Sure Travel Journey Vol 3.4 Spring 2017 | Page 64

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VOLCANOES
NATIONAL PARK, RWANDA
Maybe it’s the thrill of coming face to face
with an animal that could overpower you
like a pneumatic machine. Maybe it’s the
sublime scenery of the grey-green Virunga
Massif – the range of volcanoes that the
gorillas retreated into because they were
being hunted to the verge of extinction.
Perhaps it’s the profound moment of
gazing into the eyes of a creature that is, in
some ways, living a life more authentically
human – and more humane – than we are.
It’s probably all three. But one thing is
for sure: this is more than a nature-lover’s
hike; it’s a pilgrimage. Nobody who goes
on a trip to Rwanda to encounter its fabled
gorillas comes back down the mountain the
same person as when they went up.
It was on the Rwandan side of the
Volcanoes National Park that Dianne Fossey
– whose life was to become immortalised
in the Academy Award-winning film Gorillas
in the Mist – set up her research facility in
1967. Fossey’s work is credited with saving
the species from extinction, and visitors
pay their respects at her grave there.
In 1981 there were just 281 gorillas in the
world; today there are more than 900. This
is one of the greatest conservation stories
ever told, and the mountain gorilla is the
only species of primate whose numbers are
actually growing.
The Volcanoes National Park boasts
10 habituated gorilla groups for tourist
interaction (with several other groups
deliberately kept away from humans), but
there are also golden monkeys, spotted
hyenas and a thriving bushbuck population,
as well as 178 bird species in the lush
canopy overhead.
If you only have one natural encounter on
your bucket list, this should be it.
GO HERE WITH SURE: Ask your
Sure Travel consultant how you
can get up close to these gorillas in the
mist, or call 0861 47 48 49.
Q
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