Here is an unforgettable encounter between man and beast! A wild mountain gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park visits a safari lodge and surprisingly meets a tourist. The giant ape shows its hospitable side and grooms the unsuspecting tourist.
How It All Started
A troop of wild mountain gorillas paid a visit to Gorilla Forest Camp, one of the tented safari lodges found inside the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in the Buhoma Sector in the north of the park.
The video footage that has gone viral was captured by a tourist who happened to be at the lodge. Within the video, a juvenile gorilla with adult gorillas approach a tourist who has been identifies as John j King II. John had gone on a gorilla safari in Uganda and he was relaxing at the epic lodge as he awaiting for the next day gorilla visit.
That evening, a troop of gorillas also paid a courtesy visit to the tented camp. It has been reported that on several occasions, this group is known to roam near this luxurious safari lodge. Out of anxiety or wonder, the baby gorilla went ahead and met King whom it even groomed as King sits in quiet amazement—right next to a giant male silverback gorilla.
“These gorillas were interacting with me just like I was one of their own, and it happened completely naturally,” King said.
According to the Bwindi Park rangers the juvenile gorillas sometimes interact with humans. Though there is a 7 meter rule on all gorilla treks, at times the juvenile apes break the law and go ahead to interact with humans.
About Mountain Gorillas
There are as few as 800 mountain gorillas left in the whole world. They have been listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). These great apes are found in only three African countries; Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is proud to host nearly half of the world’s remnant population of the mountain gorillas. Due to its conservation value, Bwindi has been designated by the UNESCO as a world heritage site.
Would you like to meet these great apes in the wild? Why not plan a perfect safari in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
