Gorillas, Rebels & Heroes; that's Virunga!

I recently went along to the beautiful Hackney Picture House to finally see Virunga:The Movie. I have been wanting to see this documentary for months and finally got my chance, I was not disappointed. 

Source - http://now-here-this.timeout.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/HackneyPicturehouse_RG058.jpg

Taken from the movie promo:

"VIRUNGA IS THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF A GROUP OF BRAVE PEOPLE RISKING THEIR LIVES TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE IN A PART OF AFRICA THE WORLD'S FORGOTTEN AND A GRIPPING EXPOSE OF THE REALITIES OF LIFE IN THE CONGO.”

All I can say is that it lived up to its expectations and I have not been on an emotional roller coaster like that for a long time. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire film and the cinematography is simply stunning. As you walk with the ranger patrols in the Virunga National Park and hear gun shots and bombs going off you really feel like you are there. Seeing Andre taking care of the orphaned gorillas and refusing to leave them on the cusp of rebels coming in almost brought me to tears. Finally, seeing Emmanuel de Merode (Chief Warden of Virunga National Park) saying "I will be the last one to leave" and addressing all the rangers in the morning was incredible. What these guys do, putting their lives literally on the line, to protect their country and its laws is fantastic and truly heroic.

Check out the trailer and feel your emotions connecting with the work they do. Then book to go and see it here - http://virungamovie.com/Screenings; you will not regret it.

Virunga - Official Trailer 2014 from Grain Media on Vimeo.

After the film I knew we were going to have a Q & A with the producer, but when Andrea and Emmanuel popped up on screen as well I was shaking. After seeing the film and then talking to them was an experience I will remember for the rest of my life; I even got to ask a question.

Speaking with producers, Andre & Emmanuel via Skype

Here is a list of things you can do to help if you can't make a screening - http://virungamovie.com/#takeaction

Thank you for reading and I hope you will spread the word about what is going on in Virunga and about the brave men and women that fight to save it everyday.

Disclaimer:

"The views and opinions expressed in the Diary of a Primatologist blog are purely my own and are not in any way linked to any organisations I may represent or work with unless otherwise stated. All photos are my own unless otherwise stated and a source will be provided where other photos are used; if they are yours and you would like them taken down then please just ask. The author retains full copyright for all content and photos and written permission is required before their use. The owner of the site is not liable for any content accessed through links posted."

Meeting the Mountain Gorillas, Part 2: Standing next to a Silverback

Today, greeted with a fantastic sky FULL of stars, soon to be replaced with the sun trying to push its way through the thick mist; my dream was going to become reality. I kept saying to myself this is what Dian Fossey would have experienced every morning. At 8am we arrived at the briefing hut to meet Stephen (our head ranger) who would eventually be leading us to the Bitukura gorilla group. This group is made up of 13 individuals including four silverbacks, adult females, juveniles and a 13 month old baby. Did you know that when a male reaches 14 years old he will start to develop a silverback, it is not just the dominant male that has it.

Sunrise in Bwindi

Head ranger Stephen

We were then told the rules such as no eating/drinking/smoking within 200m of the gorillas, the young get curious and may come close but don’t try to touch them, the silverback is always watching, to make sure we stay 7 metres away and my personal favourite was if we are charged to stay still and crouch down (better said then done I think).

A demonstration of the 7 metre distance rule

After the briefing we had a few moments to read more about where we were and the gorillas in general. It was fantastic to see they had scratched over the original total number of 700 and replaced it with 880. The mountain gorillas are the only species of great ape that are increasing in number; Chimpanzees, Bonobos, Orangutans and the other species of Gorilla are all declining. Then Stephen uttered the words I had been waiting 20 years for someone to say, “Let’s go and see the gorillas”.

Just in case we didn't see the real gorillas

After a quick drive we arrived at the path into the forest, but we had to wait, Stephen was in radio contact with the rangers who would tell us when to leave so the gorillas would be in a good position and we were not walking for hours. The call came in and we were off! We started going downhill and very soon there were tall, thick ferns around us, visions of seeing Dian Fossey, Ian Redmond and David Attenborough in such a surrounding suddenly popped into my mind and I was overcome with excitement. Except for the odd bird call and the rangers using their radios it was eerily quiet as we walked. After about 10 minutes the thick ferns had turned into tall trees and we were going down a steeper hill. They had used the forest elephant’s paths to construct the ways through; I can see why it is called the Impenetrable Forest. Every now and again one of the rangers would make a whooping call and wait to hear a response to know which direction to travel in. After walking for 1 hour and navigating a very steep hill we come across two new rangers, and then I realised that we must be nearby the gorillas. All of a sudden I hear some branches break and leaves rustle and a baby gorilla climbs up a small tree almost like saying “Hi there”.

OK, here we go

The rangers with the gorillas

The beautiful baby gorilla that greeted us

I just love this guy

This baby knows how to enjoy life

At first I could not quite believe I was actually starring at a baby gorilla, it was so cute and fluffy and didn't seem to have a care in the world. I grabbed my camera, dropped my bag and started snapping. As we got closer the rangers cut away the foliage nearby so we could have a clearer view in; there was the mother. If you thought gorillas were big it is nothing like when you are here standing next to them. As we got closer to the mother she welcomed us with a very loud fart that didn't seem to bother her; all that lovely plant fiber she is eating. I then heard a rustle and crack to my immediate left….. GRUNT…… it was an adult male silverback and he was massive. I was currently standing 2 metres away from this guy, his head was 4 times bigger than mine and his fingers were so thick and big. I felt so vulnerable and helpless if he decided to charge; luckily I had been told to stay still and crouch if that did happen. We followed their movements through the forest for the next 15 minutes, and then we saw some juveniles climbing bigger trees and another silverback. I had gorillas all around me and it just felt surreal; I would love to do this full time.

The mother watches her baby while we are close

A juvenile climbs a tree for a nap

The silverback reveals himself, and he is big

I was getting worried that I wouldn't get any good pictures and then (as if they heard me) we suddenly found ourselves out of the dark, dense forest and in a small clearing. There in front of me was a youngster playing on a fallen tree, to the side the silverback was sitting and a female foraging and eating; it was perfect. Watching them go about their daily business was so interesting and there was something so familiar with the way they used their hands and facial expressions. The frequent grunts from the silverback kept reminding me not only that he was he there, but how insignificant I was in size and power. The rangers would often do grunts of their own, mimicking the gorillas sound to reassure them where we were. Also, these grunts are done from the beginning of the habituation process and act as a signal for saying it is me and you like me; we come in peace.

Juvenile playing

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Proof I was really there

Before I knew it I heard the words I was dreading “time is up guys”, that was the fastest hour of my life. As we started heading back (all up hill) we went past the alpha silverback who was lying down on his stomach, resting with his eyes shut. This proves how effective and successful this habituation and ecotourism project is; they are very comfortable with us around. Off we went, back to reality after having the most amazing experience of my life.

Very happy after that experience

Silverback lying down for a nap, whilst we are all around

The rangers planned the trek so well we were back at the briefing station by 12pm with the whole afternoon to see what else Bwindi had to offer. I visited the local village and went on a nature walk with a staff member from the lodge. The scenery was so fascinating and it was deafly quiet, pleasant, with only the occasional farmer working, child playing or bird tweeting to break the silence.

Group shot with the rangers

Stephen presenting me with my gorilla certificate

Gorilla drawing in local village

Local village where I purchased some small gorilla carvings

The stunning landscape 

Imagine farming crops up that

Woman farming her crops with baby tied to her back

On returning to the lodge the local kids were getting ready to sing and dance for us in their matching yellow t-shirts bearing the words “GorillaChildren”. They ranged from 3-13 and gave us the most incredible experience that would have put most theatre productions in the West End of London to shame. Within their first song they welcomed us to Bwindi and thanked us for investing in their community (I learnt 20+% of the permit money goes to community development and pays for schools/hospitals and salaries of teachers). Nothing could top the hour I spent with the gorillas but this came close, near the end they even invited me up to dance with them (how could I refuse); they put me to shame with their moves though. After saying goodbye to them I was left to enjoy the evening camp fire reminiscing on the events of the day with my final night in the mountains.

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Showing the kids the photos I took

Uganda is a beautiful country with lovely people and amazing wildlife and is well worth a visit. They have many national parks that I would love to come back to and see for myself.

I would like to thank Agaba of A&A Gorilla Tours Ltd and especially our guide Paul for the fantastic job they did. Everything about the trip was well done and you could see they really love what they do and care about the work. The places we stayed in were lovely and have a particular link to the local communities; plus the staff were really friendly. Paul was so knowledgeable, suddenly stopping and pointing out a bird, or describing the landscape so it made more sense; or even telling us to sniff the air (we were passing through a region that was famous for growing onions and yes you could smell it in the air). I personally could not recommend them highly enough and if you are even contemplating the thought of seeing the gorillas use these guys; do mention my name if you do.

Standing with our excellent guide Pau

You can see all my photos of my time in Kenya on my Flickr page here -http://bit.ly/1dpb3gd

Or on my facebook page here - www.facebook.com/diaryofaprimatologist

Disclaimer:

"The views and opinions expressed in the Diary of a Primatologist blog (except guest posts) are purely my own and are not in any way linked to any organisations I may represent or work with unless otherwise stated. All photos are my own unless otherwise stated and a source will be provided where other photos are used. If they are your photos and you would like them removed please just ask. The author retains full copyright for all content and photos and written permission is required before their use. The owner of the site is not liable for any content accessed through links posted."

Meeting the mountain Gorillas, Part 1: The journey to Bwindi

Since I was 7 years old and my mum was a member of Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International I have wanted to visit the mountain gorillas. I have finally had that chance and I would like to share my experience with you.

Part 1 – The Journey

It all started in Mombasa airport where an immigration lady was asking me some pushing questions about why I had extended my visa in Kenya and what was I doing. I wanted to say “What? You mean you don’t like the fact I am boosting your country’s economy through tourism while everyone else is staying away”, but instead I opted for the more passive “well I love Kenya and wanted to see more of it”. Both flights to Nairobi and then to Entebbe were under an hour, and after the take off (around 15 minutes into both flights) I was surprised they were serving drinks and even a light snack. Let’s just say that with me sitting near the back by the time I received my tomato juice the stewardess was saying “please put your tray table up we are landing”; I don’t even think the guys behind me got a drink.

I had a terrific sense of excitement as I landed in Uganda, especially as they had a large poster of the mountain gorillas as you go through the terminal. Meeting the immigration officer on this side was also interesting as on approach he said “Passport”, then about 1 minute later “give me $50”; and visa is done. This was it I had begun my mini-adventure to live out a boyhood dream of seeing the mountain gorillas.

I was greeted by Agaba of A & A Gorilla Tours and my guide for the trip, Paul, both welcoming me to Uganda. After the short journey to our hotel we had a brief talk about the trip, dinner and then off to bed. Before going to bed I met one of the largest dogs ever (called Simba meaning Lion), but like all large dogs I have encountered he was a soft, soppy giant.

Simba the soppy giant

Up early the next day and as we were leaving Entebbe we saw the sun rise over Lake Victoria, which was nothing short of mesmerizing. At first I was dreading the 8-10 hour journey across Uganda, but Paul was a fantastic guide and made it into a safari ride using the landscape, towns, people and wildlife to entertain us as we drove along. I hardly slept on the way there and people that have driven with me know I love a good sleep in the car; but it was just so interesting.

Sunrise over Lake Victoria

For the first hour we were driving down a dusty, red clay road to avoid the heavy morning Kampala (capital) traffic, you could see all the red dust on the plants that lined the road; goodness knows what havoc that is playing on peoples lungs. On route we saw people making bricks using the clay soil, then piling it into a pyramid and lighting a fire underneath it to dry them. Paul told us about the two types of coffee grown in Uganda, common lowland variety called Robster and the more expensive variety grown in the highlands Arabic. Potatoes are called “Irish” as they came from Ireland, and they are the most expensive vegetable crop that farmers can grow; with sweet potatoes being the polar opposite; the cheapest. We then made it to the tarmac road that was a lot smoother to dive on and you could see far into the beautiful Ugandan landscape; a lot greener than where I am in Kenya.

The red dusty road we started on

Brick making

The main road to western Uganda

We passed some natural swamps with wild Papyrus growing that the locals use to make baskets and mats. Then Paul stopped suddenly and showed us a massive bird in the swap area called a Saddle Billed Stork. We only saw the bird as a local was hunting a small deer like animal. Quickly back on board and on to our first stop point, the Equator.

Papyrus growing in the swamps

A very bad shot of the Saddle Billed Stork

Arriving at the Equator point was quite interesting as you had a large ring you could stand in saying 0˚Latitude and a few tourist shops; but a little bit desolate. Regardless of that is was cool to be passing from the northern to the southern hemisphere; or to have one foot in each half. We saw a demonstration of the way water spins in each hemisphere and exactly in the middle. The three sinks were about 5 metres apart with the middle one bang on the 0˚ line. In the northern hemisphere the water span clockwise, in the southern hemisphere the water span counter-clockwise, can you guess what happened in the middle? Amazingly the water did not spin at all, just went straight down the hole, I was impressed.

Standing on the Equator

One foot in both hemispheres

Getting ready to be amazed by water spinning

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On the road again and heading towards Mbarara, which is the main town in western Uganda. We passed Lake Nabugabo, which is fed solely by Lake Victoria and is mined extensively for sand; explains why a new glass making factory is currently being built by the Chinese. As it was currently the dry season (June/July) people were delivering/collecting water for the villages and towns in yellow jerry cans; amazing how many people could get on a bicycle. At one point a funeral van sped past us with flashing red lights that must have doubled up as an ambulance; but they also advertised they did catering, chairs and tents; brilliant business diversifying. Their slogan could be “we bury you, we seat you, we feed you.”

Guys carrying water to local villages

Long-Horned Ankole cattle, famous in this region

As we were driving through Lake Mburo National Park Paul pointed out that this was the smallest national park in Uganda, stretching a measly 364KM², but the only place Impala cold be seen in the country. Unfortunately the park now only had one lion left within its boundaries due to them hunting livestock. The farmers would poison meat killing practically all the lions. The lion was male and there are plans to re-introduce some females; so some hope yet. It is sad they feel the need to do this and kill such a magnificent animal.

I learnt that the Marahbu Stork (another large bird) has acid in its throat so strong it could turn metal into liquid. We stopped in Mbarara for lunch and also saw the Great White Pelican and the Crown/Crested Crane, which is the national bird of Uganda with the three colours of the flag; Red, Black and Yellow. I am starting to think all the birds in Uganda are supersized. Lunch was quick and delicious, I got to try the national dish Matooke, boiled and mashed green bananas with a peanut sauce; as expected it was delicious. I changed some money into Ugandan Shillings, it was so colourful, Pink, Blue, Yellow, Green and Red bills; the closest currency to look like monopoly money yet.

The Marahbu Stork

The Crown/Crested Crane

The Great White Pelican

Mbarara town center

Green bananas used for Matooke

One of many beautiful fruit & veg stalls

Paul buying us some sugar cane

Finally after 9 hours we closed in on Bwindi and the landscape had changed from flat farmland into big rolling hills. The mist had increased, and a certain coolness in the air as we were climbing in altitude. Paul told us the reason Bwindi is called the Impenetrable forest is that 60% of it is inaccessible. As we entered the forest area you could clearly see the boundary between the cultivated farmland and the forest; thank goodness this forest is protected. As large trees started to engulf us I started to be overwhelmed with memories of seeing photos and video footage of Dian Fossey in areas such as this. I was actually here and the gorillas were now within my grasp, somewhere beyond those trees were half the remaining population of mountain gorillas in the world; around 440.

The mountains of Bwindi and the communities that live in the valleys

The boundary between farmland and the forest

Our entrance into Bwindi

Of course Bwindi was not only home to the gorillas, there were birds, forest elephants, chimpanzees and the guereza colobus monkeys; which I had seen while coming down from Mount Kilimanjaro last year in Tanzania. It would be great to see…suddenly we stopped, Paul had spotted the colobus and sure enough there they were. They differ from the Angolan colobus that I am studying in Kenya, they have far fluffier backs and tails, and slightly larger/pointier heads. We had barely begun and one big tick already on the list.

Finally arrived at our lodge, lovely solar powered hot shower, then I went for a walk about the small local village area. No matter how far away the kids were they would shout out HELLO and wave non stop; it was lovely. A very nice dinner of beans, rice and veg and then outside sitting by the camp fire watching the night sky while being told stories in the local tongue through song. This place was truly unbelievable and the more I thought about it the more I realised it would probably be another night of little sleep; for tomorrow I was going to actually see the mountain gorillas of Bwindi.

Camp fire outside the lodge as the sun sets in Bwindi

Story telling and local songs

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You can see all my photos of my time in Uganda on my Flickr page here - https://flic.kr/s/aHsjZJ6dUU

Or on my facebook page here - www.facebook.com/diaryofaprimatologist

Disclaimer:

"The views and opinions expressed in the Diary of a Primatologist blog (except guest posts) are purely my own and are not in any way linked to any organisations I may represent or work with unless otherwise stated. All photos are my own unless otherwise stated and a source will be provided where other photos are used. If they are your photos and you would like them removed please just ask. The author retains full copyright for all content and photos and written permission is required before their use. The owner of the site is not liable for any content accessed through links posted."