Gorillas!

After four years in Uganda I finally invested in a trip to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to go Gorilla Trekking. It was so worth it!

I say invested, because the trekking permit cost USD $600 for me. That is the price after the $100 Uganda resident discount I got because I live and work here. I agree with the cost, as it contributes to the protection of the gorillas financially and by ensuring only serious tourists gain access to them.

This post is about the trekking. I will make another post about the rest of the trip, including the great place I stayed in Bwindi.

After a nice breakfast I was driven to the Uganda Wildlife Authority building in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park where we were treated to some dancing by local women.

After the dancing we were given an orientation about the trekking, including the explanation as to why we needed to wear masks when near the gorillas. Gorillas do not get covid-19 or other vaccinations, yet they are susceptible to our diseases. That was sufficient for me and I masked up for the entire time we were around the group.

We were then split into groups and told which gorilla family we would be tracking. I relied on my memory, so I cannot tell you which group we were assigned. I can tell you that it has eight members – 2 silverbacks, 1 blackback (teenage male), 3 adult females, and 2 little ones. The name of the dominant silverback is in the local language but translates to “Complicated” which I found quite amusing.

One of the couples in our group had been trekking the day before. They said they hiked for 3 hours before finding their group. They were basically stationary for their 1 hour with the gorillas and the poor wife was bitten mercilessly by ants and mosquitos. She was prepared for more of the same so sprayed down and tied her hood tightly around her face.

That would not be our experience though. Based on the timestamp of my pictures, we were barely 10 minutes along the trail when the UWA trackers smelled the gorillas (we didn’t). A few minutes later, the family crossed the trail BEHIND us and the trek was on.

Interesting tidbit for those who may go trekking – you are given a strong walking stick to help with the hiking. It is a mountain and rainforest, so the ground is not flat or dry. But, once you find the gorillas, you must surrender your stick to avoid seeming aggressive. No problem, if you find the group already settled.

While our group was considerate enough to find us, and quickly, they decided to lead us through the forest for about thirty minutes before settling on a nice place for brunch. So we followed, down wet slopes, across slippery mucky trails, through bushes and grasses, without the help of our trusty walking sticks. I am proud to say that I did not end up face or ass down on the ground at any time.

The black back felt like showing us he’s boss as we followed the group. I was lucky enough to have my video on at the time.

Eventually they settled down to eat. There are not words to describe the privilege I felt, that this group of intelligent beings allowed us to spend so much time with them while they ate. They did not seem concerned about us at all. Our guides cleared foliage so that we could watch three members of the group easily. We were so lucky – the three were the top silverback, a mama and the 3 year old.

Once our time was up, we headed back to the trail. I missed my walking stick more on the way back, probably because I was not pre-occupied anticipating the gorillas. We met up with the porters and returned to the center.

The rest of the post is videos and photos because there isn’t anything else to say, except that I am so happy I finally did this.