Uganda is home to more than half the world’s population of mountain gorillas, currently estimated at 650 animals, and guided walks provide the unique opportunity to see these fascinating animals up close and spend some time with a habituated family. According to most books, “few wildlife experiences compare to tracking a family of mountain gorillas through the thick, tropical rainforests of Uganda” and it is considered a “once in a lifetime experiences”. Someone famously said that "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 with in us".
Even though I enjoy watching animals in their natural environment, I was not overly keen on doing a track, probably mainly because of the ridiculous fee that the Ugandan government charges poor tourists to see the gorillas: A tracking permit costs US$500! 500Dollars!! I didn’t even want to convert this into Rand because I feared it might give me a heart attack! But as it is a “once in a lifetime experience” that you just “have to do” when visiting Uganda, I gave in and asked Ewa to book it all up really quickly and never mention the price to me again. Unfortunately it wasn’t as quick and easy as I hoped, but took two painful weeks and every day I was reminded of the ridiculous amount of money I was about to spend on monkeys and all the pretty things I could have done with it instead… (oh, did I mention that there is absolutely no guarantee that you will see the gorillas and obviously no refund when, after a day of tracking through the jungle, you’re unlucky!).
On December 23rd the big day had arrived and Ewa and I got up at 5am to hit the pot-holed road to the tracking site. Together with six other trackers and four armed rangers we embarked on our trip into the jungle hoping that we would a) see the gorillas (and not waste US$500 on scenery) and b) not get lost and end up in the Democratic Republic of Congo! The beginning of the track was more of a pleasant walk, but soon the guards pointed down a muddy path and we started our descent into the valley. Descent is probably not the right word to use though as it gives the impression of a rather civilized downwards movement – and that’s really not what it was like at all! Clinging on to our walking sticks, we climbed, slid and stumbled down the mountain slipping on the muddy ground, stepping into holes hidden under palm leaves and falling over tree branches and stones. At times I looked around wondering where and how I should possible move on from here – it often turned out that sitting on your bottom and sliding down the mountain was the best and only way! Randomly, as we were already half-way down the mountain going from difficult into impossible terrain, we walked past a house in the middle of the jungle. Closer to the gorillas than any human being (fair enough, only 0.4 % of DNA missing…), stood two little huts with a fireplace, a washing line and a storage place! I don’t know lived there and what they lived off, but I am sure that they could make an absolute fortune selling soft drinks because at that point we were all already really knackered!
After another half an hour of tracking, someone shouted the only words that I wanted to hear at that moment and they were not “Free Beer” but “There they are!” - We had found the gorillas!!! An amazing rush of adrenalin ran though my body – the difficult hiking would be rewarded, the money not spent in vain, we would see the gorillas! Yay!
Just when I got my binoculars out to have a closer look at them, the guards signaled that we would move on to get closer. Every time I thought that we could not possible get any further, the guides found a way and we settled at a spot under a tree in which three gorillas were sitting literally one metre away from! One adult gorilla was having a peaceful nap in the top branches of the tree, another one was munching away on some delicious leaves (apparently gorillas spend eight hours a day eating), but the real star was a baby gorilla swinging and bouncing and playing around … adorable!
We were so close to them that we could really look into their faces and I have to say that even though I don’t agree with the above quote completely, it is an amazing experience to look such a magnificent and powerful creature in the eye. Their hands are so similar to ours, their faces are strangely beautiful and their gestures are so human and incredibly fascinating.
The gorillas in turn were completely unimpressed by our presence and simply continued their daily lives: They wandered around – and let me assure you that it is quite scary when such a big creature walks straight at you and sits down right next to you – played with each other, ate and cleaned themselves. A female gorilla had just given birth to twins and the big silverback gorilla, the leader of the group, was watching over them as they explored the forest – it was magnificent! Another big male gorilla had his lunch right next to us and after cleaning himself, decided to take a nap. We were literally half a meter away from him and could see his fascinating features, his wonderful fingers and the gentle and kind expression on his face!
After observing the gorillas for an hour, watching them come and go and being allowed a look into their world, we made our way back to the base camp. If the way down was difficult, then the way up was almost impossible – the sun had come up and as we were so high up in the mountains, the air was really thin. We had to stop for breath several times and it took us a good three hours to get back to the camp – extremely exhausted and disgustingly dirty… and - and this may come as a bit of a surprise to you – a bit disappointed! Even though I enjoyed the track a lot and it was amazing to see the gorillas so close, it was not the eye-opening, life-changing experience that everyone makes it out to be! I did not come back with a changed outlook on life, my values were still the same and the encounter with the gorilla had not shaken me to the core wanting to be a better person. It was great, I enjoyed it … but would I do it again? I am not sure…
My only consolation was that this experience, even though it wasn’t life-changing, was still truly unique and special. On the way back to our lodge I thought about what it would be like if the gorillas were in the United States: People in gorilla costumes, Gorilla McNuggets, jingles and theme songs and toy gorillas on every corner…
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