Live With The Gorillas

At first glance, you would probably shy clear of sharing a room with a Silverback Gorilla. A 400lb gorilla is not something you wish to take lightly. They are big, unpredictable and strong. Smelly too. They tend to ruin furniture, not because they are aggressive, but rather because your average living room couch was build for lighter things – such as two growing teenagers involved in a violent tussle.

But being close to such an animal gives you knowledge. Or so they tell me. David Attenborough knows because he has done it, spoken about it and had it filmed for the world to see.

You can do it too.

There are organised tours in Rwanda and Uganda. You can travel in the mountains with an armed escort and get right up close to these gigantic but gentle animals. Access is closely controlled and the guns are for chance meetings with poachers rather than for animal use.

You will be taken to the rainforests and then travel quite long distances by foot. Thus these treks are not for the fainthearted or unfit, yet the reward is that you are almost certain to see gorillas close up and in their natural habitat.

The gorillas accept humans – for a while. Meetings are limited to about an hour during which you are likely to be mock-charged (look submissive when this happens and you will be ok). The experience will leave you in awe – watching these massive animals going about their daily business. You will feel a part of their world for a while.