My Unforgettable Gorilla Experience
Scrambling over wet boulders and scrub bushes, through dense rain forest, I fervently hope to catch a glimpse of these endangered creatures. My eyes are scanning the thick forest green cover, I want to settle for none less than the Silver Back, and then, oh my god! *Suddenly, there he is! *
Swinging from the branch of the tree in true Tarzan style, but only for a flash of a moment! The branch comes crashing down, obviously it cannot sustain some 300 plus kilograms which is the average weight of the Silver Back gorilla. Clearly unperturbed with the fall, he chomps away at the tender fresh leaves of the branches and what follows next is an amazing sixty minutes of gorilla delight. I can sit and watch them forever, but we have an hour’s audience with the primate as per the rules of the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
My eyes remain pressed to the camera, but nothing is as perfect as the pictures and memories formed in my head. I decide that enough is enough and put my camera away to enjoy some last moments with my gorilla family. After a while, the gorillas seem to sense that our precious hour is almost through. The leader gets up and walks away disappearing into the folds of the jungle. Taking the cue, one by one, the entire clan moves on and out of vision, my eyes follow them as long as is possible. It’s the final farewell, this time, we will not amble along.
The gorillas are touchingly like ourselves, which is why even an hour walking with them has such a heart-warming impact – a time when the line between us and them is blurred, it’s almost like leaving behind a part of your family in the jungles of Uganda.
-Sumitra Senapaty
Uganda has Gorillas and so much more. The Chimps are the closest animals out there to us. You’ll see them too. And don’t forget – the beautiful Kazinga Channel. It is teeming with wild hippos, elephants and exotic birds. Uganda – it'll leave you spellbound
