Foto: The Shongi Gorilla in Bwindi National Park (bron: Ronald van der Veer)

Rwanda - We pass the place where the gorillas were spotted yesterday. I can feel the tension rising. Godfried reports that the rangers who walked ahead have spotted the animals. The excitement grows. We climb a steep slope. The vegetation on the ground has become slippery due to the people who went before me. Suddenly, Ashrem halts me. “Look Ronald, there’s a gorilla in the tree.” We’ve been walking for an hour and forty-five minutes. I leave my bag, walking stick, and other gear with Ashrem. With only my camera, I follow Godfried further toward the gorillas. Just a few steps later, I see the silverback gorilla sitting in the bushes in front of me. All the effort is instantly forgotten in this amazing moment. The silverback is the dominant male and the leader of the group. When he rises on his hind legs, I see over 200 kilos of muscle less than five meters away. What a unique experience. In a tree, a little one climbs down. All around me, I see trees shaking. How incredible that these animals tolerate us in their habitat. As they eat, they slowly move on. We follow them from just a few meters away. Occasionally, a ranger clears away some leaves if they block our view. I take a few pictures, but soon I put the camera aside just to enjoy the moment. As the gorillas move further along, it becomes harder to follow them. The rangers clear a path up the steep mountainside. Sometimes I slide down a bit due to the slick vegetation. It’s hard to see what you’re stepping on. Above and below us, the gorillas move through the trees. They traverse the slope much more easily than we do.

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