This year’s World Gorilla Day celebration with the community of Mpungu Subcounty was more than an event. It was an experience, a raw, humbling and exhilarating journey into the heart of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Our mission was simple yet profound: to meet the Happy Family, one of Ruhija’s most famous gorilla groups and to stand face-to-face with our great cousins, the mountain gorillas.
DAWN ABOVE THE TEA PLANTATIONS
The day began in silence. From a high raised Ihamba Loft, where we had spent the night, the view stretched endlessly over tea plantations wrapped in the morning mist. By 5:00 a.m., alarms rang and within half an hour, we were dressed in long, warm clothes, layers to guard against the forest’s chill, crawling insects and whipping branches.
There was no hesitation in our steps as we crossed the plantations. The leaves were heavy with dew, brushing against our trousers as though whispering their own good wishes for the day ahead. Cameras, bags, notebooks and a heartful of anticipation weighed on our shoulders. We were not just visitors; we were storytellers, eager to capture the wild.
THE BRIEFING; RULES OF RESPECT
At the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s visitor center where we assembled, the forest’s guardians awaited. Our ranger guide, Marios, gathered us for a briefing.
“Remember,” he said firmly, “the gorillas are our cousins. Respect their space. Do not eat in front of them. Keep your voices low. And if the silverback shows aggression, do not run.”
It was a reminder that this was no ordinary walk. We were entering the home of giants.
CUTTING INTO THE “IMPENETRABLE”
We were then driven to the entry point where each of us was handed a freshly cut walking stick, courtesy of Marios, the ranger and his ever-sharp panga. The stick felt almost symbolic, a bridge between us and the forest, steadying us in unknown terrain.
Tracking begins with clues. The ranger explained that the first task was to locate where the gorillas had spent the previous night. This is done by studying footprints, dung, and eventually nests. It was like reading a forest diary written in broken bamboo and paw prints.
But the forest has its humor. Within the first 30 minutes, we had taken a wrong turn. The path twisted upward, steep and slippery, and coming back down was harder still. “It’s easier going up than coming down,” one ranger laughed, watching us wobble on muddy slopes.
The terrain was punishing, hills that stretched to the sky, valleys that sank into shadow and roots that reached out to trip us. Yet, every slip reminded us why the forest is called impenetrable.
LAUGHTER IN THE MUD’
The day’s comic relief came courtesy of Emma Ssempijja, our cameraman. Burdened with heavy equipment, Emma fought bravely but lost repeatedly to the mud. He rolled forward, backward, and sideways, a clumsy ballet that had us gasping with laughter.
“It’s like he signed a contract with the mud!” someone teased, and Emma, covered head to toe, grinned in agreement.
The rangers, ever patient, guided us gently. Along the way, they pointed out medicinal plants, reminding us that Bwindi is more than gorillas; it is a pharmacy, a pantry, and a sanctuary for life.
SIGNS OF GIANTS’
After an hour of trekking highs and lows, the signs began to appear. Bamboo stalks bent unnaturally. The undergrowth looked recently trampled. And then, unmistakable, steaming dung. The gorillas were close.
Moments later, the forest spoke: a low, rumbling sound, the kind that vibrates in your chest before it reaches your ears.
And there he was.
MEETING HAPPY.
Happy, the mighty silverback, sat like a king at the center of his domain. His massive frame radiated authority, his eyes calm but sharp. Beside him, a sister lingered quietly, while two babies swung from tree to tree, their laughter-like squeals piercing the forest hush.
We froze, awestruck. Cameras clicked in bursts, but no lens could capture the gravity of the moment. This was not just wildlife. This was kinship.
A WARNING ROAR
Overcome by excitement, some of us crept closer than we should have. In an instant, Happy rose with a roar that shook the air. The ground seemed to tremble beneath us. Instinct told us to run, but the ranger’s command anchored us: stand still. I was amazed at this particular skill exhibited by the Uganda wildlife Authority’s team, one that takes even up to 3 years to master, habituation.
Habituators whispered softly, almost like prayers, reassuring Happy in a language only he understood. Slowly, he calmed, lowering his chest back into the grass. We were spared, reminded gently but firmly whose kingdom we had entered.
LIFE WITH THE HAPPY FAMILY
The hour that followed was pure magic. We watched the gorillas feed, stripping bamboo shoots with their dexterous hands. We saw how the mothers kept their infants close, how the young ones played freely, and how Happy ruled, not with cruelty, but with quiet authority.
Stories unfolded: how Happy rose to become silverback, how many wives and children he commanded, his personality traits. He was proud, protective, and undeniably majestic.
And just as our visit drew to a close, the family offered a farewell, puffs of air, left and right. It was as though they were blowing us away, politely but firmly ending our stay. The smell lingered, sharp and earthy, but we laughed through it, grateful for the humor of the giants.
THE JOURNEY BACK
The return trek was calmer, the forest now a friend we had been formally introduced to. The mud was still there, the slopes still tricky, but our steps felt lighter, our spirits buoyed by what we had witnessed.
The mist had begun to lift from the tea fields by the time we emerged, revealing rolling hills kissed by the sun. Sweat, mud, and tired knees didn’t matter. What mattered was the story we carried, a story of conservation, of community, of a silverback named Happy who reminded us of our shared lineage.
A Celebration Beyond Words
On this World Gorilla Day, we did more than just celebrate with the people of Mpungu. We celebrated life itself. We celebrated the resilience of the gentle giants of Bwindi, whose survival depends on our respect and protection.
And for us, the trek wasn’t just another adventure. It was a bucket-list dream, conquered in the company of giants, written forever in our hearts