Trekking the prized Mountain Gorillas in rain, slippery Bwindi

Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) ranger briefs tourists about the mountain gorilla trekking excursion in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, in western Uganda. Photo by EDGAR R. BATTE

What you need to know:

Muddy walk. Trekking Mountain Gorillas is one of those activities that bring tourists to Uganda. But what happens if you have to trekk them on a rainy morning? EDGAR R. BATTE finds out.

At first sight, he could not help but let tears roll down from his eyeballs. It was the first time Diego Calderon Franco had come face-to-face with the prized Mountain Gorilla.
It was a silverback, its body heavily covered in fur on that cold Wednesday morning. In almost a split second, a baby emerged from another green thicket, then its mother.
The family was not only complete, it seemed glad to stay in one spot to offer the eager tourists an opportunity to capture the intimate moments on digital devices as they plucked leaves and shrubs off wet tree and plant branches and fed at the midmorning hour.
The skies had opened with a heavy downpour that soaked the earth into a mushy ground, making it slippery. Mobility on the trekking expedition was the adventure the guide had prior briefed us about.
A few falls were almost inevitable. Then, the spot at which the host family of Habinyanja chose to station, was steep but also dangerous. It was right at the mouth of a deep valley, sight of which evoked fear.
You could say that nothing is a given when it comes to combing through the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. It is no mean fete as we had prior been briefed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) rangers and guides.

International birder, Diego Calderon Franco smiles for the camera during a trekking expedition in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the world's home to the biggest number of mountain gorillas. Photo by EDGAR R. BATTE.


With the gorillas in eyesight, the subtle sound of camera clicking away was all there was to hear. Then the gestures of excitement as tourists looked at each other in awe, the kind a child shares with a mother at his first fete to stand on his two legs.
Then the guide, in whispers, advised on favourable spots, in consideration of the distance to be kept, away from the apes. As he did so, the silverback approached us and walked around, gently and majestically, causing a mixture of excitement and fear as he seemed to offer a close and personal touch.
Silverbacks are mature males and heads of the family. According to UWA, gorillas display uncanny human characteristics. They are an intelligent lot and you can tell from the way they communicate to each other, largely through sounds. They are heavily built can weigh up to 120 kilogrammes.
Well, when it returned to its jungle corner, there was more reason to capture moments, some in selfie form, others on constant click on cameras with lenses long enough to measure to arm’s length.
The big guy went up the tree branches, kept feeding and licking on rain drops while his queen remained on ground to keep forte, with their offspring. You could say that minutes ticked away and we were not about to move an inch, not even the rain was to budge us down.
Boots covered in mad, trousers wet and dirty, walking through the thickets, there was a satisfaction, silent but evident on trekkers’ faces that beamed as they flipped through their footage. At the tail end of the trip, UWA will present you with certificate for successfully completing the trek.

Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) marketing officer, Herman Olimi, excitedly shows off a certificate he received after successfully trekking gorillas in the thickets of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Photo by EDGAR R. BATTE.

Mountain Gorilla population

According to the recent census of Bwindi-Sarambwe ecosystem, part of the Greater Virunga Landscape, there are 459 Mountain Gorillas, up from 400 in 2011. Bwindi is home to 43 percent of the world’s remaining Mountain Gorillas. They can also be trekked in Mgahinga National Park which has the Nyakagezi family, of more than 10 members, with four silverbacks.

How to get to Bwindi
You can get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest National Park, by road or by air. Bwindi is 550 kilometres from Kampala, and 474 kilometres from Kampala via the Kabale-Mbarara road. It is approximately nine hours on the road. Eagle Air flies to the park and you can make a booking or make inquiries through their website.

What you need to know before trekking
You might want to check and boost your fitness levels because trekking will require you walking some long distance. Bwindi is a tropical forest so gumboots or some strong jungle footwear is ideal. It rains anytime so you might want to carry a raincoat for your protection as well as your gadgets, for example digital cameras.