Gorilla Trekking

Okay, follow along: stretch out your arms and beat on your chest. Do some low guttural grunting while you're at it. Move your body back and forth and hop around on one leg and then the other. Come on, you know you want to. Better yet, cup your hands together and do your best Tarzan scream, "Ahhhhaaaaaahhhaaa!"

That was fun, wasn't it? Simulating our closest biological relative, the gorilla. We have a natural, innate, draw to this magnificent animal, the largest living primate, reaching heights of up to six feet and weighing in at between 300 and 500 lbs. But the other attraction is the fear, knowing these beautiful creatures can crush us with one hand. With the strength of 20 adult humans combined, and the ability to lift over 4,000 pounds, these guys are the real deal. And today I will hike into their habitat, the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda, near the borders of Rwanda and The Congo. 

We get an early morning briefing, letting us know the do's and don'ts. Don't look the silverback in the eye. Check. Don't stray from the group. Check. Don't beat your chest and act like a gorilla. Hmmm... well, okay, I guess. Check, check, check.

Our group of seven is accompanied by a guide and two security personnel, one in the front and one in the back. I feel somewhat relieved when I spot their AK47's. They tell us it is more to scare off roaming elephants then to fend off the gorillas. 

Our hike starts off nice, hiking through the dense forest filled with birds and other small critters going about their day. We quickly begin our ascent. Up and up we go. I'm breathing hard now as we climb into the sky.

An hour passes and then two. Our trekker communicates with other trekkers further up in the bush. Suddenly we veer off trail and begin to cut a path through the jungle. Our guide chops away brush and vines with his machete as we pry our way through the thicket. The guide suddenly stops and pulls back a branch. I freeze, realizing I'm less than 5 feet from the silverback, the dominant male in a troop.

I break rule number 2 and look him directly in his eye. He's munching on some twigs and leaves and only gives me a passing glance. Apparently I pose no threat. I'm mesmerized by his size and grace. He's so chill. We move into a better position and discover the female gorilla and her two small children just off to the side. 

They look us over and go back to their leaves. One of the babies jumps around, then climbs up a tree. He's curious and playful. Then they move away, disappearing into the bush. Our guide begins whacking at branches and cutting a path. We're moving straight through the jungle. I question the logic of pursuing a silverback and his family deep into the jungle, but away we go anyway. Less than 50 feet from the previous spot, the family has stopped and is once again munching on branches and leaves. We get into position and continue to watch the herbivores at work. Oh what a thrill! And we are so freaking close. Check out some of my videos:

We spend an hour with these amazing animals, watching them live and be free in their natural habitat, all of us feeling blessed and thankful to have witnessed them so up close and personal. The hike out is tough, cutting through jungle and up a steep grade. When I finish the trek I pound my chest in unity with my closest relatives. 

Back at camp, we all take a collective sigh and relive our magical day… 

The day we hung with gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.