Episode 2 Gorilla Family & Me

Gorillas - the largest primate on the planet.

They can be explosively aggressive.

BARKING AND HOOTING

That goes right through you.

'But I want to discover if they're also capable of compassion...'

Wow!

'..sophisticated relationships...

'..and even love.'

Quite something to watch

a huge animal be so tender

and caring for the tiniest of his children.

'My name is Gordon Buchanan. I'm a wildlife cameraman.'

It is my deep desire to reveal

gorilla family life like never before.

'Three months ago, I travelled to the Congo to try and gain

'the trust of a family of the biggest gorillas of all, Grauer's gorillas.'

He is immense.

'I developed a deep respect for the dominant silverback, Chimanuka.'

My heart is beating a little bit faster than it was before.

'And I fell in love with two of his young sons. The baby, Mwira.'

We've got Mwira, who looks as if he's made an escape from his mum.

'And orphan Marhale,

'whose mother had died during a fight between Chimanuka and a rival male.'

How old was Marhale when he was orphaned?

-One year and five months.

-One year!

'When I was last here, the family was in crisis.

'Chimanuka's rival had returned, intent on taking over.

'The two babies' lives hung in the balance.'

GORILLAS BARKING AND GRUNTING

'Now I'm back to see if the family has survived

'and to try to help these special gorillas.

'Home for my gorilla family is this forest, close to the

'eastern border of the DRC, the Democratic Republic of Congo.

'It's part of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park,

'one of the last refuges for the rare and endangered Grauer's gorilla.

'I've returned to find out what's happened to my family

'since I was here ten weeks ago.

'I'm desperate to find Chimanuka and his two sons,

'so the trackers lead me into the forest.

'After an hour, there are signs we're getting close.'

I don't think they're far ahead of us now.

There's some dung just here.

It looks very fresh, so it means the gorillas aren't far away.

The excitement is building.

'But I can't just rush in.'

As soon as I get this close to any of the gorillas,

I have to put on my facemask.

'This will protect the gorillas from any colds or infections

'I might be carrying.'

GORILLAS HOOT

'I can hear the gorillas but I can't see them.'

Oh, my word. Look at this!

Here they are.

Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see

a fully-grown silverback at the top of a 100ft tree.

'It's Chimanuka, alive and well.'

That is seriously impressive,

an enormous gorilla at the top of an enormous tree.

'Chimanuka's clearly recovered from the bust up with his rival.'

How many have we got?

We've got one, two, three, four, five,

five gorillas that I can see in this one tree.

I thought that was Mwira there

but I don't think it is,

it's one of the other infants.

'Worryingly, I can't see either baby Mwira or the orphan Marhale.'

The time that I was away there was three gorillas that

I kind of thought of a lot, Chimanuka was one of them.

But also Mwira, who's the smallest and youngest gorilla in the family

and then Marhale, who was the orphaned gorilla

that Chimanuka had taken under his wing.

So, now that I can see Chimanuka,

I want to find those two other gorillas.

'Last time I saw him, baby Mwira was just nine months old.

'Chimanuka was very protective of him,

'often shielding his young son from my attention.'

In a situation like this when Chimanuka's feeling nervous,

he's even more likely to stay close to the gorillas that probably

need the most security, and that is the youngest.

'Chimanuka also showed a touching devotion for the orphan Marhale.'

This enormous, scary animal, has got a very, very soft centre.

He cares a great deal about his children.

'Marhale's mother had died during a fight between Chimanuka

'and his rival.

'Since then, Marhale has relied

'solely on the care of his father to survive.

'Now that I'm back, I'm keen to check that Mwira and Marhale are OK.

'But before I can look for them, Chimanuka comes looking for me.

'He hasn't seen me for a couple of months,

'so I'm not surprised that he's wary.'

LOW GROWL

He's on his feet now.

Oh, my goodness.

Hey, fella.

I get the point.

I get your message.

This is your forest.

That is seriously wonderful.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my gosh.

LOW GROWL

HE LAUGHS

Oh, gosh.

Um, I think when a gorilla does that

it's just the most intimidating animal encounter

you could ever have.

And I think it's just his way of telling me that he's the boss.

This is his forest, he is king

and don't forget that.

Being with the gorillas is magical,

but you kind of have to go through hell to get those magic moments.

'Grauer's gorillas are related to the neighbouring mountain gorillas.

'As their name implies,

'they live in the mountainous areas where DRC, Rwanda and Uganda meet.

'But gorillas like Chimanuka live at a lower altitude,

'which is why they are less hairy.

'There is also much less known about them.

'That's because the DRC has been

'embroiled in conflict for the last two decades,

'so few outsiders have ever seen these gorillas.

'Chimanuka's family are the only Grauer's gorillas that are currently

'habituated to humans, making them the only ones you can get close to.

'That's why the of fate baby Mwira

'and the orphan Marhale is so important.'

This is a part of Chimanuka's range that I haven't actually

seen him in before and I really hope that when I get in I can find Mwira.

OK, this is a different ball game.

WATER RUNS

'We track Chimanuka and the others to a stream.

'The gorillas aren't after the water,

'they get all the moisture that they need from their food.

'It's the rich foliage that's drawn

'these gigantic vegetarians to this spot.

'A silverback like Chimanuka will

'eat around 30 kilos of greenery every day.

'It's a diet that has rather predictable effects.'

HE BREAKS WIND

HE BREAKS WIND

'Surrounded by fresh vegetation if not by fresh air,

'I'm hoping the family will stay here long enough for me to find

'orphan Marhale and baby Mwira.'

This is exactly how I wanted to find the family.

Chimanuka's just down the slope from me.

If I get a look at him,

it may well be that Mwira is close by to him.

They've got... Hang on, who's this coming up?

Ah, there you go!

There he is.

I couldn't quite see if that was Mwira's mum.

And then up into shot comes the little man himself.

Oh, that's great!

I am so happy to see him.

Looking great. Looking a bit bigger.

Approaching his first birthday is magnificent.

It's the one thing that is unchanging in the forest,

and that's his mother's devotion.

She's always there for him to just reach out and grab onto.

He's lovely.

'I've found one of Chimanuka's young sons,

'but I've not yet seen Marhale, the orphan.

'There seems little hope of spotting him in the gathering gloom.'

We've lost the light, the sun's set, and ordinarily I'd head back to camp,

but I've got a thermal imaging camera with me.

That's going to allow me to be able to film long into the night

and hopefully give me a chance of seeing Marhale.

'The park has granted me special permission to film here at night

'so I've brought the latest, military grade,

'thermal imaging camera to make the most of this unique opportunity.'

It is pitch-black.

With my naked eye, I can see nothing,

absolutely nothing without light.

But this camera should, I'm hoping,

be able to tell me where the gorillas are.

'Grauer's gorillas often nest up in trees and it doesn't take me

'long to find some of the family bedding down for the night.'

We've got a gorilla here that's not quite asleep.

I can tell because its eyes are wide open.

The big, light spot that the thermal camera can see, that's its eye.

Yeah, it's maybe about six, seven metres off the ground.

OK. I'm just going to have a look round and see

if I can see anyone else.

That's a...

Oh, look, there's another gorilla up there.

I could just see the big heat source.

I couldn't quite make sense of it so I zoomed in to see this huge foot.

So it's a gorilla lying flat on its back.

'Neither of these gorillas is the one I'm looking for.

'If Marhale's here, he might be near Chimanuka.

'I need to refocus my search on the forest floor,

'because Chimanuka's too big to sleep in the trees.'

I can see some heat coming from an area

just about 20 metres in front of me.

So I just see who it is.

I know who that is.

'That distinctive shape can only be Chimanuka

'and nestling beside him is a welcome sight.'

Right beside Chimanuka, it's Marhale, on his back.

I absolutely love the relationship between these two gorillas.

Because Marhale doesn't have a mother,

but still needs that protection that Chimanuka's taken

it on himself to be, be the one not just to keep him safe

but to keep him warm, to keep him happy.

And what a job he's doing.

I love it.

'It's a huge relief to find Marhale alive and well.

'I can finally relax and get my head down.'

Home sweet home.

'I've spent many nights camped out in the wild

'so I'm not worried about sleeping close to a family of gorillas.

'But there are other concerns.'

As always, the biggest danger comes from people.

There are poachers in this forest so I've got a couple of trackers

just a few yards behind me.

So yes, it's nice to have the added security of

knowing that if I scream,

I've got help at hand, not that far away.

'It's been a quiet night,

'and with dawn, the forest comes alive.'

You often think of the prize or the reward as being the gorillas

themselves but actually sometimes it's just the gorillas' home,

the forest, it is absolutely stunning.

'This morning, I want to take a closer look at baby Mwira,

'to discover how much he's developed in the time I've been away.

'But the first gorilla to catch my eye isn't the baby, it's his dad.'

It's an incredible sight.

Chimanuka weighs probably more than three times my weight,

and he's sitting on a branch that is no thicker than my arm.

'These gorillas have a bigger territorial range

'than their mountain gorilla cousins.

'They also spend more time in the trees,

'which means their range extends upwards as well as outwards.'

In forests like this, they're just constantly searching for food.

The fact that they climb trees so frequently

goes to show that a lot of their food is right up there.

'However, tree-top dining doesn't always go to plan.'

HE LAUGHS

I've missed them.

'Mwira is more confident in exploring the world around him.'

I think he's grown.

'He's further away from his mother than I've seen him go before.'

You know, for a baby gorilla,

every single day is a day of learning.

Every tree, every vine is slightly different.

'His knowledge of the vegetation has also improved.

'He used to just stuff everything in his mouth, but not any more.'

It's very funny to watch him taking the leaves. He's very selective.

It's like somebody in the supermarket,

just testing fruit and vegetables, it's just like take that one,

take that one, take that one. OK. Jam it in the mouth.

'Mwira's developing just as he should be,

'under the watchful gaze of his mum.

'It'll be another couple of years before he's completely weaned.

'By which stage, he'll be spending a lot of time with his dad.

'For now, Chimanuka is lavishing his attention on orphan Marhale,

'for whom he must be both father and mother.'

Chimanuka right in front of me.

It really is lovely to find Marhale still with his dad.

It's amazing just to see Chimanuka delicately groom Marhale's foot.

It's a really lovely, intimate moment.

But I think watching gorillas like this is such a privilege

because you just get this little insight into their world,

into gorilla family life, and that's why I've come here.

It's not simply about seeing a gorilla,

it's about trying to understand them.

And when you have moments like this,

an interaction between two gorillas,

it really is special.

'It's great to see my gorilla family doing so well and Chimanuka

'seems to have accepted my presence more quickly than before.

'However, on my way back to camp, I make a chilling discovery.'

Right here, a very fresh poacher's fire.

It's impossible to police an entire park and poachers can come in,

set snares, light fires and kind of be here largely undetected.

It's a huge worry that there are these fresh signs of poaching

activity in an area where there are gorillas.

'It's been estimated that as many as 300 gorillas may be lost

'to poaching in the Congo every year.

'Many are killed for bush meat, but young gorillas are often captured

'alive and then sold illegally as pets or to disreputable zoos.

'A baby like Mwira could be worth as much as £30,000

'on the black-market.

'The implications for my family are horrible.'

I can't spend time with them and not worry about the future.

And when I see the problems that they face,

I'm just greatly worried by that.

I really fear for their future.

'It takes years to get gorillas used to humans,

'which makes Chimanuka's family almost irreplaceable.

'Unfortunately, their ease with people makes them

'more vulnerable to poachers.

'To better understand the threats facing Chimanuka's family

'I'm taking to the skies.

'Up here you can truly appreciate how two worlds collide.'

So this wall of green,

which is the park boundary very obviously.

It is a green island surrounded by this ocean of humanity.

And you see that the gorillas living down there,

they can't roam far and wide.

It's basically...their world ends in a single line

and human problems enter the park,

that's the real danger.

'It's only a few years since this part of the world was caught up

'in civil war, a conflict that cost millions of lives.

'The resultant glut of weapons and the presence of armed groups

'present the park staff with significant challenges.'

I think it's amazing really,

when you think about what DRC has gone through as a country.

I think it's a miracle that actually

anything wild has managed to persist.

But the hope for the future is that there are people

that are putting their lives on the line, to protect what's left.

'I'm on my way to rendezvous with park director, Radar Nishuli.

'I want to find out what's been done to protect Chimanuka

'and other gorillas from the threat of poachers

'and armed groups sheltering in their forest.'

What's the plan?

Are we going to go into an area where there's issues with poachers?

IN FRENCH:

OK.

All ready.

OK.

'Over the last decade, hundreds of park rangers have been killed

'working to protect the wildlife in the DRC.

'Everybody on this patrol is risking their life.'

INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER

So the basic rules of this patrol are really just be vigilant,

look for any signs of human activity,

for fires, looking out for snares.

'We soon detect signs of trouble.'

CHOPPING NOISES AHEAD

THEY WHISPER

SOFTLY: We can hear some cutting up ahead.

Just going to see if we can get closer.

We don't know if it's one person or if it's a group of people.

'We're following a new trail that's been hacked through the forest.'

You can see here it's been cut,

it's been cut, it's quite clearly a machete cut,

and it's really quite fresh.

This is 100% a man-made trail.

'The machete noises ahead stop.

'We edge forward, straining to hear any sign of human activity.

'But there's only silence.

'Our quarry seems to have melted into the forest.

'We do come across debris from the recent conflicts.

'It's the sort of resource that

'poachers use for their grisly activities.'

Yeah, this aircraft came down during the war and you can see how

easy it would be just to take a single piece of wire like this.

It just makes a very effective snare.

Any gorilla that triggered it just gets stuck.

And the harder you pull, the tighter the snare gets.

You know, very quickly it'll cut off circulation to fingers,

to wrists, to feet.

A horrible, horrible, horrible fate.

'We might not have caught any poachers,

'but Radar knows that these patrols are having a positive effect,

'both for the gorillas and the future of the park.'

IN FRENCH:

And do you think that the park is ready for visitors

to come from around the world?

IN FRENCH:

'This is still a challenging part of the world to visit,

'but the situation is getting better

'and if the park can increase their income from tourists

'the benefits could be enormous.

'Gorilla safaris in Rwanda and Uganda

'have had a considerable economic impact.

'In Rwanda, more than 20,000 people visit National Parks every year,

'helping to contribute over £130 million to their economy.

'If that could be repeated here in the DRC,

'the proceeds could be transforming.

'By providing a real incentive to protect the forest

'and its wildlife, poaching could be significantly reduced.

'It's a vision that requires peace and stability, but that's not all.'

The problem is that there is just one group of gorillas

that's comfortable with human beings, and that's Chimanuka's family.

And for these gorillas to be studied,

for there to be a future for eco-tourism,

sensible eco-tourism here, there has to be more than one group.

So how I would like to help is to find a potential family

that can be worked with and see if I can contribute in that way,

and get these gorillas accustomed to human presence.

'To do that, I'm joining a team of highly trained park trackers,

'who have left their families behind to undertake a very special mission.'

Bonjour, bonjour.

'Their leader is Robert.'

Hello. How are you?

-Good, good. How are you?

-Happy to see you.

-Hello.

'Robert first started coming to look at the gorillas as a schoolboy.

'Now, 35 years later, his hand-picked team are tasked with

'habituating a new family of gorillas.

'They've been camping out, tracking the family,

'filming them,

'and slowly gaining the trust of the dominant silverback, Mpungwe.'

So why did you choose this family of gorillas?

-Did you pick your own team?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

'It can take years to habituate a wild family of gorillas.

'This team are just nine months into their mission

'and they've made great progress.

'But they've reached a critical stage.

'Mpungwe is used to Robert's team,

'but if they're going to be able to get tourists to see him,

'he's going to have to get used to pale faces too, which is

'where my delicate Scottish complexion comes into its own.'

I think the real crunch is really how these gorillas are going

to react to me when they see me.

White face, grey hair,

tall, lanky, ungainly.

Hopefully, we'll find out.

'Getting Mpungwe's family used to faces like mine

'could help secure the future of all the Grauer's gorillas here.

'It's immediately clear that approaching Mpungwe is a very

'different proposition from going to see Chimanuka.'

I can just hear the silverback up ahead, beating his chest.

Yeah, yeah. Do you think that this group is more likely to charge?

OK.

GORILLA BARKS

'Uncertain of our intentions, Mpungwe is sending a signal,

'he's saying, "I'm big and tough, don't mess with me."'

THUMPING AND BARKING

When you hear that noise, it just really rocks you to the core.

'The barks mean Mpungwe is nervous.

'Push too much and I could provoke a charge.

'But if I back off,

'it will defeat the purpose of me being here.

'It's a fine line to tread.'

This is a different ball game.

It certainly is.

At times it feels like I'm hunting for Bigfoot.

You're just seeing shadows and glimpses, nothing conclusive.

'Having kept his distance for half an hour,

'Mpungwe decides enough is enough.'

BARKS

Ohh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I can see him.

BARKING

That's one gorilla that's not very happy to see me.

What he says goes and what he's saying at the moment is,

"I don't like the look of that pale blue guy."

'Although he's used to Robert's team, Mpungwe is clearly uneasy.

'Whether it's because of my appearance,

'or that he thinks I'm a poacher, he remains hostile.

'The subsequent days follow a familiar pattern.'

BARKING AND ROARING

That doesn't sound like play.

Sounds like someone's in a bad mood.

'Mpungwe grants me the odd glimpse.'

This silverback is constantly keeping an eye on me.

Every time he sees me, he just moves further away.

'But generally, he either avoids me...'

He's moving about quite erratically today.

He is definitely agitated.

'..or charges, before disappearing.'

HE GRUNTS AND BARKS

Trying to get close to Mpungwe is the toughest challenge so far.

It's soul destroying when you finish your day

without anything more than a glimpse.

And actually, I didn't feel safe at all, I was terrified of him.

And the thought of actually having to do it all again tomorrow,

I'm just thinking, "Gosh, is this kind of... Is this wise?"

'We've decided to take a break from habituating Mpungwe.

'It could defuse some of the tension that's inevitably built up.

'Instead I'm heading back to see Chimanuka and his family.

'I've been asked to carry out an experiment

'by a gorilla scientist in the UK.'

So I've got this trail camera with the sensor and the camera here,

and I could put this in the forest and I'm absolutely sure,

if it's part way in their range they're going to find it,

they're going to be interested in it.

But what I really want to know is how they'll to react to this

little modification, putting a mirror on the front of it.

I kind of want to know whether gorillas are self-aware enough

to recognise their own reflection.

'Chimpanzees, bonobos and orang-utans have all demonstrated some

'degree of self-recognition when confronted with a mirror.

'Captive gorillas have also shown the same ability,

'although their natural inclination is to avoid looking

'an unfamiliar gorilla in the eye, so the results aren't obvious.

'But no-one has carried out this experiment with

'Grauer's gorillas in the wild.'

Will they see this and run a mile?

Will they see this and want to investigate it?

What will they make of it? That's what I want to find out.

'I've disinfected everything to

'ensure there's no health risk to the gorillas.

'And the mirror is Perspex, so it can't shatter if handled.'

OK.

There's a cluster of gorillas down there,

and it may well be they might come up this slope.

So I'm just going to see if I can install it down there.

'The mirror quickly attracts the attention of two young gorillas.'

Oh gosh. Straightaway.

One of the juveniles has come straight up to it,

not a worry in the world.

'Some animals are surprised when they see their own reflection

'and react aggressively, so it's interesting to see that these

'gorillas are so calm and inquisitive.'

There's absolutely no fear and this will be the very,

very first time that any of these gorillas have actually

looked into a mirror and seen a proper reflection of themselves.

It's almost as if they're more interested in how it feels,

rather than how it looks.

It really shows how gentle they are.

It's not like they're seeing this thing

and they want to rip it apart and break it.

They're just exploring it really delicately, smelling it,

touching it, looking into it.

'There's no indication that these juveniles are making

'the connection between themselves and the image in the mirror.

'Even human children take a while to recognise their own reflection.

'So maybe it's just a matter of time.'

Several members of the family are aware that there's something unusual,

there's something interesting.

And it's only two of them that are curious enough

to come and check it out.

I don't know quite why that is.

They're both youngsters

and maybe you lose your curiosity as you get older, if you're a gorilla.

'Baby Mwira is intrigued too.'

OK.

It looks like Mwira was interested but Mwinga wasn't letting him play

with the new thing in the forest.

Playtime's over.

'It's been fascinating, but I suspect it would take a lot more exposure

'to the mirror before the gorillas show signs of self-recognition.

'While I'd love to continue the experiment,

'I have unfinished business with Mpungwe and his family.

'Getting them used to faces like mine is crucial

'if the park is going to be able to boost income from tourists.

'That could help secure the future for baby Mwira, Marhale

'and all the gorillas that depend on the park's protection.'

MEN SINGING

'Robert and his team are in a good mood when I catch up with them.

'They haven't been deterred by Mpungwe's obvious fear of me.'

THEY LAUGH

'Robert's optimism is infectious.

'But having survived the terrible war here,

'when trackers and gorillas were caught up in the hostilities,

'these current problems must seem trivial.'

So, during the war, did you keep working?

And so how many gorillas were

killed during the war?

Really?

So how do you see the future for Kahuzi-Biega National Park

and the gorillas that live here?

'It's inspiring stuff.

'It brings home just how important my contribution could be

'to safeguarding the future of all the gorillas here.'

'I've a spring in my step as we head off to find Mpungwe.

'After a short trek, we come across one of his females.'

Wow.

'Remarkably, she's completely at ease with my presence.'

(She's very relaxed.)

Yeah, really?

Do you know how long she's been in this group?

Or when did she leave Chimanuka?

-A year ago?

-Yes.

That's very interesting.

This female, Mpungwe stole from Chimanuka,

so she's well used to seeing people.

'Silverbacks can only hold on to their females by convincing them

'that their best interests are served by staying in the family.

'If a female loses confidence in the dominant male, then they're

'susceptible to being stolen, or tempted away by a rival silverback.'

Mpungwe is a stronger, a younger gorilla than Chimanuka

and the fact that he's already stolen three females from him

just goes to show that Chimanuka is the underdog.

If anyone's running scared it's Chimanuka.

'The fact that some of this family are already used to people

'should make our task easier.

'But for now, Mpungwe is still wary.'

It's kind of a battle of wills, it's just every time he moves away,

I'll try and catch up with him again.

But he's not acting aggressively which greatly relieves me.

'It's the first time I've been able to get so close to Mpungwe

'without him barking, which is really encouraging.

'That sense of optimism increases as we emerge from the forest

'into the expanse of a swamp.'

He's just looking straight at me.

This is the perfect situation.

It's nice and open here.

He's about maybe 20 metres away and he can see me very clearly,

he can see my face, he can see that I'm different.

It's exactly what we need.

This is our moment.

'Free of the claustrophobic forest,

'other members of the family are visible too.

'There are 18 in total, including four babies.'

It's great that he's broken cover with one of his females

and a tiny baby, maybe smaller than Mwira.

And that is nice to see, you know, not just him, not just shapes

in the forest, but actually to build up a picture of this family.

It's not just one big, scary silverback.

He's a family man.

'It's a wonderful moment, but our breakthrough comes to an abrupt end.'

Chest-beating. Just over there.

'Mpungwe is quick to react.'

HOOTING AND GRUNTING

That is very interesting.

Mpungwe is actually going up pushing this silverback out of his area.

And this kind of chest-beating is about letting him know,

"Don't come here, you're not welcome."

'My hopes of a sustained period

'getting Mpungwe used to my white face have gone.

'At least for today.

'However, it's been a significant step forward in his habituation.'

When I come back next time, he's going to see me,

he's going to recognise me

and he's going to think, "That wasn't too bad.

"He wasn't that scary."

'The next day, we track Mpungwe to a dense part of the forest.

'Previously, he would have used this thick vegetation to avoid us.'

He's here, he's right in front of us.

'But today, he remains just where he is.'

For me, it's not about getting glorious shots.

It's just about getting Mpungwe used to seeing foreigners.

HE LAUGHS SOFTLY

We're having a proper stare off here.

He's barely taken his eyes off me.

I'm very pleased with that.

I would never, ever have expected that I could sit here for this

length of time, just face-to-face with a truly wild silverback.

'This is fantastic.

'Mpungwe's acceptance of my presence reassures

'the rest of his family too.

'And soon I spot several other gorillas close by.

'It's exactly this kind of experience that will draw tourists

'here to see these incredible animals.'

SOFT GRUNTING

It feels like I've accomplished the mission,

that I've got this gorilla family used seeing people that

look different, that sound different, that behave differently.

You know that, I think, is the future for them.

Yeah, it's entirely possible that people could come here,

from around the world and spend time in the company of this gorilla.

I'm completely blown away by him.

THUNDER RUMBLES

'The rainy season has arrived.'

It has been raining all through the night.

And actually, it's a time of year that the gorillas will welcome

because with the rain comes a new source of food.

This rain will trigger all these fresh bamboo shoots.

It's a favourite food of gorillas, packed full of protein.

'Now that I've met one of Chimanuka's rivals,

'I want to see how the big fella himself is doing.'

We've got Chimanuka,

the oldest member of the family,

a father, a mother and an infant,

all together in the forest.

'It's only a matter of time before Chimanuka loses his family

'to a younger silverback.

'But for now, he stills maintains an aura of invincibility.'

And I think it is just I have a huge amount of respect for him

because he manages to do what every good silverback should do,

which is to protect their family,

to make sure that none of them come to harm.

'Thanks to Chimanuka's protection,

'baby Mwira has reached his first birthday.

'I can't believe how much he's changed.

'He used to spend all his time clinging onto his mum.

'Now, he's exploring his world like never before.'

Just seeing how adventurous, how strong Mwira is at this age.

HE CHUCKLES

29 years from now he's going to be as big and strong as his dad.

'The orphan Marhale has also celebrated a birthday.

'He's now four.

'It's the age at which young gorillas start breaking away

'from their parents.'

Got Marhale high up in a tree,

and it's quite possibly the furthest

that I've actually seen him from Chimanuka,

which is a great thing.

Maybe that's the best time to leave him, the best way to see him,

independent.

'It's great to see Mwira and Marhale doing so well.

'Chances are Chimanuka will stay in charge long enough to ensure

'both these gorillas will survive any change

'in the leadership of the family.

'What a legacy that would be.'

It's very easy to be moved by gorillas

but I didn't expect to be in awe of them in quite this way.

It's inspiring to see a gorilla like Chimanuka,

to see how he holds it all together,

and he does it not just through might and strength.

It's about strong leadership, it's about providing protection

to every member of your family, and caring and nurturing.

And all of these things take work.

But silverback males seem to do it very easily.

It is just part of who they are,

part of their nature.

'After half an hour, Chimanuka decides to move on.

'It's time to say goodbye.'

It's a farewell Chimanuka-style.

I'm going to miss you, big fella.

The further Chimanuka gets, the harder it is to distinguish him

from just the shapes and shadows of the forest.

Maybe this is the best way to say farewell to him,

just to watch him lead his family off into the dark in search of food.

'It's been such a privilege to spend time both with the gorillas

'and the park staff who are working to conserve the forest

'and its beautiful creatures.

'I hope my contribution to habituating Mpungwe

'will in some small way help the park go from strength to strength,

'overcoming the traumas of the past,

'attracting more tourists and securing the future for the people

'here and for Grauer's gorillas for decades to come.'

This has been the fulfilment of a lifetime ambition,

to spend time in the forest with gorillas

and I don't know whether I'll be back,

but maybe it'd be nice to think that 30 years from now

I could be walking through these forests, and I find Mwira,

the mighty silverback, with his family of 40,

living in this forest where he grew up.