In December 2002 my wife and I travelled to the Virungas mountain region in Rwanda to visit the Parc National des Volcans (Volcanoes National Park) with the specific objective to see and photograph the mountain gorillas. This trip has been an incredibly rewarding experience and has left us fond memories that will stay with us forever. I really believe that any nature and wildlife enthusiast willing to make the trip will be rewarded beyond imagination by the encounter with such unique, beautiful animals.

In this article I will first provide some general information regarding the mountain gorillas. I will then make some recommendations (based on my wife’s and my real-life experience) for those interested in organizing a trip to the Parc National des Volcans, Rwanda, to trek, see and photograph the fabled great apes who live there. Finally, I will include some tips as to how to best photograph this challenging subject.

Historical information on the mountain gorillas’ discovery and research

Mountain gorillas, with orangutan and chimpanzee, are one of the three great apes. As a distinct sub-species of gorillas, they were only discovered in 1902 by German explorer Captain Robert von Beringe during an expedition in the region of the Virungas volcanoes in equatorial Africa. Mountain gorillas were given their scientific name (Gorilla gorilla beringei) after the name of their discoverer.

The first serious scientific study of mountain gorillas was made in 1960 by primatologist George Schaller, who conducted 458 hours of field observation at Kabara, on the Congolese side of Mount Mikeno. The total population of mountain gorillas at the time of Schaller’s research was estimated to be 400-500 individuals (although no accurate census was performed).

However, it was not until 1967 that a longer and more accurate field study on the mountain gorillas was conducted by Dr. Dian Fossey first at Kabara (on Schaller’s footprints) and then at the permanent research center which she named Karisoke and she erected between Mount Karisimbi and Mount Visoke (hence the name “Karis-oke”) in Rwanda’s Parc National des Volcans.

At Karisoke, Fossey conducted 13 years of continuous field research, set up an active conservation policy by funding and running regular anti-poachers patrols in the Park and completed the first accurate census of the mountain gorillas (which in 1982 were down to 242 individuals, about 50% of the total estimated population at the times of Schaller). Fossey was murdered by unknown people in 1985 at the Karisoke center. Her life and her research on the mountain gorillas are fully documented in her well-known book “Gorillas in the mist”.

Natural history information on the mountain gorillas

The total population of mountain gorillas to date counts approximately 670 individuals, none of which is held in captivity. This overall population is split into two separate regions: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, in Uganda, hosts about 315 mountain gorillas (as of 2002), while the Virungas region is home to about 359 mountain gorillas (as of 2001).

The mountain gorillas of the Virungas region live in a narrow 25-mile long strip of land which stretches across the borders of three central Africa’s countries: Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. In this strip of land lie six extinct volcanoes (Mikeno, Karisimbi, Visoke, Sabinyo, Gahinga and Muhavura) that form the Virungas mountain range, varying in height from 11,400 to 14,782 feet (approximately, from 3,474 to 4,505 meters). Their slopes and the saddle terrain among the volcanoes are (with nearby Bwindi Impenetrable NP) the only place on Earth where mountain gorillas can be found. The Virungas territory is divided into three different national parks, one for each country sharing such mountain range: Mgahinga National Park (Uganda), Parc National des Volcans (Rwanda) and Parc National des Virungas (Congo).

In the Virungas region, mountain gorillas live at high elevations (10,000 ft / 3,048 mt and higher) in an afromontane rainforest ecosystem, with thick vegetation and an average monthly rainfall ranging from 75 mm in the driest month (July) to 225 mm in the wettest ones (April-May).

Mountain gorillas have a predominantly vegetarian diet (although now and then they also eat insects, especially some that are found in the bark of trees), can grow up to five and a half feet (about 1.70 meters) tall and weigh between 200 and 425 pounds (about 90 to 190 kilos). They live in closely knit, non-territorial groups averaging about 10 members (but they can count as many as 30). Each group is led by a dominant male, the silverback, which is so called for the grey hair on its back. Mountain gorillas have a gestation period slightly shorter than that of humans (eight and a half months) and give birth to generally one or seldom two infants at a time. The average interbirth interval for a female gorilla ranges between three and four years. This accounts for a slow reproduction rate which, combined with the rather small overall population, contributes to making mountain gorillas a particularly vulnerable subject.

Challenges and hopes for the mountain gorillas’ future

However tragic Fossey’s death was, we must all be grateful to her efforts and dedication to the cause of mountain gorillas if these beautiful animals now stand a chance to survive in the wild. Their total population at the time of this writing has in fact increased to about 670 animals and the number is still growing. This is also due to the fact that active conservation (mostly financed through the development of eco-tourism structures in the Parks that share the Virungas region) has now become a reality, at least in Rwanda and Uganda. This has been a decisive factor in dramatically reducing the number of poachers’ victims.

Nonetheless, we all must bear in mind that the war to ensure the survival of mountain gorillas is still far from being won. As a matter of fact, mountain gorillas are included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and classified as “critically endangered”. Also, as recently as in 2002 six mountain gorillas (four females and two males) were killed by poachers in Rwanda.

The most serious threat to mountain gorillas’ survival is habitat destruction, since the rich volcanic soil of the territory they occupy is seen as a particularly fertile farming land by the people living by the parks of the Virungas region. For this reason, these people put an enormous pressure on the parks’ boundaries in the attempt to extend their cultivations into the parks’ land. Not only does this practice result in habitat loss for the gorillas but it also increases the risks that gorillas raid the crops of the farmers encroaching on parks’ land and the farmers kill the gorillas in retaliation. Other threats to the mountain gorillas are poachers, the bushmeat trade and the infamous “tourist trophy industry” (where the gorillas are killed to sell their hands and head to these macabre “collectors”).

Recommendations for a trip to the Parc National des Volcans (Volcanoes NP), Rwanda

I really believe that all people with a serious interest in wildlife and particularly in the great apes should consider a trip to the Virungas region to trek in search of the mountain gorillas. With a bit of luck, they will be rewarded by a truly breathtaking experience.

The first thing to know to organize a trip to see the mountain gorillas is that you need permits to see them and if you don’t want to run the risk to go there in vain you need to purchase them well in advance. Permits are rather expensive (in Rwanda, USD 275 per person per day at the time of our trip – December 2002) and are aimed both at limiting the number of tourists per group of mountain gorillas (thus avoiding unnecessary pressure on the animals) and at funding the park’s conservation activities. You can purchase a permit through any reputable travel agent specialized in gorilla tours: we have used Wild Frontiers (http://www.wildfrontiers.com/) and we have been happy with them.

Secondly, the trip needs to be carefully planned also in terms of logistics since Rwanda (now a relatively peaceful country) has only recently emerged from the violent civil war that opposed Hutus to Tutsis (the country’s two largest ethnic groups) in 1994. Infrastructures still need to be adequately developed and the tourism industry is slowly starting to pick up again, with gorillas being one of the country’s top attractions. Plan on having a four-wheel drive vehicle available to access the park area due to poor road conditions and frequent rains.

Red tape issues also need special attention: for instance, bear in mind that in order to enter Rwanda you need an “invitation letter” from a resident of Rwanda. In order to avoid endless discussions with immigration officers (something which we unfortunately had to experience in our trip), just make sure that your travel agent is aware of this and they will work out the necessary arrangements for you.

Quite basic accommodation is available right by the Volcanoes National Park entrance at the Kinigi guest house, in Ruhengeri, a simple but clean complex of bungalows with a central communal building where, during our stay, English was spoken and good food was served. It is recommendable that you make a reservation there if you want to avoid a long bumpy road each time you go to and away from the park.

Every morning before dawn park trackers look for the various groups of mountain gorillas that can be accessed by visitors and report their locations to the park officials at the visitors center. Depending on the number of groups that have been located, the park officials arrange visitors in parties of not more than six people, one party for each available group of gorillas. Visitors then trek the thick rainforest in search of their group of gorillas, escorted by park trackers and park guards armed with AK-47 rifles. The rifles are not meant to protect the visitors from the peaceful animals but rather from the (remote) chance of Congolese guerrilla that should cross the nearby border with Congo.

When you reach the mountain gorillas, the experience is absolutely stunning because of the beauty of these animals and their relaxation with humans. Visitors are allowed to spend one hour each day with their assigned group of gorillas and should not get closer than 21 feet (about seven meters) from the animals. Nonetheless, it is not unusual that it will be the mountain gorillas to approach you real close, in which case you should just keep your cool and enjoy such an extraordinary display of trust. To give you an idea, just consider that I had a huge silverback standing right behind my shoulders (he was so close that I could distinctly feel his breath on my neck) while I was photographing its group members!

Tips for photographing the mountain gorillas

Three are the major challenges that a photographer has to face to photograph mountain gorillas at the Volcanoes National Park: their pitch black fur, the dim light conditions in which the animals will generally be encountered and the park rules which prohibit the use of flashlights.

In addition to these major challenges other issues should be taken into account, such as the likelihood of downpours during the time the photographer is allowed to spend with the gorillas and the equipment limitations that are inherent to the trek (which can be strenuous) required to reach the gorillas.

Based on my personal experience (and things I wish I had done differently!), I would like to pass on the following suggestions.

1. Film

If you shoot slide film, you should consider bringing film that gives you the flexibility to shoot at ISO 200 or ISO 400, depending on light conditions. Hence, my recommendation would be to bring an ISO 100 film which pushes well to 200 (generally, this yields better results than a true ISO 200 film) and an ISO 400 film.

Speaking of film, always politely ask for hand inspection of your film in most African airports because (especially in Rwanda) there is no certainty that the x-ray machines used for carry-on luggage be film safe (let alone those for checked baggage). So far, in Africa I have never been refused a hand-inspection of my film (after asking politely). Needless to say, do your best to make things easy for the security people: before leaving, take all your rolls off their packages and canisters and place them in clear zip-loc bags to ease the inspection process. These simple precautions can convince a sceptical security officer to accede to your request for a hand-inspection of your film.

2. Cameras and Lenses

Considering that you will likely be pretty close to the animals, in my view the best solution would be to bring two camera bodies, one with a 70-200 mm (or thereabouts) lens and the other with a 28-70 mm (or thereabouts). These focal lengths are intended for film cameras and do not take into account the magnification factor that is inherent to many digital cameras.

Given the dim light you will probably be working in, bring your fastest lenses in the above ranges (i.e., those with as large a maximum aperture as possible, like f/2.8 or similar). Vibration Reduction or Image Stabilization lenses can also be helpful since setting up a tripod is not always possible (vegetation can be real thick there) or desirable (gorillas are generally very curious and could try to “play” with it, which is something you would not like to experience…).

3. Flash

As mentioned before, unfortunately you are not allowed to use flashlights, which is a real handicap especially because the animals are really jet-black and using some fill flash would help at least to get some catchlights in their eyes.

4. Exposure

Again, being mountain gorillas real black, exposure can be tricky and is best performed by setting your camera on manual and by spot metering either a middle-toned subject (there will be plenty of neutral green around you!) in the same light as the gorillas or directly the gorillas’ fur (in this case underexposing the meter’s reading by about one and half stops). In the rare instances when the sun shows up, exposure is even more complicated due to the increased contrast levels: in those cases things get even worse if you use a pushed film, since pushing film yields a further increase in film contrast. So, bear that in mind while in the field.

5. Rain protection

Bring some kind of rain protection gear for both yourself and your cameras/lenses because downpours are quite frequent and your equipment can definitely get wet. Do not be cheap: forget about shower caps and buy instead one of those waterproof rain hoods that are tailored to cover a camera-lens combination.

Web sites providing more information on the mountain gorillas

Should you want to know more about mountain gorillas or contribute to their conservation, you may want to visit any of the following Web sites:

Berggorilla: http://www.berggorilla.org/english/frame.html
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International: http://www.gorillafund.org/
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (UK): http://www.dianfossey.org/home.html
Gorilla Foundation: http://www.koko.org/
Gorilla Web site of WWF America: http://www.worldwildlife.org/gorillas/
International Fund for Animal Welfare - IFAW: http://www.ifaw.org/