IN SEARCH OF THE SILVERBACK - RWANDA
In Search of the Silverback - Rwanda - Luxury Travel Magazine
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In Search of the Silverback | |||||
| By: Emma Kemp – Issue 41 – Summer 2010 | |||||
| (Rwanda) | |||||
| BEING IN THE PRESENCE OF MOUNTAIN GORILLAS IS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS THE MOST PROFOUND NATURAL HISTORY EXPERIENCE IN THE WORLD. OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IN RWANDA, SEVERAL LUXURY LODGES HAVE OPENED THAT OFFER VISITORS THE CHANCE TO JOIN GORILLA EXPEDITIONS AND SUPPORT THEIR CONSERVATION EFFORTS WRITES EMMA KEMP. | |||||
| There was a loud crack behind me, and I turned to see a striking jet black mass with a slicked silver back emerge from the thick green backdrop. Rangers will tell you not to make direct eye contact with the mountain gorillas but it’s hard not to. Framed by this mighty body of black fur are the smallest of eyes embedded in a hollow of wrinkles. And as we checked each other out, I knew he could sense the connection between us. Sitting down, this alpha male was still taller than me, but there wasn’t a trace of hostility as he munched on wild celery not five metres away. A visit to these extraordinary primates is a truly awe-striking encounter that transcends any other wildlife experience. But it’s also one that can be achieved in guiltless luxury. Rwanda is called the land of the thousand hills. Although more famous for its harrowing civil war over 15 years ago, the East African nation is rich with dense equatorial forest and heavily cultivated grassy uplands and hills. Roughly half of the world’s surviving population of less than 700 gorillas live here. Poaching, deforestation and human borne diseases have caused the rapid decrease of the once abundant population that lived in Rwanda and across the borders into Uganda and the DR Congo. For this reason they are protected by full-time rangers in the Volcanoes National Park, with no more than 56 people allowed to visit the gorillas each day for one hour at a time. Rwanda is one of the most eco-friendly countries on the African continent. Plastic bags are prohibited country-wide, and the government has recently made pronounced efforts to increase renewable energy use in both the public and private sectors. We began our trip in the early hours of the morning at the park headquarters. I managed to squeeze myself into the group of eight that set out to find the Susa family, the largest and most remote of the five habitual gorilla families in the park. We were assigned our guide Olivier and three armed rangers to protect us from water buffalo. Our expedition began at a local school and ascended through the lush terraced farmland of the lower volcanic slopes. The climb was steady and not overly strenuous, but we set out pole, pole (“slowly, slowly” in Swahili). With each step, layers of cultivated crops fell away and the rugged peaks of the Virunga volcanoes became more visible. It took us just over an hour to reach the official entrance of the park and from this point it could be anything from a 10-minute walk to a four-hour hike to reach the gorillas. The foliage became so thick we couldn’t make out anything beyond it. Trackers waited to meet us, having already located the gorillas earlier that morning. We ventured single-file into the thicker vegetation. Weaving vines tangled around us, and the rangers widened the ever-thinning path by hacking away at the foliage with machetes. The Susa family lives at a high altitude but it was not until we reached nearly 4,000 metres that I could sense we were not alone. Initial exhilaration was quickly followed by an uneasy feeling. An enormous silverback gorilla was stalking towards us. But he stopped just short of us and didn’t seem concerned about the dozen pairs of watchful eyes anticipating his moves. We were advised to keep our distance, not just for our own safety but also to protect the gorillas from human disease. Even a small cold can be fatal to entire populations so anyone with a sniffle is asked not to join the expedition. Olivier commented on our luck in finding the gorillas during their daily siesta; 20 others were relaxing together not far away. The younger ones darted around playfully, climbing trees and balancing on the very edge of branches. Impana and Byishimo – the only set of gorilla twins known to have survived – wrestled with each other, rolling around on the ground nearby. The adult females lay around patiently, keeping a watchful eye on them. All of this happened under the supervision of the alpha male: the largest, most dominant of the gorillas and identifiable by the silver streak on his back. We laughed as we recognised our own habits and behaviours play out in front of us in this family of primates. Although strange, this is not surprising, as gorillas share 90 per cent of their DNA with humans. As we snapped away on our cameras, Olivier communicated to the gorillas in a low-pitched, throat-curdling growl. He told us that this lets them know we’re here, but that we mean no harm, we are subservient. On the mountain, time seemed to stand still but in reality it flew by. Just as we were given a five-minute departure warning, the silverback rose to his feet and made a strange high-pitched noise. Standing on his hind legs, he beat his chest loudly and then violently shook a nearby tree, signalling the end of our time on the mountain. Most tourist groups spend about half a day on average up in the mountains, depending on how quickly they find the gorillas and many tours give the option of spending an additional half-day with another gorilla group. To be in the presence of mountain gorillas is both transcending and humbling, and often described as being the most profound natural history experience in the world. But more importantly, it brings home the poignant fact that these amazing creatures are on the edge of extinction, and a tourist presence here contributes to ensuring their longevity. Over the last few years, several lodges have opened that offer visitors the opportunity to support Rwandan conservation efforts while travelling in luxury. The Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is nestled at the foot of Mount Sabyinyo and close to the national park entrance. Built as part of a collaboration between the African Wildlife Foundation and the local Kinigi community, part of the profits generated from visitor stays in the lodge’s luxury bandas (cottages) go directly into the local community to assist with the gorilla conservation program. The exclusive lodges owned by Volcanoes Safaris have also been built with the environment in mind. They run on solar power and their focus is to reduce water consumption and uncontrolled waste. Volcanoes Safaris, prides itself on its expertise and investment in gorilla conservation and is the only safari company to have become a signatory to the UN Kinshasa Declaration on Safeguarding the Great Apes. The Classic Safari Company specialises in luxury Gorilla Safaris in Rwanda and also visits game parks in Kenya. The views from these lodges are spectacular and great for bird watching, but it is the gorillas that everyone comes to see. Kenya Airways flies regularly from Nairobi to both Rwanda and Uganda. | |||||
| Details: | |||||
| The Classic Safari Company | |||||
| Volcanoes Safaris | |||||
| Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge | |||||
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