Gorillas in Gabon

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We've been walking, fast, through the rainforest for well over an hour, trying to keep up with our two young guides when they suddenly stop. Sitting ahead, his back against a tree, is Kamala, a huge silver back lowland gorilla, busy eating a piece of forest fruit. He looks up to acknowledge our arrival, finishes the fruit and stretches. Slowly rising onto all fours, he strides off into the jungle following the rest of his family.



We are in the Loango National Park in Gabon. Getting here from the capital, Libreville, has involved a flight to Port Gentil, two 4x4 trail drives and four boat transfers across the huge lagoon that dominates this park. The first small boat got us to Loango Lodge for the night, the second to Louri Wilderness Camp, deeper into the park. On the way we see birds of prey, kingfishers and troops of monkeys, all great to see but our minds are set on our day’s trekking from the gorilla research centre.



Our early breakfast is accompanied by an old favourite, the PCR Covid test. We can't get on the next boat without passing the test for fear of infecting the gorillas. It's an anxious 10-minute wait for the C line to appear and the T line to stay clear but we pass and we're good to go as soon as we have our face masks in place.



A 50-minute boat ride south gets us to the gorilla research station; western lowland gorillas are critically endangered. We are told that yesterday the habituated gorilla family crossed further south through a swamp but then turned back, possibly because there were other gorillas in the area, crossing the swamp for a second time. Four local tracker were out a dawn today to find them but so far no joy. We take the time to understand the family - Kamala the silver back, the three adult females and six children. The juveniles range from two to twelve and all except the four-year-old are male.



Kamala ambles on through the jungle; we try to keep up at a respectful distance behind. His family have just finished foraging and the dominant female is now leading the group to somewhere to rest. Silver back gorillas always walk at the back of the group and soon we watch him enter a small clearing that seems to be full of very black, very furry gorillas. Just in front of us is Orema, the teenage male, laid on his back without a care in the world. Not far away is an adult female, Ambia, also laying quietly on her back. We realise that Malumbi, her four-year-old daughter, is laid across her chest being breast fed. Young gorillas start eating leaves, berries and fruit at six month but they are not finally weaned until about five years.



In the background eight-year-old, Ogwdy, is repeatedly running up to his ten-year-old half-brother, Waka, and poking him, just to be annoying. Eventually Waka jumps at Ogwdy and a noisy play-fight ensues. The two gorillas roll through the undergrowth, alternately growling and laughing.



We watch the group for an hour. Once the play-fight stops this is a tranquil scene, wonderful to watch and to observe the different characters of the resting gorillas. Their social interaction and body language is disturbingly like our own.



Just before we are to leave, the play-fight erupts again. This time Mokebo is clearly annoyed by the noise. She tosses her two-year-old onto her back and walks out of the clearing. Her teenage son Orema lazily stands up and walks across to the two younger males who immediately stop fighting. In ones and twos, the ten gorillas head-on out behind Mokebo; Kamala is last.



We, too, regroup and head off down the path out, only to find it blocked by the silver back who has found a tasty bush. We politely wait and, when he is ready, he moves on and so do we. This is his home, we are merely visitors, honoured guests.



We're now back near the park's edge at Loango Lodge. We've used more boats and 4x4s to see forest elephants - some on the Atlantic Ocean beach - buffalo, hippo, crocodile, one antelope and a host of birds. Tomorrow we journey back to Libreville.

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