Trekking Gorillas in the Mist

The mountain Gorillas of Dian Fossey have always had a certain aura of mystery about them.  They live in the foothills of Volcanoes National Park which are often engulfed in mist.  The roads to reach the different groups are rough lava rocks.  The paths to trek the gorillas are equally non-existent.  Our guide used a machete to cut a path through extremely tall and vicious stinging nettles.  All of us were wondering if the gorillas would ever appear when one slowly came lumbering into view.  The male silverback was followed by a mother carrying twins and a mother with a newborn less than a month old.  As we followed the gorillas and peered through the brush, we were surrounded by the pleasantly busy sound of tearing and chomping as the gorillas pulled down stalks of plants, stripped them and ate the interior. 

Enjoy the photos and video below of the gorillas we observed.  Pay particular attention in the video to catch a glimpse of the newborn!

Sunset over the volcanoes.

Our hike began with a wonderful stroll through the
bamboo forest along a stream.

Our trail through the nettles.  Can you see it?!

Mama and baby give us a look as we watch them eating.

This silverback is stripping the outer part of the the stalk before eating
the rest.  After eating, he came walking right past us while we
scrambled into the stinging nettles to get out of the way.

The Susa group has three silverbacks.  This is the 3rd silverback and the
lowest in rank.  One of the most impressive things was observing the length
of their arms and the size of their fingers.

Posing for the camera.

Unfortunately I did not get a picture as the male silverback
walked past; however this time I was ready, both to jump
into the brush and to take a picture! 

They were close.  I was a bit nervous to face the camera instead of keeping
my eye on the Gorilla.