Gorilla-Trekking at Bwindi – Kiss of a Mountain Gorilla

in African Safari Experiences by Araneta&Tan — January 17, 2010 at 3:53 pm | 6 comments

A&T travelled to Uganda at the end of 2009 for their first ever gorilla-trekking experience. We had planned 2 consecutive days of trekking to maximise our chances of getting some good photographs of the mountain gorillas on this trip. Our expectations were high, though our research taught us not to expect a Dian Fossey ‘Gorillas in the Mist’ type experience!

The moment finally arrived after eager anticipation, and our 2-day gorilla-trekking experience at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest turned out to be a tale of two stories…

Day One – trekking the Bitukura family

Day one caught us somewhat unprepared given that 2009 was a particularly busy year and consequently something had to fall by the way-side and for us this was physical fitness! Our trek began easily enough on relatively flat and open terrain, but this was only the pre-cursor as we were simply walking to the point where we would have to enter the dense forest. It was here that two things became clear. First, we understood why Bwindi was called Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, as the foliage was incredibly dense. Second, we understood why the gorillas were called mountain gorillas – as we found ourselves navigating slopes of 60 degrees or more! It was definitely a trek and a half.

Fortunately we didn’t have to trek for long as we found the gorillas within an hour, but it was nevertheless an intense trek. Then came the next surprise, which perhaps reflected our naivety more than anything else. Somehow we had envisioned that after some hard trekking we’d break through into a beautiful open clearing where the gorillas would be seated in a neat circle, inter-acting among themselves and posing for photographs when required. Reality was somewhat different. On this day, we’d found the gorillas in a particularly dense bit of the forest on a very steep incline. The dense foliage meant that, despite the Bitukura group being a family of 13 gorillas, we could see no more than one gorilla at a time. And it also meant that you had little rest during this hour as you were fighting to keep your footing on the steep incline, battling through the foliage as you looked for the other gorillas, supporting yourself by hanging onto vines and undergrowth and then of course trying to actually photograph the gorillas.

Despite all this, we were brimming with excitement when we caught a glimpse of our first gorilla, a silverback. Admittedly, conditions that day were simply not ideal for photography as the gorillas were often shrouded by the foliage, and we also had limited room for movement and hence little scope for composition given the dense shrubbery and steep inclines. So we had to resign ourselves to enjoying and appreciating the moment – seeing these magnificent creatures in the wild. Our highlight of the day: an adorable baby gorilla up a tree.

Tip: try to find out in advance which gorilla family you’ll be trekking. The Bitukura and the Shonji families are actually several hours away from the main lodges in Bwindi and you’re therefore advised to find accommodation closer to where your treks will actually take place.

Day Two – trekking the Mubare family

After the first day of trekking, we weren’t sure if we had the reserves to trek for a second consecutive day. But fortunately we woke up somewhat rejuvenated after a restful sleep!

Day two was a much easier trek for us despite it being a longer one – this was at least in part due to the fact that we were mentally prepared, and partly also because the terrain was easier and our group as a whole maintained a slightly slower pace.

And when we finally found the gorillas, this time we found them in a relatively open space and a gentler slope! As sod’s law would have it, A&T had left some additional photographic gear behind after day one as we thought that conditions would make it virtually impossible to switch lenses or to try to carry more than one camera. Day two was a photographer’s dream and we managed to get some exceptional clear views of the gorillas with room to move around for angles and composition.

But the highlight of the day (and the trip) was yet to come… Chun was busily shooting Kanyonyi, a 14-year old blackback gorilla in the group (they tend to become silverbacks around the age of 15), when it suddenly got up and started walking straight towards him… and didn’t stop until his muzzle was pressed up against Chun’s cheek. Kanyonyi sniffed him and looked him up and down for a good couple of minutes, checked out his camera equipment, pressed his nose and mouth against the side of Chun’s face again before finally moving off.

Unforgettable, adrenaline-charged, emotional and simply magical… words simply can’t describe the incredible experience. Kissed by a mountain gorilla – this will be one memory of Uganda that A&T will remember for a lifetime.

Also read our related post, Exploring Uganda.

Tags: bwindi gorilla trekking gorillas mountain gorillas mubare primates uganda