Parc National Des Volcans/ Rwanda
Virunga NP/ Kongo
Kahuzi-Biega NP/ Kongo
The border region between Kongo, Rwanda and Uganda is home to forests and moist savannas, the mystical more than 5000 m high Ruwenzori Mountains, which are actually the main source of the Nile. Our main target have been the Virunga volcanoes, which rise to more than 4500 m and are refuge to rare thick coated mountain gorillas. In January/February 1993 we have been able to spend a couple of weeks in this fascinating region.
En route from Goma to the Virunga NP several volcanoes and lava streams need to be passed.
incredible number of hippos squeezed together in a muddy pool
lone bull in Virunga, elefants had been hunted close to extinction
lioness leading her cubs
Tongo hill was home to a group of habituated chimpansees. Early morning rangers spread across the area listening to the chimpansees call, which sometimes happened only once. When located visitors were guided to the big apes using radio and grid points.
Chimpansees are known to not only eating fruit, but also meat. In particular smaller monkeys are communily hunted and killed. These apes share 97% of genes with humans and their behaviour irritatingly resembles ours in many respects.
Several days by road or an hour flight to the south of Goma - beyond Lake Kivu - lies Kahuzi-Biega NP. It is here, where groups of rare eastern lowland gorillas had been habituated to human visitors.
Gorillas are purely vegetarians living from a variety of leaves, fruits and roots. They are incredibly strong with furious individuals known having even bent gun barrels. These generally very docile giants are the largest of their kind and a fully grown eastern lowland silverback like this - its name is Mushamuka - may weigh 175 kgs.
Start of a long trek to the mountain gorillas in Rwanda's PN des Volcans. We had been assigned the largest habituated gorilla group - Susa - with more than 20 individuals and two silverbacks. Only after several hours walk we were told that the gorillas had moved far away towards the Kongo border. We had to climb from the start at 2000 m altitude to more than 4000 m!
First glimpse of the big apes, one of the rangers had already reached the group. For us it was still necessary to traverse a steep valley.
Finally we reached the gorilla group, exhausted but happy.
One of the silverbacks was sitting in the centre of his family. At this altitude the vegetation was more open and gave us an amazing view. Also today any visit to one of the habituated gorilla groups is limited to one hour. Even though time was limited, the close interaction with a species so similar to ourselves makes you feel humbled and raises concern about the arrogance humans frequently look at nature.
