Face to face with gentle giants

Naomi Schwarz

National Geographic Television

I didn’t think it would be this easy. I mean, in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t, you know, easy easy. Getting here required repeated negotiations with high-level contacts in rebel General Laurent Nkunda’s army, and then with the general himself.

It required driving an hour and a half outside the city to a UN base in the foothills of the Mikeno volcano, followed by an hour’s steep hike to the rebel base farther up the volcano. And it required another hour-plus hike just after dawn to get to the edge of the national park. All while being hurried along by rebel soldiers with big guns and spears who were terrified we’d miss our chance.

But then the overgrown fields ended abruptly in a shock of thick forest, and here we are. And there they are. An entire family of mountain gorillas. Just hanging out, in the trees, and in the brush beneath them.

They look exactly like gorillas.

It feels completely unreal.

Their black fur contrasts starkly with the bright green foliage, and yet recedes into the dark shadows of the dense forest. Some ignore us, while others gaze at us with intelligent-seeming curiosity. I want to reach my hand out to one of them. Or to grab one of the small, cuddly gorilla children, and enfold it in a giant gorilla-hug. Completely against the rules, of course. Human visitors are strictly required to stay a minimum of seven meters away from any wild gorillas, for the gorilla’s safety as much as anything else.

But it’s not clear the gorillas know the rules. Especially that giant one over there. The one walking along that felled log right there. The one coming over here.

“Look submissive!” someone hisses in my direction. Everyone has crouched down and is studying their feet and the many insects around them.

Gorillas are incredibly gentle, we’ve been told by several experts before coming here. But they are also plain old enormous; mature males typically weigh up to 500 pounds. They are impressive beasts, and seem easily capable of inflicting serious damage should the need arise.

Ideally, you’d go with expert guides.

But about six months ago, General Nkunda’s forces, took control of this strategic territory along the border with Rwanda. Most of the human population fled: the empty villages and un-cultivated fields a haunting testimony to the toll of the war. Most of the park rangers also left, or were forced to leave.

The mountain gorillas, though, are still here. And so are a few former park rangers who have split from Congolese park services.

They, along with a “guard” of rebel soldiers, led us to the gorillas this morning. They still wear their old uniforms and talk of their long histories with the park service. But they fail to tell us of the 7-meter rule, and seem fairly flexible on the other rules, including the number of people allowed to get close, and the amount of time we’re allowed to stay.

So as the behemoth gorilla struts slowly towards us, I suddenly wonder if we’ve walked into a dangerous situation. And more immediately, am I doing “submissive” right?

I sneak a glance up away from my feet. He’s practically going to brush my arm as he passes. Assuming he’s planning to pass.

The gorilla shoots us a long, hard look.

And, thankfully, keeps walking past me, the soldiers, and the rebel rangers. With a rustle of branches, he goes deeper into the forest.