We had only been walking for about 15 minutes when we heard a commotion ahead of us. A raw primate scream echoed around the trees. The gorillas were up ahead, and all of the noise was a little startling. Were they grumpy this morning? Were we going to find ourselves in the middle of a gorilla battle?
David, our guide, stopped us and advised us we would soon be with the gorillas, and gave us a final briefing calming us down in the process! My heart was still pounding and my hands steadily shaking as we left the path and waded into the dense vegetation. Suddenly it was really happening and I would be face to face with gorillas.
As we noticed the first large female in front of us I think I held my breath as we slowly scrambled past. She was sitting in a patch of flattened vegetation, chewing on leaves and fresh green stems seeming oblivious to our presence just a few meters away.
David called us on up the hill to set us in the middle of the group. There were youngsters hanging from the trees above us, adults sat around relaxing and eating and the huge silverback keeping an eye on proceedings as he too enjoyed breakfast. The smell of the freshly crushed foliage was heavy in the air and we all stood round in hushed awe.
With some unspoken command slowly all the gorillas would move off to the next spot for tasty treats, the youngsters sliding down their trees like tiny, furry firemen. They moved so gracefully and swiftly through the forest and in contrast we all stumbled along to keep up.
The gorillas would communicate with each other with low deep grunts or sounds that even resembled a deep bark. As they crossed the path up ahead you would catch their unique musky scent and realise the power behind their huge frame.
We watched as they found a tree filled with dead wood, which is a particular delicacy to gorillas. They reached in and scooped out the best bits of the tree to snack on. It was easy to see the intelligence that lay behind their inquisitive eyes.
Babies would cling to their mother’s thick fur or be found playing with others on the ground before the entire group, including the great silverback, ascended high into the trees marking that our hour with the gorillas was up.
Contact a specialist about a Safari Holiday in Uganda
When it came to choosing a honeymoon destination there was only one destination that we knew would be perfect for us both – an amazing trip through Uganda. It had everything we were looking for. It has wildlife, stunning scenery, welcoming people and it’s a little off the beaten track of other well known safari destinations which means that there is still an intrepid feeling of ‘having the place all to yourself’.
The first thing most people imagine when they think of Uganda is the kingdom of the mountain gorilla. Clouds of delicate mist rising from the primeval forest canopy, home to some of the last remaining families of this endangered species.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to roughly half the world’s population of mountain gorillas, and it’s one of the richest ecosystems in Africa home to numerous flora and fauna.
Our experience at Bwindi began before we even started tracking the gorillas. We arrived just before dusk to catch the last of the stunning sunbirds disappearing. That night we watched the sky illuminated with great flashes of lightening, spurring on the display from local fireflies whizzing past us. Shooting stars could be spotted through the gaps in the clouds, disappearing over the horizon. It could not have been more magical.
The morning of our trek we awoke early, excitedly stepping out of our canvas home retreat into the cool morning air. We took the short walk down to the park headquarters. It seemed to take hours to wait for everyone to assemble and go through the briefing and explanation about the gorillas that live in Bwindi. Our group then set off across the river to find our gorilla family.
We were tracking Rushegura group, made up of 19 individuals, and for all our briefing had been very comprehensive nothing could have really prepared us for our experience.
Two new gorilla families have been introduced to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest by Uganda Wildlife Authority. The new families, who have been named Orugonzo and Kahungye, have been habituated and are set for tracking in June of this year. The Orugonzo family are located in the Mburameizi area of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and can be easily reached from Gorilla Forest Camp. The Kahungye family will be located in the eastern part of the forest in the Nkuringo Sector. This brings the total number of tracking groups from 7 to 9 and the available gorilla permits from 56 to 72 of which 40 will be accessible from Gorilla Forest Camp. The camp manager will be tracking these groups ahead of their official opening.
For more information regarding gorilla tracking, visit our sister site gorillatrackinguganda.com
Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, located deep inside Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southwest Uganda lived up to its name once more after gorillas from the Rushegura family visited the lodge again for a few hours. This family of Gorillas has started visiting Forest Camp frequently with several in the last month. The animals looked so relaxed and there was an aura of ownership around them as they slowly munched the rich vegetation surrounding the lodge entrance. Undoubtedly, everyone who saw them realised that the gorillas and not the lodge were the actual owners of this fabulous location.