SH*T SCARED AT THE GORILLA HABITUATION EXPERIENCE16 min read

THE EAST AFRICAN SERIES, DAY 16, 17 & 18

Mgahinga National Park – Bwindi Impenetrable forest – Kigali

Sh*t Scared at the Gorilla Habituation Experience. Uganda has half of all the mountain gorillas in the world, so it would make sense to travel here to do your gorilla trek. However, it is the only place in the world where you can do the Gorilla Habituation Experience.

THE SILVERBACK SET THE TONE EARLY ON BY LETTING US KNOW NOT TO GET TOO CLOSE

Now it took me forever and a while to find out what this was, and only a few people have heard of it – there are only four permits issued per day, not to mention the price of them at 1,500USD each!

But with the hefty price and the impossibility of getting permits, there is a raw experience to be had.

WHERE IS NKURINGO GORILLA LODGE?

Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge

THE HABITUATION PROCESS

Gorillas aren’t born with a love and trust of humans like many Disney books would have us believe. So, in order for anyone to enjoy a gorilla trek like we did yesterday, there is a lengthy process. This usually lasts around 18 – 24 months, where trackers maintain contact on a daily basis so gorillas slowly become used to the sight and presence of humans in order to make them aware that we do not pose any threat.

This is incredibly courageous and dangerous for many reasons. Quite often, at the beginning of this process, gorillas will charge at the sight of any humans in fear that they are in competition for their food or territory. At times, they even attack the trackers from 100 yards away, and sometimes leave scars.

Sh*t Scared at the Gorilla Habituation Experience

PERSISTENCE

However, through persistence and the correct behaviour, trackers can gain the trust of the gorillas who now know our presence poses no threat. But the process is long, and slowly the trackers get closer and closer, but often keeping their distance in the beginning.

As the process goes, they are still not assured of harm as gorillas, for many reasons, can attack at any minute, but it can be managed through their experience and having a set of massive f**king balls!!

But now humans can become part of this experience, but only after the gorillas have in some way been initially introduced to human company; otherwise, it would just be too risky.

Sh*t Scared at the Gorilla Habituation Experience

NKURINGO GORILLA LODGE

There is only one place in the world where you can enjoy this, and that is at the southern Rushaga sector of Bwindi. So we stayed at a lodge just 40 minutes from the park, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge.

SOMETIMES WE FORGET THAT GORILLAS ARE ACTUALLY WILD ANIMALS WHO ARE NATURALLY AGGRESSIVE CREATURES

The location is great, with views overlooking Bwindi Forest to the back and views overlooking the Virunga Volcanoes, including good old Bisoke from a few days back.

HAND MASSAGE

On arrival, you get the usual welcome drink, but this time, something unique: we all received a hand massage as we checked in. I think places like The Premier Inn or the Travel Lodge at home should also do this!

Sh*t Scared at the Gorilla Habituation Experience

BEDROOM FIREPLACE

Although arguably better views, the rooms weren’t at the level of Gahinga Lodge. Don’t get me wrong, you were still living the dream and being lifted and laid as and when you want and given copious amounts of the finest hot chocolate in the land, but those rooms at Gahinga were like something out of Shakespeare!

William, our guide, gave us our departure time for tomorrow (6 am), but that was all made very easy with the help of a wake-up call and a pot of tea. The first thing I am going to do when I get home is employ a butler!

Sh*t Scared at the Gorilla Habituation Experience

TODAY’S YOUTUBE VIDEOS

If you want to see today from a different perspective and catch a few different stories from the front row, then check out today’s YouTube videos below.

GORILLA HABITUATION (Day 17)

After driving 40 minutes, we arrived at a small town where we would meet our guide, rangers, and porters, and then set off for the forest.

This initial walk to find the gorillas can last up to 6 hours, and we were very lucky that just 40 minutes in, we were already there.

Because these gorillas are still wild, they actively seek areas that are hard to access and always try to maintain the higher ground. This gorilla habituation experience was different than our gorilla trek, where the animals were happy to chill in an open area of the forest. This ensures both a defensive and offensive advantage as they become aware of an ever-increasing human presence.

JURASSIC PARK

We struggled initially to find a proper access point down to the valley. The vegetation is incredibly dense, and the slopes are very steep; no wonder it’s called the impenetrable forest.

Standing, we could see the bushes and foliage move around as the gorillas ate and walked as they pleased. This gave me all sorts of Jurassic Park flashbacks; you couldn’t see the animals, but you were surrounded by plenty of movement.

Eventually, we took the jump and headed down to explore; it was the only way. We have to remember that these gorillas are still very much wild, whilst the others we have visited have been habituated.

WWE

As there is a research purpose of this habituation process, it is not enough to simply stand from the comfort of the far side of the forest. We needed to be close in order for the process to be effective.

The first time we found the group, they took issue with our presence immediately, but the rangers were incredibly calm. We thought the worst was over after we received an aggressive reaction from several gorillas. But like John Cena or Bret Hart, the family’s alpha Silverback came running in and jumped on a bush, taking it out in the process.

Not many of us were sitting here in amazement, but rather, what the f**k have we got ourselves into? The look on mum’s face was quite something, considering she was wearing a face mask. I knew exactly what was going on in her head.

TRACKING

You are constantly chopping your way through thick vegetation to reach their new location as the gorillas try to always keep ahead of the group. The process repeats continuously until the four hours are up.

The rangers know how incredible it is. Once we were between the family but not within sight. The rangers got us to move out of the area, knowing that the two groups would then reunite once we gave them room. This then led the gorillas to the popular fig trees for some proper chow.

ANTS NEST

I spent a lot of my time in the gushing rain trying to protect my camera, and that included a lot of standing still as and when I could. Unfortunately, I didn’t realise I had stood on an ant’s trail or nest until I got the first bite, and oh my god, those things can hold on to you!

All the beating and flicking didn’t rid me of this pest, and before I knew it, I had one on my leg and another in my armpit…I suppose it could have been worse, and yes, I’ve experienced that too 😬

DES MILLE COLLINES (Day 18)

The following day, we headed back to Kigali due to the only flights from Uganda to Kenya being light aircraft, and when those are involved, my mum and sister aren’t! We checked into the infamous des Mille Collines, a hotel that saved the lives of over 1200 people during the genocide. It was the work of hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina that paid bribes and risked his life in order to allow these people to seek refuge in the hotel.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Now I know why we did both the Gorilla Trek and the Habituation, both entirely different. It would have been good to have a better day for it, but it all added to the rainforest experience, the 3 of us are soaked to the teeth!

SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
156/229

NEXT UP

Off to country number 157, Kenya!! Click to read.

This post is part of The East African Series, for the entire series click here or for episode 1, click here.
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