Gorilla Safari Uganda, Rwanda, Congo Africa: Mountain Gorilla Safaris And Tours

Congo Gorilla Trekking
An intense smell of straw, mixed with dung, filled my nostrils. I stumbled backwards, unable to believe I was really here and sat down on a log to watch intently. The first thing I noticed was how much smaller the gorillas were than i had imagined; there were certainly no King Kongs here. My eyes scanned the tranquil scene searching for the male silverback, but he did not seem to be there.

In that very instant, as if answering my question I heard a low rumbling sound quite close to me. I turned my head to the sound; my heart beating like thunder when I realized that the silverback was only a couple of meters below me. He was fast asleep, his unmistakable crested head moved rhythmically with the sound of his snoring.

His huge nostrils flared up and down with every breath and his silver fur gleamed in the sun, which shone in patches through the canopy above. I could feel his power and strength encircling me, yet at the same time he looked so innocent, his defenses totally succumbed to his child like slumber.

He seemed just as harmless as the two baby gorillas swinging back and forth on the log beside him. They were perfect mini replicas of the adult gorillas around them. Inquisitive bright button eyes and tufts of punk-like fur, which stuck up from the tops of their heads characterised these infants.

They began jumping on each other and tumbling around the soft vegetation, then just like small children, they rolled around laughing and screeching loudly. The Silverback, upon hearing the commotion came around, lazily opened one eye and looked at them as if to say, Oh please do be quiet, I’m trying to sleep.

He then heaved his body over again and went back to sleep. At this the infant gorillas suddenly became shy as if they had been told off and went to hide behind their mothers. Sitting watching these amazing creatures it was so hard to believe how anyone could ever want to harm them, especially since they are so similar to us.

I felt connected to them in a way I never thought I would. I was sitting their in amongst the leaves and vegetation just as they were, our body postures mimicking each other. Not a word was spoken, not even a whisper; my group just sat there starring for a whole hour, just looking and watching. It was as if they had cast a spell over us.

Eventually a few of the older gorillas sensed they were being watched and became uneasy, shifting their weight around and stalking into the bushes. The silverback, too, slowly rose to his haunches and stalked away into the bushes, his body merging with the trees and plants around him, until finally he had totally disappeared.

No trace was left to know that this elusive creature had only been a few meters away from me. Slowly and ever so quietly the rest of the group followed him, going deeper still into the Impenetrable Forest, their bodies curving around the trees and bushes like mist.

Mother gorillas picked up their babies and slung them onto their backs, while others clung onto their stomachs, their bright eyes peeking through the long fur. Finally the last gorilla slunk away and we were left on our own, starring blankly down into the dell, unable to believe that the gorillas had been there at all.

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