In Uganda, The Gorillas Are Only Part of The Appeal

"By the time we see our first gorilla, I'm ready to sit down on a patch of grass and, honestly, take a rest. After two hours of vigorous hiking, I want to ask the gorillas if they can just hang on a moment so I can catch my breath. The hike began with a bang: up a steep incline, through a non-native eucalyptus woodland, past tea plantations at 6,200 feet above sea level, then down into the dense brush. Once inside Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, we traipsed along a narrow path lined with mahoganies and strangler figs while skipping over branches and lines of angry red ants."

"But the gorillas do not wait. Particularly this group of 17, which is extremely active and, because there's another gorilla family nearby, very territorial. As we follow them, clambering up hills and over plants and roots, our guide Ngabirano Onesmus hacks away at branches to make way. Suddenly it's raining gorillas. They're dashing past us and climbing up trees, then awkwardly sliding back down. Some sit pensively, staring into the distance-one resembles Rodin's The Thinker, his chin gently resting on his hand."

"Despite my amoeba-like legs, I don't want to miss a beat. My first inclination is to frantically take photos, but I also don't want to witness them through a screen. I want to marvel at their human-like movements as they pick their nose and play with their feet. This is my first time tracking mountain gorillas in Uganda. I've seen them before in Rwanda, not surprising since most people associate these fantastic primates with that country."

"But a 2018 census (results from the most recent one, in 2025, haven't been released yet) showed that Uganda has almost half the world's mountain gorilla population: 445 of th"

A trip through Uganda includes Kampala, hikes past waterfalls, and encounters with chimps before reaching Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for mountain gorilla tracking. After a steep climb through eucalyptus woodland and tea plantations, hikers enter dense forest paths lined with mahoganies and strangler figs while navigating branches and red ants. The gorillas move quickly and do not pause, especially an active, territorial group of 17 near another family. Guides clear branches to maintain the route as gorillas dash, climb trees, slide down, and sit staring pensively. The experience balances the urge to photograph with the desire to fully witness human-like movements. Uganda holds nearly half of the world’s mountain gorilla population.

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