At 5:45am, my guide, Pleasance, is outside my tent with the wake up call I was dreaming of.
“Gorillas at the bai” he whispers loudly.
Less than 10 minutes later I am sat on the second floor of the hide that overlooks Imbalanga bai. 10 metres in front of me is a family of western lowland gorillas. I count 12 individuals but then my eyes dart back to a female at the edge of the group as I realise I have overlooked the tiny passenger she has on her back. The baby is no more than three years old. She fidgets around, climbing up and down her mother’s back who, accustomed to the commotion, continues to go about her normal morning routine. She methodically pulls clumps of grass from the mineral rich soil, adeptly making sure the nutritious grass roots are fully intact. The wet, white roots gleam in the early morning sunlight before they disappear into the gorilla’s mouth.
From her vantage point, the baby watches and summons the courage to drop to the ground to join her mother, in feeding on the grass. Not yet as dexterous as her mother she pulls up only a few shoots at a time, but nonetheless, seems content with her handiwork. With the exception of the mother and baby, the individuals do not interact with one another. Their sole focus is to feed and this morning they seem to have a hunger that will require all the abundant grass the bai has to offer.
I have been eager to stay at African Park’s Imbalanga camp in Odzala for a long time and this morning’s experience goes beyond what I dared think would be possible. The gorillas I am observing have not been through the long process of habituation but nonetheless they show no signs of unease. Imbalanga bai has been a vital source of precious nutrition to generations of gorillas for thousands of years. Through a combination of community outreach, sustainable tourism and dynamic conservation, African Parks is safeguarding this environment for future western lowland gorilla generations.
As the sun rises higher the shadows on the bai give way to the early morning gift of golden light and every one of the 13 gorillas look to be in their happy place. But when 13 become 14 the mood dramatically changes. A lone silverback enters from the darkness of the surrounding forest. He sits at the edge of the bai and watches. Not feeding, just watching.
His confidence is manifest in the way he holds his ground when the whole group move purposefully as one, towards him.
Only a few metres away now and the group is led by two females who seem to be curious about this bold male. Perhaps they are attracted to this stranger’s strength and courage? It is a risk the dominant males in the group cannot take and before the females get any closer, the group’s silverback runs towards the females to disperse them. He seems reluctant to get too close to the lone silverback though and retreats once his females have backed away.
Detecting a weakness, the lone silverback runs at the females who, with arms flailing, evade his advance as the group’s silverback rushes to the fore.
Assisted by another male in the group, he creates a barrier, strutting forcefully as he shepherds his females to safety. The lone male is undeterred by this show of unity and against all the odds, runs aggressively into the heart of the group, scattering the females and the younger gorillas. One of the group’s males throws a couple of haymakers in his direction but he remains defiant and has clearly sent a message to the group’s leader: I mean business and I am unafraid.
Led by the adult females, the group retreat to the forest. The competing silverbacks follow. This is clearly a challenge that cannot be resolved on the feeding ground of the bai. The gorillas have now all disappeared but from the darkness of the ancient forest I hear the sounds of conflict; the crack of branches breaking, the thud of body contact and the grunts and snorts of violent exertion. There is a short period of silence, followed by the resonant echo of a gorilla beating his chest in the arboreal gloom, a crowning moment of vanquish and affirmation.
Whether the aggressor or the defender prevailed, I will never know but I feel I have witnessed an existential chapter in the lives of the Imbalanga gorilla group.
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