We saw many mammal species and took lots of photos. For me, the most impressive were the Mountain Gorillas. These were seen in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda. Only eight visitors are permitted at one time. We met with trackers in the morning and were given instructions on hiking up the mountain. We were told the gorillas were fairly close but they moved quickly and climbed up the side of this mountain. An advance team was already up the mountain searching for the them and radioed our tracker. I decided early on, feeling that I was in good physical shape, that I would carry my own backpack, that was a mistake. Most of the other people hired a porter to carry their packs and assist them up the mountain. My camera body, three lenses, binoculars, water bottles and bird book made for a fairly heavy pack. This was one of the most strenuous hikes I've ever taken. We climbed through very dense foliage up the mountain. The footing was terrible and by the time we were close to the gorillas, I was gasping for air, my heart pounding out of my chest, my clothing soaked with sweat. Finally, when we were close, we were instructed to unload our packs and leave water and food behind. We walked a bit more and these incredible animals were within a few feet of us.
The gorillas were unconcerned that we were near. At one point they got very close and we were instructed to back up. The concern is not for the humans but for the gorillas. It is quite easy for us to infect the animals with a disease if we get too close.
There are only approximately 700 mountain gorillas left in the world, most are in Uganda and Rwanda, none survive in captivity.
Tracking Chimps was a lot easier. They don't travel up the sides of mountains at 8000 feet. We tracked them in Kibale Primate Forest, through another dense area. The chimps screamed at us and it was scary. They surrounded us as they were high in the trees. One or two did make it down where we able to get closer and take their photo.
Did I mention it was dense? Trackers use machetes to cut through the foliage and clear a path.
There were Baboons everywhere. They sat in the middle of the roads, by the villages, on the outskirts of the marketplaces. They're fun to watch. On occasion they have gotten into my daughter's field station and have eaten all of the food in the kitchen. They make a huge mess and leave when the food is gone or they get chased.
Jane and our tracker, Johnson, discuss the chimps which are above us in the trees. When the alpha male started thumping on the ground and began screaming, our first inclination was to run. Our tracker had done this many times before and assured us we were in no danger. Our group stayed together and we saw several chimps.
They can get quite large...
Red Colobus Monkey
Taken in the forest in Kibale.
These monkeys are being studied. Standing below the monkeys, field assistants are noting many aspects of their behavior and feeding.
This is Jane in our Safari vehicle in Tanzania. The roads were dirt and gravel and often rutted and worn. The top pops open for viewing.
Hippos are really huge and fast on land and water. In the water males defended their harem. These Hippos are relaxing and sunning themselves.
These Hippos bumped our boat to let us know we were too close to the females.
We never got tired of looking at giraffes.
We were really lucky to see a Cheetah. They're elusive and move quicky when they see humans. I snapped this as he turned to give us one last look.
Leopard are also a difficult species to find. This is as close as we could get. He was resting in this tree about noon.
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