The Doctor and the spy gorilla!
BBC’s “Spy in the Wild” series meets Uganda’s Mountain Gorillas. Diary of a Muzungu interviews Uganda’s premier vet Dr Gladys about the making of the documentary.
I recently received a wonderful press article from my correspondent in the UK – a.k.a. my dad! – who is always on the look-out for stories about Uganda and East Africa in the British press.
The Times article “Spy ape isn’t rumbled in the jungle” is all about an animatronic gorilla who has been hanging out in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with Uganda’s mountain gorillas.
I’m lucky enough to have encountered a few mountain gorillas in the wild – but this footage is in a league of its own. Watch it now!
I wanted to know more about this thrilling project here in Uganda and contacted Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH). Dr Gladys has become “one of the world’s leading conservationists and scientists working to save the critically endangered mountain gorillas of East Africa.”
The Muzungu: Which mountain gorilla family did the animatronic gorilla meet?
Dr Gladys: The Rushegura gorilla group is the family that is shown looking into the spy camera. However, they filmed other gorilla groups as well.
The Muzungu: In what way were you personally involved?
Dr Gladys: I was the lead scientist they consulted when filming “Spy Gorilla.” I accompanied the crew filming the mountain gorillas together with our team from Conservation Through Public Health, after obtaining permission from the Uganda Wildlife Authority, who also joined in the filming.
The Muzungu: How did you hear about this project?
Dr Gladys: Matt Gordon from John Downer Productions contacted me after getting a referral from a fellow National Geographic Explorer called Dr. Jill Pruetz. She was the lead scientist JDP consulted as she had hosted them when they filmed “Spy Chimpanzee” in the first series of “Spy in the Wild” at her study site in Senegal where Savannah Chimpanzees are found.
The Muzungu: What do you hope to learn from this project?
Dr Gladys: I hoped to add to my knowledge about gorilla behaviour because the spy cameras are able to non-intrusively capture close-up images of gorillas without having to get close to them. The spy cameras can record never before seen behaviour that will help us to protect mountain gorillas better and ultimately inspire viewers to conserve them.
The Muzungu: How many hours of filming took place for the film crew to get the one-hour show about Bwindi’s gorillas?
Dr Gladys: It took them ten days to film the documentary.
The Muzungu: Are there any plans for this kind of project to be repeated in Bwindi?
Dr Gladys: Most likely not, because the film crew got a lot of information and it took a lot of time, money and resources to capture this rare footage
The Muzungu: What is your feeling about the gorillas’ reaction to the animatronic gorilla?
Dr Gladys: We were first a bit apprehensive about how the gorillas would react. I also made sure that the spy gorilla was disinfected adequately to prevent any potential disease transmission. With the UWA and CTPH team, we were pleased to see that the gorillas were curious about the animatronic gorilla that looked like them, and the infants tried to play with it. It was fascinating to see that the gorillas were intelligent enough to discover that though the spy gorilla looked like them, it was not a real gorilla, but were still protective over it. The Spy Gorilla camera brought out their personalities as curious and accommodating gentle giants.
About the BBC’s “Spy in the Wild” series
“Spy in the Wild is back in one of the most innovative natural history series ever presented. This time it deploys over 50 ultra-realistic animatronic Spy Creatures to go undercover across every region of the world. The 4 x 60 minute BBC One series captures some of the most extraordinary animal behaviour ever seen, filmed from inside the animal world.
Using special state-of-the-art 4k resolution “Spy Creatures” the viewer is plunged into the very heart of the extraordinary lives of over 40 remarkable animals. They reveal previously unseen behaviour as animals gather, feed, fight and breed in among some of the greatest wildlife gatherings ever witnessed. This team of hyper-real Spy Creatures not only look like the animals they film, they behave like them too. Accepted by the families, these robotic look-alikes can not only film from an intimate perspective they also interact with the animals and so gain revelatory insights into their worlds.” Learn more about the Spy in the Wild series.
A big thank you to Dr Gladys for sharing her story with Diary of a Muzungu and to Papa Nagawa for being my eyes and ears on the ground in the UK.
… And before you go, check out this adorable face again! 🙂
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park – no. 1 for mountain gorilla trekking, no. 1 in Africa for birding too!
We pay a lot of lip service to ‘protecting the rainforest’ and here it is: a magical, mystical misty place. The first time I visited Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, I felt a strong emotional pull. My first sight of Bwindi’s rainforest made me want to cry.
View of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest as we ascended from Ivy River up to Nkuringo. Click on the image to read my blog about crossing the forest from Buhoma to Nkuringo – it was an amazing experience!
The forest’s wildlife also includes chimpanzees, forest elephants, duikers, Red-tailed monkeys and hundreds of mammals. Forest butterflies are particularly beautiful.
Enkima – my totem the Red tailed monkey – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Click on the image to read my blog “Eye to eye with my totem”
The African Bird Club has ranked Bwindi Impenetrable Forest the number one site for birding in Africa.
According to Keith Betton, Chairman of the African Bird Club:“No fewer than 23 of Uganda’s 24 Albertine Rift endemic species are found here including globally threatened species such as African Green Broadbill Pseudocalyptomena graueri and Shelley’s Crimsonwing Cryptospiza shelleyi, plus others such as Kivu Ground-Thrush Zoothera (piaggiae) tanganjicae, Oberlaender’s Ground-Thrush Zoothera oberlaenderi, Dwarf Honeyguide Indicator pumilio, Lagden’s Bush-Shrike Malacanotus lagdeni and Chapin’s Flycatcher Muscicapa lendu.”
Welcome to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Bwindi hiking. Photo David Tumusiime
While you’re in Bwindi, take time to go on a village walk. “The Batwa Experience” gives you an insight into the traditional way of life of the Batwa (‘pygmy’) people who lived in the forest for 60,000 years. The Batwa’s ancient forest lifestyle is unique and the community fragile.
Did you know… the mountain gorilla population once numbered just 254 individuals? Thanks to gorilla tourism, their numbers have stabilised. However, they remain endangered (the official term used by IUCN).
How to hike Bwindi. A jungle adventure with Gorilla Highlands
Have you experienced the real jungle? Bwindi hiking is the real deal
Been walking in the woods? Try walking in the jungle! Hiking Bwindi Impenetrable Forest from North (Buhoma) to South (Nkuringo) – with (I hoped) the slight possibility of glimpsing a Mountain Gorilla en route – is a hike I’ve wanted to do for ages. Are you planning to to gorilla trekking in Uganda? Stay an extra day and do this hike too.
8 hours, 17 km, 3 waterfalls and 16 new friends #Edirisatreks hiking Bwindi
Walking through Bwindi is the real deal.
It’s a world of dense greenery, layer after layer of vegetation, common plants in uncommon sizes, babbling brooks and smooth round boulders to hop across patches of bog; a wonderful series of waterfalls – so much more to see in the forest than I’d even imagined (especially if you have a knowledgeable guide or two). Gorilla trekking is a not-to-be-missed experience, but Bwindi has brilliant hiking adventures too.
I’m now trying to work out which hiking Bwindi trail can the Muzungu do next?…
UWA entrance sign to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda
Every good hike starts with a good breakfast and Buhoma Lodge rise to the challenge: platters of fresh fruit, thin pancakes with honey, cereals, traditional cooked English breakfast, toast and fresh coffee – I enjoy every single one of those guilty carbs in preparation for our day-long walk.
Breakfast spread at Buhoma Lodge, Bwindi, Gorilla Highlands, #Edirisatreks hiking Bwindi
The only problem with Buhoma Lodge in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda is that it is the first place we visit, and nowhere else quite compares to it for the rest of our trip. Leaving Buhoma Lodge feels like leaving home – in fact my return trip is planned before I leave the building. I love the fact that all the staff come out to say goodbye to us, even the masseuse and the chef!
Everywhere we walk, we are accompanied by smiling faces. This Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger has such a lovely smile. He doesn’t say much but he keeps a good eye on us all day.
A smiling UWA ranger, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda
At the entrance to the park, our guide Blasio points to the Nyaga river and the nearby hills of the Congo.
Bwindi is home to seven types of primate. Its most famous primate inhabitants are the mountain gorilla, whose population roam between Uganda, the Congo and Rwanda. Bwindi – and specifically Buhoma, where we start our trek – has the world’s highest concentration of mountain gorillas and is the main centre for gorilla trekking. Bwindi is also home to chimpanzees and Red tailed monkeys [my namesake nkima] are a particular favourite of mine as regular Diary readers may remember from my first trip to Bwindi.
Bwindi is also home to a small (and rarely seen) population of Forest elephants, who are smaller than their more well-known Savannah African elephant relatives.
The Muzungu crosses one of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest’s rivers, on a previous hike, following the Ivy River trail from Nkuringo
Moss-covered bridges constructed of twigs and branches lead us across brooks and streams and into the heart of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
The wide fronds of giant fern trees are like huge hands waving us their welcome. Their fronds unfurl like a beckoning finger, to invite us deeper into the interior.
I love ferns – aren’t they elegant? #Edirisatreks with Gorilla Highlands in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
The scenery is breathtaking, the air is pure, and the only sounds are natural ones: water, birdsong, the leaves dropping from the branches overhead. As I’m taking it all in, mesmerised, a kaleidoscope of small yellow butterflies dance through the air ahead of me. “Didn’t Disney do a great job?” Quips John, the voice from Gorilla Highlands videos.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to hundreds and thousands of exotic and rare plant species. Many are endemic. I particularly like the larger-than-life plants. Here ferns grow to three and four metres tall. We crane our necks to stare up at 100-year-old Mahogany tree and take pictures of the pink Impatience flower (a favourite with the gorillas apparently). The flowers gain their name from their quick life-cycle: they open in the morning and drop to the forest floor after just one day.
Looking down at my feet, I notice I am following in the footprints of a duiker.
Duiker (small antelope) footprint, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with Gorilla Highlands. Diary of a Muzungu
Our guide points to a vibrant Mother of Pearl butterfly. On forest hikes in Uganda, indescribably beautiful butterflies appear from nowhere. Keep your eyes peeled, they flit in and out of your life in seconds. Perhaps that’s their appeal?
Mother of Pearl butterfly. Image courtesy of www.learnaboutbutterflies.com
When 17 people are excitedly tramping through the forest, birdlife and wildlife hides… unsurprisingly! I was happy to focus on the giant plants and the microscopic fungus. Nature is amazing – even if it doesn’t ROAR at you.
Tiny fungus thrive on the underside of a log on our #gorillahike with Gorilla Highlands in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Taking a decent photo in a the Impenetrable Forest is not easy with a very average camera like mine, so you will forgive the rather dark fuzzy pictures – but you get a sense of the place: wall to wall prolific greenery, rivers and waterfalls, in fact a series of three waterfalls that we explore on an hour’s walk from Buhoma.
Diary of a Muzungu leaves the laptop at home for the week-end… Waterfalls beckon. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda
The water is cool and clear. I could have (should have) had a dip at the river junction – Miha did!
Bwindi hiking – above the waterfalls!
Take time to visit all three of Bwindi’s waterfalls. Each one is different.
Check out my minimalist (short!) videos of the waterfalls in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
The cold clean water and surrounding environment make you feel so alive.
I’m amazed at how few tour operators insist on having this on a safari itinerary. The walk to the waterfalls is the perfect antidote to being stuck in a vehicle for hours or days. The Gorilla Highlands initiative is all about spending more quality time in the region – gorilla trekking in Uganda? Yes, a brilliant experience, but there’s so much more to see and do in south western Uganda.
I loved every minute of our eight hour walk through the Forest, crossing rivers, stopping at waterfalls, taking photos of plants and fungus along the way.
Walking through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – ahhhh – the peace, the cool air, the solitude….
Along the way there are warnings of Safari ants. “Don’t tuck your trousers into your socks. We want to see you JUMP!” Jokes Miha.
These unassuming and faint marks on the ground are actually industrious Safari ants. Their organisational skills are mind-blowing. They march in one direction delivering chopped up leaves, and back in the other direction empty-handed, for a refill. Round and round they go. Not a single one of them deviates from the direction set by the others.
By mid-afternoon, our group has been walking for several hours. We walk at different speeds and are spaced out at intervals through the Forest, escorted by numerous guides and UWA rangers. There is a shout from someone up ahead:“Red ants!” – and I watch the person ahead of me suddenly start running uphill for 100 metres, trying not to stop long enough for the tenacious red ants to cling on to their boots.
And then it’s my go. Somehow I find the energy to run uphill. At the top – beyond the red ants at least – there is a frenzy of excited laughter and furious stamping of feet as we jump up and down to get rid of the red ants. If ever an animal was tenacious, it is the red ant! Their bite is unforgiving but the incident is quickly forgotten.
View of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest as we ascend from the River Ivy up to Nkuringo. You can clearly see where the protected area of the forest is bordered by community land
Bwindi hiking tips
- Have a small day bag (rucksack) and make sure it’s waterproof. Pack water (minimum one litre), lunch, waterproof clothing and camera.
- Forget about your phone. Turn the damn thing off.
- Take a walking pole or stick. It will help steady you when climbing over rocks and slippery slopes.
- Ideally you should wear walking boots that cover and support your ankle as you climb over rocks and tree roots. Trainers may be okay – if you don’t mind getting your feet wet! There are occasional boggy patches and the ground everywhere can be wet and muddy.
Sun peaks through the canopy of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – but climbing on the uneven terrain of slippery tree roots can be difficult if you don’t have the right footwear
- Keep your mouth shut when you look up through the trees – we spotted quite a few spider’s webs as we looked up!
- Take your camera but be aware that photography is difficult as the forest is quite dark.
- I love birdwatching but forest birds can be hard to see. On my first trip to Bwindi, I hired an expert bird guide. This made all the difference. He was able to mimic the birdsong and call them out of the forest! Forest birds (like those of Kibale Forest) have my favourite songs. You may not see a lot of birds, but you will certainly hear them. Did you know Bwindi was voted the number one destination in Travel Africa magazine’s list of top 10 birdwatching sites in Africa?
- Wear gaiters to keep the ants and other insects out of your boots / trousers / knickers! Failing that, tuck long trousers into long socks.
Do not mess with safari ants! You see how aggressive this little fella can be? Macro photo taken with Safari ant waving his pincers at us, protecting the worker ants
- You don’t have to do the full hike to enjoy Bwindi’s waterfalls. Allow 2 to 3 hours to take in the series of three main waterfalls. A shorter one hour walk takes you to the first waterfall (only). You can then circle back to your starting point in Buhoma.
- Support the Conservation Through Public Health charity’s work to protect the gorillas by staying at their very affordable Gorilla Camp.
My first encounter with a baby mountain gorilla, dangling by one arm several metres above my head. An earlier trip to Buhoma, Bwindi
- Take a tour of Bwindi Community Hospital. Gorilla trekking in Uganda has helped develop Uganda’s best hospital outside Kampala. An amazing achievement for this very poor and once forgotten corner of Africa. I’m very proud of my VSO colleagues and friends who have helped develop Bwindi Community Hospital. The hospital has a very useful page on public transport options for reaching Bwindi (Buhoma) from Kampala.
- To organise a hike through Bwindi, contact Uganda Wildlife Authority. Crossing Bwindi is also the potential start of the Gorilla Highlands Trails.
- In 2015, the cost for a tourist (“foreign non-resident”) to do the trek from Buhoma to Nkuringo is $70 ($40 for entry into the National Park plus $30 for the guided nature walk). For Ugandans (and EAC citizens) the costs are 25k UGX (15k UGX for entry into the National Park plus 10k UGX for the guided nature walk). See this Gorilla Highlands page for more information on costs for Bwindi hiking.
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Hiking in search of the Lucky Bean tree, Bwindi
Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, in the far south western corner of Uganda, is the ideal starting point for: hikes through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to Buhoma on the northern side of the Forest, walks to Lake Mutanda and journeys across the lake by dugout canoe towards Kisoro, as well as mountain biking and bird watching. It’s a popular place to stay if you plan to track gorillas from the trailheads at Nkuringo or Rushaga.
On my first stay at Nkuringo Gorilla Camp (which has grown over the years to be known as Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge) friends opted for the ‘one-day circular forest walk,’ starting at Nteko village and following the Ivy River trails and Kashasha River into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. It was spectacular!
Walking safari into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
As we walked downhill towards the River Ivy, our excellent guide Adolf listed some of the mammals we might see in the forest: a golden cat, civets, serval cats, jackals, flying squirrels, red tailed monkey, L’Hoest and black and white Colobus monkeys. The Muzungu’s wildlife wishlist for the day: a Blue Monkey, forest butterflies and some new ticks for my forest bird list please. (A gorilla sighting would be pretty cool too…)
We stopped at a swampy area before crossing the river to enter the park.
“One time we came here and the bridge had been washed away. We had to remove our clothes and walk across through the river,” Adolf told us.
“Even with clients?” I asked.
“Yes!” He laughed.
Safely across the water, Adolf welcomed us into the impenetrable forest. “If you take the wrong turning, you can get lost in the forest for seven days. It happened to someone I know from the village. They had to send out a search party for him.”
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest derives its name from the Mubwindi Swamp in the eastern part of the Forest; its full name being Mubwindi Nyamukari, named after a young woman who was ‘damped’ (drowned) by her father in the swamp. This was one of three local stories we heard of young women being drowned in swamps or waterfalls. Verdict: this was not the best place in the world for a girl to be born. In every story, it was the young woman who copped it every time while the man got away unscathed.
Back in the forest, Adolf warned us to beware the biting safari ants and pointed out the trails where forest hogs had crossed. He also showed us Wild Pineapple, Wild Ginger and the beautiful red Erythinia abyssinia ‘Lucky Bean Tree.’
The pods of the Lucky Bean Tree contain bright red seeds. Local people believe that if you find one of these seeds and put it in your pocket, you will be lucky for the whole day. The thorny structure of the tree is believed to ward evil spirits away too. The Lucky Bean Tree also has medicinal qualities: the ash from its bark can be applied to burns.
“I know it sounds like a silly question, but what does a Blue Monkey look like?” asked my friend Robert.
I never did hear the answer, as we were distracted trying to identify a bird – that turned out to be an enormous cricket!
Encounter with a Silverback
Adolf recounted the story of the day he was called from Nkuringo to Buhoma. This meant he had to walk through the middle of Bwindi Forest.
“As I was moving, we came across a group of 19 gorillas sitting on the track. In the middle was the Silverback gorilla. I had a big stick and I stood back, watching him, and moving very gently. The Silverback started snapping branches on either side of the trail.”
Adolf imitated the low pitched growling of the Silverback. The other gorillas joined in, displaying sounds of annoyance at having been disturbed.
“I didn’t want to turn back. Clients were expecting me in Buhoma.”
“Couldn’t you just wait until they moved?” I asked him.
“It would have been dark by then in the forest. It was already 6 o’clock in the evening.
The Silverback came towards me with his mouth wide open, thumping his chest, screaming at me!
I had to walk backwards, slowly but still facing him. The Silverback mirrored my pace. I took two steps, he took two steps… then I took off running!”
“Was he chasing you?” I asked.
“Yes!” answered Adolf.
“I had turned my walking stick at an angle and the Silverback thought I was going to hit him.” (Adolf imitated the gorilla covering his head with his hands as if to protect himself).
“After some time, the Silverback slowly walked back to his family. I managed to get out of the forest by 8 o’clock. It was completely dark by then. I slowly walked back towards where the gorillas were and walked around them. It was the Nkuringo family of gorillas.”
After hearing Adolf’s alarming gorilla tale, the Muzungu decided to reconsider her wildlife wishlist for the day. I was very happy to settle for some birding highlights that included:
- Brown-throated wattleeye
- White-eyed slaty flycatcher
- Paradise flycatcher
- Black-billed turaco
- Dusky long-tailed cuckoo
The total tracking time was around six hours, in which we covered 17.5 km (most of which seemed to be uphill!) Our steadfast guide Adolf paced our walk just right and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, even the steep bits!
It was on our final ascent that we came across a Lucky Bean Tree, right next to our path. Guess which Lucky Bean put the seed in her pocket?
An alternative hike is from Kisoro
After a 90-minute walk to Lake Mutanda, there’s a 2 ½ hour dugout canoe trip north to Rwajenje. (Don’t worry about overexerting yourself: the tour includes a comfy seat, lifejacket and a man to paddle you, while you take photos of the volcanic peaks reflected in the lake). The gentle padding is followed by a 9km / 3-hour walk along community trails up to Rubuguri Junction; here you can be picked up for the final 10km uphill to Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge.
The view from Nteko Ridge
Nteko Ridge is the highest point: there’s nothing between you and Bwindi’s lush rainforest for miles left and right, on one side of the hill and a staggering EIGHT volcanic peaks on the opposite side of the hill.
Volcanoes and rainforests have their own unique weather patterns so the visibility can’t be guaranteed. For me though, that’s half the fun. Wake and look out the window “what will I see today?”
If you’ve never seen a rainforest before, you must visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest: it’s incredibly dense and incredibly green. THERE ARE A LOT OF TREES. The air is pure and the National Park has almost unimaginable biodiversity. I tingle, just remembering it all.
Gorilla trekking information
The Nkuringo gorilla family group is just a few minutes walk from Nkruringo Gorilla Lodge. Robert Brierley advised us that tracking the gorilla families in Rushaga involves a 23km / 55 minute drive from the lodge. Interested in trekking the gorillas in Uganda? Read Diary of Muzungu’s guide to gorilla trekking. My guide is based on many years’ trekking the gorillas, working with conservation organisations, lodges, guides and tour operators. You can also contact me directly for recommendations.
