Mountain Gorilla - Rwanda

[Scott Murray]

I decided to go through my Africa album once again and thought that the Gorillas never got a fair show, so here is a thread about the Gorillas.

Stay tuned for photos

 

[Scott Murray]

Setting up our camp at a missionary in Rwanda this town sits at the foot hills of the Mountain Gorillas.

 

[Scott Murray]

Walking around this guy wants his photo taken, for some reason he thinks it will make him famous. I guess he is now famous on Nikonites

 

[Scott Murray]

The local villagers give us a welcome dance, abit touristy but it has to be done.

 

[Scott Murray]

This is a friends photo of me just to show my set up, I am wearing a sony action cam stuck on top of my hat. That orange SPOT device is a personal GPS tracking system that updates my position to a website in real time. My 80-400 is wearing a shower cap as its easier to remove then a lens cap.

 

[Scott Murray]

Our first sighting of the gorillas was of them hidden or running across the track, making it very hard to get a decent shot.

 

[Scott Murray]

Even though these Gorillas had been hunted by us humans they still trusted us and were very inquisitive.

 

[Scott Murray]

They were so at peace with us being there that they played and carried on, was amazing to watch the interactions.

 

[Scott Murray]

We were instructed to keep 7mtrs from the gorillas, but in this dense jungle that was very hard and I found myself at one time slipping on a wet vine and sliding towards a 250kg Silver back fun fun.

 

[Scott Murray]

This female was happy chewing away on the bark of a stick.

 

[Scott Murray]

Staring into their eyes was awe inspiring.

 

[Scott Murray]

The large Silver back resting out of the sun.

 

[Scott Murray]

When looking at images like this it makes me wonder what they are thinking.

 

[Scott Murray]

Remember that 7mtr rule, but no one told this baby. Also with this baby it lost one of its hands due to a snare that was left by hunters. They were not targeting gorillas but they still seem to get harmed.

 

[DraganDL]

Excellent photos you've got here!:applouse:

 

[Scott Murray]

Shortly after Tess in previous photo moved away you can nearly see the despair in the babies eyes.

 

[Scott Murray]

A youngster eating some leaves plucked from the side of the tree.

 

[Scott Murray]

And some photos from a friends 'Coolpix' of us walking through and out of the jungle.



Thanks for looking and if you get a chance to go to Rwanda definitely go see the gorillas its an hr of your life that you will never forget. Oh and pay the porters the $10USD to carry your bag as they used to be gorilla poachers and are now porters, this is better than poaching such a beautiful animal.

 

[Scott Murray]

Ah what memories

 

[Michael J.]

What amazing photos