In Search of Silverback Gorillas

Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills, is surrounded by higher mountain ranges, terraced farmlands and jaw-dropping panoramas. This is where I chose to make the trek to see the endangered Silverback gorillas.

The misty volcanic Virunga Mountain range in Rwanda is home to approximately half of the 800–900 rare and endangered Silverback gorillas, with the rest residing in Uganda and the Republic of Congo.

With instability in the Congo, I felt the best place for me to see Silverbacks was in Rwanda as I was then travelling to Tanzania. Even though the permits are pricey, I felt it was worth it to see these primates in their natural habitat. Revenue raised by these permits goes towards preserving the endangered gorillas and assisting local communities, so tourist dollars go a long way.

I arrived in Kigali, Rwanda where I spent the following two days resting up after an interminable flight from Canada. One of the most moving and powerful points of interest for me in Kigali was a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, which I recommend.

After the second day, I was feeling rested, ready and excited to embark on the next step of this adventure. The drive from Kigali to the main base village of Musanze took about two-and-a-half hours, passing banana, coffee and tea plantations along the way. My accommodation was close to the headquarters of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, which is the starting point for all treks.

Leaving the safety of my stone and thatched cottage behind, I was feeling excited, exhilarated, nervous and curious about the day and what would unfold before me. Once my permit was verified, and I was placed with a group of seven others, we began what was an easy start through farmland and fields until we reached the lower slopes of the jungle-covered mountain.

Looking upward, I wondered how high we would climb before finding the family we were seeking. With adrenaline rushing, I could hardly contain my excitement. Hiking through bamboo forests and thick foliage was, at times, steep, wet and narrow. I climbed over fallen trees and huge stumps, over and around large boulders, and traversed small log bridges, all the while wondering when we would reach the gorillas. With every step and every bead of sweat that trickled down my spine, I was in awe of where I was.

I, a 67-year-old grandmother of nine, was on a trek in the volcanic mountains of Rwanda, Africa looking for Silverback gorillas of which I had only ever read about or seen in movies. I could hardly believe I was doing this. Without a doubt, this was an epic adventure like no other!

When necessary, the trackers pulled out their machetes to clear the path of wild shoots and vines cascading from tall and overgrown trees or thick underbrush that slowed or hindered our climb. While crawling under and through a thicket, the guide suddenly came to an abrupt halt – the moment had arrived – the gorillas were merely a few feet away from us!

Through the thick foliage, I could see one of the juveniles sitting upright on the ground eating something. With feelings of excitement and trepidation at being near such large wild animals that were not behind a protective barrier, I followed with my heart pounding, closely behind my guide. Suddenly, there they were; a large male and female resting together with other smaller juveniles playing close by.

Slowly making our way forward, we were finally inside the circle of trees. Being in the presence of the world’s largest primates in their own habitat was surreal, to say the least, and I was totally awestruck by them. For an entire hour, with cameras clicking, quiet whispers and small movements by those of us fortunate enough to be in the presence of these powerful creatures, we watched a family interact with each other.

They were peaceful and are tolerant of humans, so they did not react or fear us. The babies were as curious about us as we were about them and began climbing and playing in the trees above us, all the while coming ever closer. Two of the older juveniles tumbled and wrestled with each other and a third came rushing past me from behind, brushing against my leg while stepping on my foot as he ran by. I was startled by this and looked to my leader for guidance, but he assured me all was okay.

As I was trying to find the right angle to photograph the large female, she suddenly sat up and looked directly at me – eye to eye – and my heart skipped a beat as I stared back into her eyes. I had to put the camera down for a few moments and just watch as I felt I had made a connection with her in that moment. I couldn’t help but wonder what she saw and what was going through her mind.

The big male laid almost the entire time stretched out on his stomach while one of the younger ones played on his back. Finally, as we were about to leave, he rolled onto his side, so I was able to capture his face. The hour went by quickly and, too soon, it was time to start our descent.

Slowly and quietly we retreated and left the gorillas to their tranquil and beautiful environment. The family group I was privileged to view was the “Agashya” group.

I will never forget this experience and highly recommend it to anyone who loves nature, conservation and/or wants to experience something unique.

IF YOU GO:

There are 10 habituated gorilla groups in this area and a maximum of eight people per group per day are permitted to view them for one hour. A limited number of permits are issued, so you must apply well in advance. You are required to arrive at park headquarters by 7 a.m., where you are assigned to a group, and a lecture is given on safety dos and don’ts, rules and protocol, as well as a Q & A prior to setting out on the hike. Several mountain lodges are relatively close by, making it more convenient than driving in from the city so early in the morning.

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