Gorilla thriller: Getting up close and personal with Rwanda’s primates

Anticipation hangs in the air as we embark on the strenuous trek deeper into the mist-shrouded jungle of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. With every step, the dense foliage grows thicker, engulfing us in its grasp. The only sounds I can hear are my boots crunching on the uneven trail and my increasingly laboured breaths while I focus intently on the tangle of vines and leaves that seem determined to trip me up.

Each time we stop to rest, I breathe a sigh of relief, not only because I’m grateful for the break, but for the chance to look up and appreciate the beauty surrounding me. Thick, towering bamboo shoots entwine with lush vegetation, creating a swirling expanse of emerald and jade hues and, more importantly, a perfect feast for the animals that live here. After what feels like hours – but, in reality, is just over one – our guide brings us to a halt in a clearing. Here, expert trackers emerge from the trees to inform us that a family of mountain gorillas is nearby.

Gorilla thriller

Not many people can say they’ve been within mere metres of a mountain gorilla, one of the most endangered species in the world. Just over 1,000 of these majestic mammals remain in the wild, residing in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. While the phrase ‘once in a lifetime’ is well worn, trekking through the untamed forests of Volcanoes National Park and witnessing gorillas thrive in their natural habitat is entirely deserving of the epithet. 

The knowledge that a few decades ago these creatures were close to extinction – the total population was just 350 in the 1980s – makes the experience even more extraordinary. Before we head towards the lower slopes of Mount Karisimbi, home to the Susa family of gorillas, our guide reiterates the instructions to ensure our visit is as unobtrusive as possible and we each practise the guttural noise that signals to the gorillas that we are friend, not foe. As we set off, I cling to our tracker Matias with a mix of excitement and trepidation at being in such unfamiliar territory.