"You
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Americans
for UNFPA East African Leadership Safari August 2005
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The Umubano Family of Mountain Gorillas
After trekking uphill through dense vegetation for two hours, filled with anticipation and dreading the disappointment of not finding the gorillas, I was still hugely surprised when I first saw these two animals sitting no more than twenty feet away. The surprise was first the shock of seeing a gorilla at all, but almost instantly that surprise was replaced with the surprise of seeing something that was so close to human, but wasn't in the least human. This dichotomy stayed with me all the time I was with the gorillas.
They feed in the early morning, take a break, feed some more on vines and leaves until lunchtime, when they take a siesta.
Gorillas live in families - one male, several females and children. This female is Umwumba and the infant is Izuba. The markings on gorillas' noses are unique to each gorilla, making it easy to identify.
We found them during their siesta, when Umwumba spent most of her time lying on her back in the vines while her baby played around her, until the siesta was over and it was time for the gorillas to move on, and then there was another surprise.
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Gorillas habitat
This photograph was taken only a few seconds after I first saw the gorillas. I was worried I might not get another chance to take a photograph, but the gorillas are habituated to people and ignored us almost all the time.
When the gorillas started to move on after their siesta I got my first view of the silverback male - Charles - the head of the Umubano family.
Gorillas: 2 of 4 pages
(c)
James Cowan
2005