A day with gorilla 'warriors'

Gorilla trekking requires an early morning rise, if one is to get a glimpse of the inhabitants that are the closest species to human beings. It is Tuesday, June 2, at 7:00 am. I am with a group of other journalists. The place is Faraja Hotel in Musanze District at the foot of Virunga National park, home to the famed mountain gorillas in Rwanda. We hurriedly have breakfast and set off to Kinigi headquarters where we pick our tour guide. Since we are many, we are divided into groups. Each group consists of not more than eight people and on any given day, a maximum of 80 people divided into 10 groups are allowed to trek the gorillas. I am with the group that will visit the ‘Ntambara’ (loosely translated to mean warriors) mountain gorillas which are not very far. On our way there, I sit next to our guide, Bosco, who is constantly being asked questions about the gorillas. After getting to Bisate Village, we take a long walk to the base because our car can not go up the rocky road. Only 4x4 cars can go up. On the way that leads to Mount Bisoke, one turns the opposite side to get to the entrance of the gorilla protection wall. Armed with potters and dressed in protective gear, we pass through farmlands and past locals going around their daily activities. When we get to the stone wall that protects the volcanoes, we are met by an armed guard who briefs us about the group we were about to visit. The Ntambara family, which currently has 13 members, took its name from the founding father, the silverback locals named Ntambara because of his aggressive nature. “Locals, especially the trackers, used to name each gorilla depending on its character,” Bosco Iryamukuru tells me. “That used to be the case before the adoption of the annual national gorilla naming ceremony.” Unfortunately, the founding family head is feared dead. Ntambara, in his mid 30s, disappeared in February this year, and his eldest son, Gutsinda, aged 25, has since succeeded his father. “Normally when the family head dies the eldest silverback among those left takes the father’s place, it’s rare that a fight will break out between two silverbacks over supremacy unless they are step-brothers who are virtually age-mates.” This family now has two silverbacks, the other one being 17-year old ,Twibuke. When a silverback (a gorilla aged 12 years and above) becomes the head of the family it also inherits the ‘mothers’ in the family as his wives, although its own mother and grown-up sisters will most certainly subsequently abandon the group in search for male soul mates in other families. “Gorillas do not practice incest,” Bosco explains to me. In the Ntambara family there are three females that have bore other members. They are Tegereza, Kubaka and Nahimana. It also counts two blackbacks (aged between 8 and 12 years), namely Kwiyingera, 8, and Inkumbuzi, aged 9. The family also has three Junevilles (young gorillas between three-and-a-half years and six years); namely Gisubiza, Umuganda and Urahirwa; as well as three babies; Ndengera, Isange and Ingamiya. The youngest is eight years old. Notably, in this family, there are no male gorillas that fall in the category of sub-adults, the age bracket of six-eight years. Usually, it’s advised to visit gorillas when they are done with breakfast during their relaxing period when they are playing. Ntambara is one of the 20 families of the rare primates that live in Rwanda’s portion of the Virunga Massif, which straddles Rwanda, DR Congo and Uganda. There are an estimated 480 mountain gorillas between the three countries with Rwanda hosting an estimated 300 gorillas. A gorrilla feeds on bamboo. (Photos by Ange Eric Hatangimana) The guide also tells us what we can and can not do while in the park. Safety precautions are also addressed. We enter the park where we meet trackers, (people responsible to locate the gorillas at any given time) and they lead the way. After a steady climb of more than 60 minutes, through mud that covers half way our gumboots, leaves across our faces, we come across the first silverback (Gutsinda) who is the head of the family. When trackers encounter a silverback, they make a hum “mmmmm, mmmm” to assure the gorilla that all is well. The silverback is having lunch, so as it keeps moving through the low, thick vegetation and we have to follow its path but at some point we block its path and it makes a strange sound that makes us fall on the ground while others attempt to run. The guide reminds us that we have to take a submissive position; squat, face down. This position tells the gorilla that it’s the boss. As we trek we meet the youngest family member carried by the mother, while other family members chew on bamboo branches, their favourite delicacy. However, each visiting group is allocated one hour with these magnificent species. After that, it’s usually their time to rest. As we turn back, a young gorilla rolls on its head as it moves toward the family who was getting ready for a much needed rest. The way back to our base is not as difficult as the way up the volcanoes. Save for a few stops where journalists were conducting interviews, it was quick. We wait to see if we can encounter any buffaloes but luck isn’t on our side. However, the experience is worthwhile that I wouldn’t mind paying Rwf30,000, required from Rwandan citizens to get the primates’ experience again. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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A day with gorilla 'warriors'