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Column: Off the Beaten TrackThe Gentle Giant of the Mistby guest author, Lian Godfrey
Rwanda
Rwanda is a geological phenomenon in the heart of Africa's rift valley, lakes and hills.
A hundred years ago it was shrouded in equatorial rainforest. Today, this is vanishing rapidly under pressure from a growing population. The tropical rainforest of Virunga is fertile. Every inch of earth is tilled, and crops grown for daily food.
Ever since Dian Fossey and the film "Gorillas in the Mist", I have dreamt of eyeballing the mountain gorillas.
Ready...Our hotel was called "Gorilla's Nest". Hmmm. On the morning of the trek, I forced down omelette & coffee... and at 6:45am, we were at the registration counter of the Park Headquarters (2,215m above sea-level). Filling out the forms, we both wrote "very fit" on the questionnaire, and put in our request for the "Susa" group — This is the famous family group that Dian Fossey had studied for 18years. There are 38 family members, and is the biggest of all the gorilla families in the world. When tracking wildlife, nothing is guaranteed - in spite of the hefty permit cost of US$500 per person, per day (we had paid for 2 days of permits, just in case we missed sighting anything on the 1st day)! Get Set...We joined 40 eager permit holders, milling around, waiting for allocation. Yes! We were finally allocated to find the Susa, along with 6 others. I was so excited! "Can you trek for 4 hours?", asked Emmanuel, the guide. "Yes, no problem", we glibly replied. He explained that the Susa family were far away on Volcan Karisimbi - which at 4,507m high, is also the highest volcano. We were briefed on the dos & don'ts — Here are a couple of memorable ones:
Go...!After a long 4WD ride, we started walking at 2,725m — 2 armed soldiers, 2 porters and a very knowledgeable guide escorted us. It was a hard trek, a continuous ascent through rocky paths, bamboo forest, and giant nettles. We were glad we brought our telescopic trekking poles. As we ascended the scenery changed to stunted trees, mossy forest, and wild orchids and then we were walking on vines! At 3,500m, we were instructed to leave our things and only take our cameras. We ventured a further 100m through thick vines & undergrowth. Then I heard grunts and chest beating! It was 1:10pm and we've made our first sighting! The Gentle Giant of the MistA female gorilla and twins were foraging through a portal in the trees. I was so excited and we were all whispering. Cameras were clicking away when we heard a loud grunt! I looked upwards… and there he was! — A huge silverback looking down on us! — Just like "King Kong" I saw on the silver screen when I was 5 years old. I felt such a rush of adrenaline. Awesome! The mountain gorilla's coat is woolly, shiny and blue black - so black it makes photography very difficult - and the bare skin on their faces shine in the light. 
Lian Godfrey and The Boss As though on queue, he stood up, pounds his chest and bares his teeth. The guide quickly made comforting noises, communicating to The Boss that we came as friends and meant no harm. The Boss paused, decided to break a biggish branch (effortlessly) and commenced to gnaw at the bark as though it was sugar cane. We gasped and wowed in hero worship. King Kong lives!
Individuals are identified by nose print - the crease pattern on their nose.
It takes about 12 years for a male to develop the silver hair on their back (or saddle)... and a huge menacing head. It appears to be 1/3 of its body size. Just massive!
I cannot find the words to describe the sight of 7 adult gorillas - all very close to us - eating without a care in the world.
Parting note...Dian Fossey single-handedly helped the Mountain Gorillas to survive — She brought awareness to the people of Rwanda and the world. Today, it is one of the biggest earners for the country and provides employment. The down side is that Dian's work with gorillas has made them too trusting — They cannot differentiate poachers from friends. Neither can we. And just when we thought poaching had finally stopped... In September 2007 (soon after our trip), charcoal-burners killed 4 adult gorillas in the Congo just over the Virunga range. There are about 380 or so Mountain Gorillas left in the Virunga range... with some 700 left in the world. Poaching, habitat loss, war and human diseases have contributed to their declining numbers. Paris, Rome, Vienna, can wait. They will always be there - whereas wonders, like the Virunga, are disappearing as we turn our backs. I am so glad I climbed that volcano to see the gentle giants... and survived to tell this tale. About the Author: Lian Godfrey is a seasoned traveller. When she is not exploring off the beaten track destinations with her husband Michael, she indulges in her other passion... bridge. As Raymond Siew's ex-bridge partner, she's miffed at him for "abandoning" her — Ray now attempts to make amends by inviting Lian to share her engaging travelogues in It's My Life! Credits: Gorilla photos courtesy of Michael & Lian Godfrey About It's My Life! content: All content on It's My Life! belongs exclusively to eMasters and may not be reproduced or reprinted in any manner without permission from eMasters. If you wish to use any of our content, please contact us. |
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