 1902, the German Army Captain Robert von Beringe shot 2 large apes at the Rwandan slopes of Sabyinyo Volcano during an expedition to establish the boundaries of German East Africa – a German colony in the African Great Lakes region which included present-day Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania, after World War I divided between Britain, Belgium and Portugal. One of the apes was recovered and sent to the Berlin Zoological Museum, where Professor Paul Matschie classified the animal as a new form of Gorilla and named it Gorilla Beringei after the man who discovered it. The Eastern Lowland Gorilla even remained undescribed until 1914. Post-millennial advances in DNA testing and studies have forced the revision of this classification. It seemed that the western and eastern populations, whose ranges lie more than 1000 km apart, should be treated as 2 species.
The first study of Mountain Gorilla behaviour was undertaken in 1959 by Georg Schaller. When he was only 26, he traveled to Central Africa to study and live with the Mountain Gorillas – Gorilla Beringei Beringei – of the Virunga Volcanoes. Little was known about the life of Gorillas in the wild until the publication of his book “The Mountain Gorilla: Ecology and Behavior” in 1963, that first conveyed to the general public just how profoundly intelligent and gentle Gorillas really are – contrary to then-common beliefs. Schaller also – in 1964 – recounted his epic 2-year study in “The Year of the Gorilla”, which provides a broader historical perspective on the efforts to save one of humankind’s nearest relatives from the brink of extinction.
Following Schaller’s ground-breaking field research, Dian Fossey – an American primatologist and conservationist – began what would become an 18-year study in 1967. Fossey made new observations, completed the first accurate census and established active conservation practices such as anti-poaching patrols. The Digit Fund, which Fossey started, continued her work and was later renamed the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. The Fund’s Karisoke Research Center monitors and protects the Mountain Gorillas of the Virungas. Close monitoring and research of the Bwindi Mountain Gorillas began in the 1990s.
Schaller and Fossey were instrumental in dispelling the public perception of Gorillas as brutes, by demonstrably establishing the deep compassion and social intelligence evident among Gorillas and how very closely their behavior parallels that of humans.
Now all the juveniles of the family were here and 2 of them were playfully wrangling which was highly entertaining for us …
It is not so hard to take a picture of Gorillas, because they are not as difficult as the Chimpanzees that jump from tree to tree – Mountain Gorillas tend to be calm in nature and stay in one place for long, making it easy to capture good images. And here the family was sitting photogenically in a clearing – not much obstructing a good view. The greatest challenge were the lighting conditions right at the forest line with sun and shadow sometimes creating too much of a contrast. We were so close to the village, that the laughs and screams of playing children carried over and we could hear them clearly. The Gorillas did not care, though. Silverback Mafia had not moved in the meantime – he was still dozing and watching the scene from behind us.
No one who looks into a Gorilla’s eyes – intelligent, gentle, vulnerable –
can remain unchanged,
for the gap between Ape and Human vanishes;
we know that the Gorilla still lives within us.
Do Gorillas also recognize this ancient connection?
Georg Schaller
The baby was riding its mother’s back as she ambled across the clearing closer to Nduguste. This Silverback is also the father of the baby. Close to the mother Nshuti, her other 2 offspring were playing. Mountain Gorillas are highly social and live in relatively stable, cohesive groups held together by long-term bonds between adult males and females. Relationships among females are relatively weak. These groups are nonterritorial – the Silverback generally defends his group rather than his territory. Mothers initially carry their infants on their belly and later on their back or on an arm or leg.
By 1980, Fossey was recognized as the world’s leading authority on the physiology and behavior of Mountain Gorillas, defining Gorillas as being dignified, highly social, gentle giants, with individual personalities and strong family relationships. Her bestselling book Gorillas in the Mist was highly praised as one of the most important books ever written about our connection to the natural world. Although Fossey’s work ended tragically in her murder in 1985, Gorillas in the Mist remains an invaluable testament to one of the longest-running field studies of primates and reveals her undying passion for her subject.
The book was adapted into a 1988 film of the same name starring Sigourney Weaver as the naturalist Dian Fossey. However, Hal Hinson – an acclaimed film critic of The Washington Post at that time – had his misgivings about the restrictions placed on Fossey’s character – “The chief problem with Gorillas in the Mist is that it banalizes its heroine; it turns her into one of us. And by all accounts Fossey was anything but ordinary.” He also accused the filmmakers of toning down Fossey’s unstable mental state – “Fossey was more than merely eccentric … The movie hints at these aspects of her character but tries to soften them; … the filmmakers have done more than sanitize Fossey’s life, they’ve deprived it of any meaning.” Hinson concluded that “Gorillas in the Mist isn’t a terrible film, but it is a frustrating one.”
Dian Fossey is buried at Karisoke in Rwanda, in a site that she herself had constructed for her deceased Gorilla friends. She was buried in the Gorilla graveyard next to her beloved Digit – her favourite Silverback who was killed in a fight with 6 poachers while he was trying to protect his family on New Year’s Eve 1977 – and near many other Gorillas killed by poachers. The grave site has become a remote pilgrimage site with an extremely scenic hike taking approx 3-4 hrs to an altitude of approx 3000m in the Volcanoes National Park.
I shall never forget my first encounter with Gorillas.
Sound preceded sight.
Odor preceded sound in the form of an overwhelming, musky-barnyard, humanlike scent.
The air was suddenly rent by a high-pitched series of screams
followed by the rhythmic rondo of sharp pok-pok chestbeats from a great silverbacked male
obscured behind what seemed an impenetrable wall of vegetation.
Dian Fossey
Dian Fossey strongly opposed wildlife tourism, as Gorillas are very susceptible to human anthroponotic diseases for which they have no immunity. She also viewed tourism as an interference into their natural wild behavior and criticized tourist programs, often paid for by international conservation organizations, for interfering with both her research and the peace of the Mountain Gorillas’ habitat. Today, however, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International promotes tourism, which they say helps to create a stable and sustainable local community dedicated to protecting the Gorillas and their habitat not only in Rwanda.
Gorilla tourism is now the one thing that can guarantee their survival by providing an income for Uganda’s parks and for the local people – quite simply, making Gorillas worth more alive than dead! And it is very carefully controlled and monitored. Each habituated Gorilla family can only be visited once a day for a maximum of 1 hr by a party of no more than 8 people – all of whom have to be approved fit and healthy. And there are no guarantees of a close encounter. But we were lucky! The Nyakagezi family was in a great mood today and at this point we had already 7 of the 9 family members around us – Mafia behind us and the other 6 all together in the clearing – the juveniles frolicking and the 2 adults dozing. The baby sure had fun exploring with huge, curious eyes … One of the juveniles was happily suckling … Young Gorillas suckle milk from their mother for 4-5 years.
Then the other female wandered up. Nyiramwiza was her name and Caleb said she was very pregnant … they are basically waiting for the new baby to arrive any day now … She was very big … and plopped down less than 10 m away from us. It looked like none of the Gorillas in Uganda had gotten the memo about the new 10 m rule … We had tried to stay at an appropriate distance … but it seemed they kept coming closer … We were at least 5 m away, though … and we were all wearing our masks properly!
We had been here almost 1 hr … actually Caleb just called the last 5 min … but then … shortly after the pregnant female arrived … the Big Boss Silverback Mark decided to make an appearance! As if following his pregnant wife, he showed up from behind the thicket at the end of the clearing and paraded past the still dozing Mafia to take a seat right next to his wife … Awesome! … I was almost holding my breath …
Mark is believed to be 43 years old and he was massive! It was as if he had shown up when our 1 hr was drawing to an end … as if to remind the tourists that is was now time to leave his family alone for the rest of the day … And had we thought his wife was a huge Gorilla … as he sat next to here she looked rather small … he was a majestic mount of a Gorilla!
Caleb gave us … probably for the 5th time … one more minute … Now the entire Nyakagezi family was present at the clearing – there were the 3 Silverbacks, 2 females, 3 juveniles and 1 baby – Complete! And it looked as if they were posing for us one more time before we had to finally leave. Then … the pregnant female decided to move over closer to the others … we were not sure, but that might not have been what the Boss had wanted … all of a sudden he stood up and strutted over to her grunting … and he was actually fast … that caused a bit of a ruckus … the juveniles and baby did not care, but the other Silverback Nduguste was startled out of his slumber and stood up … and the trackers started talking Gorilla again … but they told us, it was just a quarrel for a good spot in the clearing … nothing major and not directed at us either … surprisingly quick everybody settled down again …
Gorillas are still wild creatures.
That’s made very clear when you observe them in nature.
They charge and perform other displays that are terrifying by design.
But they don’t attack unless they feel threatened.
Andy Serkis
They were all lounging around now – the Boss Mark residing like a pasha, his wife and offspring close to him. Then Nduguste a few meters over with his female and her 3 offspring while Mafia was still dozing in the grass at the other end of the clearing.
And then we did something really really touristy … really really cheesy … one of the trackers made us pose in front of the Gorillas … in hindsight the photo looks like us big game hunters posing in front of our trophies … but the Gorillas were still very much alive when we left them shortly after … They also did not give a damn about us posing with them … a safe distance away, of course …
When Caleb had to tell us for the 10th time – Last minute! We have to go! – it was as if the Boss agreed with him. They had all come together for a last farewell photo … but now it was time to leave! Caleb kept reminding us to think about a bonus for the trackers since we overstayed our 1 hr and they might get in trouble … They were leading us around the Gorillas to have a very last look … it was definitely time to leave … Good-bye, Gorillas!
Shortcutting directly to the forest line … not to our surprise … our porters were waiting there … Where is Ronald McDonald? I need water! Water! … It had been sooooo exciting! This Gorilla adventure had been even a notch up from our encounter with the Great Apes in Bwindi. I have to admit it! It had been absolutely outstanding! And the others were equally thrilled! We all agreed, it had been the best decision to do this 2nd Gorilla trek! It is hard to put in words how magnificent it had been! Ms Ping and I were lost for words other than – This was soooo cool! – and in the spur of the moment had to quickly hug each other … we were so … elated! It had been insane! And I had taken more photos and more videos than in Bwindi …
The trackers led us through the thicket very steep down the slope. Our porters took good care of us basically our hands making sure we did not slide down that mountain. The view was fantastic from there!
It was not far until we reached the trail, only a few minutes. There we had to say farewell to the trackers. They would stay with the Gorillas until sundown to make sure they do not wander further down into the village – which was really close. I was elected again to do the thank you ceremony with our collected donations … the good thing was, they had a head tracker who would split everything properly. They had definitely deserved a bonus today … I was still all emotionally hyper from this Gorilla encounter! … Happily waving them off, we continued along the trail with Caleb, our guards and porters.
Our way back to the Park Office was partly along the trail we had come up on. I sure had a spring in my step … I was still totally excited … chatting away … At a clearing we stopped for a short break and recollect what we had encountered. I was interested in the Gorilla family dynamics … 3 Silverbacks in such a small family … who was who … I think Caleb could have told us Gorilla stories for hours on end … but we continued on our way. 10:25 we had left the Gorilla family and at 11:00 we reached the Park Office and had a well deserved rest. The lady ranger on duty there had pulled out the souvenirs for sale … I was so sorry … I have already an entire Gorilla family for souvenir … The T-shirts were cool, though. But I am not wearing logo T-shirts. Ms Ping bought one for her son, though. It made a great souvenir indeed.
Of course we also received our Gorilla tracking certificates! Yet another one. But … this one felt special … it had been a very short trek, a stunning encounter and the Gorillas had been for sure different from the ones we had seen in Bwindi … the punk baby alone was amazing, but the 3 Silverbacks had been stunning as well as the rest of the family and the open terrain …
We did not have to rush down the mountain now … Caleb had called our Matovu, but of course he had not been waiting on the spot for us and for sure he had not expected that we would be back so soon … So we lingered a bit and then showed our appreciation for our guards and guide Caleb … why had it been my turn again to do the deed? … Well, they did deserve our donation as well and we waved them farewell as the porters ushered us to get going.
Going down the steep path through the fields and village was easier than up. The porters found 2 tiny Chameleons. The Side-Striped Chameleon – or Two-Lined Chameleon – Trioceros Bitaeniatus – is a Chameleon native to Uganda, Ethiopia, southern Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It usually lives in the Hagenia and Hypericum scrub in the timberline forest between 3000 and 4000 m and 1-2 m above the ground in the giant heathers that grow here. They are strictly diurnal and shelter at night between dense bushes. One was sitting in a bush next to the path and the other one was in the grass by the wall. They were tiny, but very cool – less than 10 cm long – sitting in the morning sun warming up.
The village had woken up while we had visited the Gorillas. People were working in the fields, children were waving to us and running away giggling when we wanted to take photos.
We reached the road at exactly the same time as Matovu showed up with the car and Ree came wandering back from the Batwa village. She had a great experience as well. We all had much to chat about. Matovu had left Bud somewhere, because they had not expected us to be done so quickly … Now it was time to say good-bye to Ronald McDonald and the other porters. A horde of children had gathered to wave us off …
Matovu stepped on the gas down the bumpy road back to Kisoro, because Bud was waiting for us at the Travellers Rest Hotel. It took a good 40 min again and the villages along the way were busy now … we passed vegetable markets … Bananas and cabbages were available aplenty.
Near Kisoro Town there was a huge extinct volcano completely covered in terraced fields. It was the 2075 m high Sagitwe Volcano and it gave the village around it its name. A few minutes later we reached the Travellers Rest Hotel where would take our lunch break.
Nothing but breathing the air of Africa and actually walking through it,
can communicate the indescribable sensations.
William Burchell
English explorer who traveled in Africa in the early 1800’s
