Mountain Gorilla Homes, Rwanda

Visiting Mountain Gorillas in their homes in Rwanda is the most spiritual thing I’ve ever done. Here, I am standing only about 10 feet in front of wild gorillas, no bars, no cages, and no fear on either side. Behind me, a giant silverback gorilla, a mom and toward the end of the video, you can clearly see her baby. She trusted us to be near her toddler.

I was motivated to post this after seeing Virunga: The Movie.

Do see the movie, but be prepared to see a violent species. I am referring to our own species, certainly not the mountain gorillas.

In Rwanda and Uganda, where tour groups see the gorillas in the same Virunga mountains, it’s far safer than the Congo. We went with Ecotours because this company gives back to the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project and to the nation of Rwanda (which by the way, is quite safe).

I watched the movie and cried, and saw this video (from over a year ago) and cried….cried because I so lucky to be in the presence of  wild gorillas, cried because I know their existence is up to us – not much faith there in their future….and cried because after seeing the film I was reminded what we humans do to one another.