Travel Considerations…Gorillas In The Mist

Stephen H. Anderson, MD, FACEP

In the last newsletter, Sandy Schneider challenged us to relate interesting travel experiences from our past. I have had the privilege to swim with stingrays & scuba with whales, ride elephants in search of rhinos, spelunk bat caverns, to name a few. I’m often asked to relate the greatest wildlife experience I have experienced. Hands down, it was my few hours in the mountains of Zaire with a family of gorillas.

I’m sure much has changed since 1988, but as a doctor, I was included on the first REI travel expedition to find the family of gorillas first habituated by Diane Fosse before she was “escorted across the border” to Rwanda. It was, at times back then, an arduous trek from Kigali, Rwanda into Zaire, and a three-hour trek through dense vegetation/jungle up the Mountains of the Moon. 

My first feeling was we were being watched (turns out quite closely) for 15 minutes, until we realized the family of at least 20 were all around us. Quietly munching on bamboo and going about their lives, the lasting impression I have was how similar they are as a species to us. If you didn’t believe in evolution, this experience might change your philosophy. One story I relate:

I found a small “child,” maybe two-three years old, as curious about me as I was of them. I stood three feet from them, snapping rolls of Kodachrome (remember film and slides?). Suddenly, “mom” walked up, “slapped” them softly across their noggin, and wiggled her finger in their face as if to say, “you don’t know where that’s been, leave it alone!” 

As she led them away by the hand, I heard a screech and turned to see a younger silverback (Dad ?) come barreling toward me. I had been instructed that if any gorilla acted aggressively, to cower and show it subservience. They can tear you apart with one limb.

So naturally. I turned and ran…

Luckily, I bowled over my wife (appropriate distance back), only to have this 400 pound hairy musclebound linebacker plant itself directly above me, pounding its chest, and showing its full foot long dentition. At this point, his dominance was pretty clear. My underwear was clean, but I’m pretty sure my body reeked of fear. After a minute, it was clear he had made his point and established the hierarchy in his domain; and he wandered off. The rest of the time was spent quietly, and more distantly, observing these magnificent creatures.

I’m told it is far easier now to travel to Rwanda to see these once-in-a-lifetime titans, their loving family units.

If you are up to the adventure, don’t miss the opportunity - it’s bucket-list worthy. And if you go… listen to your guide, respect distances, and be sure you have plenty of space on your digital chip for photos.