Imagine standing in a thick, green forest. The air is cool and damp. Mist floats through the trees. Suddenly, the leaves shake. A giant creature steps into the light. Its back is covered in silver fur. He looks straight at you with deep brown eyes. This is the silverback gorilla, the king of the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Meeting one in the wild is an adventure you will never forget.
A silverback is not a different kind of gorilla; he is an adult male mountain gorilla. When a male gorilla turns about 12 years old, the hair on his back changes from black to grey or silver. The silverback is the boss of his family. He protects them from danger; he can weigh up to 400 pounds. Even though he is incredibly strong, he is usually peaceful and calm.
Volcanoes National Park: the magical home
The silverback lives high up in the Virunga Mountains. This chain of beautiful, sleeping volcanoes is covered in rainforest. They live high up where the air is thin and cool. The mountains are full of bamboo. This is one of the gorillas' favorite snacks. This park is a safe space where guards protect the gorillas from hunters.
A day in the life of this king of the forest is actually very relaxing. He wakes up early to look for food; he eats leaves, shoots, and bark. In the middle of the day, the family takes a long rest. The babies play while the silverback snoozes. In the afternoon, they walk slowly through the forest to find more food. Before the sun goes down, they build nests out of leaves on the ground to sleep in. They make a new bed every single night!
Mountain gorillas are endangered; that is why they need our help. Thanks to park rangers and tourists, their numbers are finally growing. When people buy a permit to visit the gorillas, that money helps pay for doctors and guards to keep the animals safe. Seeing a silverback in the wild reminds us how important it is to protect our planet`s amazing wildlife.
Gorilla permits: A gorilla permit is an official document from the Rwanda Development Board that lets you join a small group of eight people to track mountain gorillas. Part of the money goes directly to protecting the animals and helping local communities. Shalom Safaris Rwanda helps you navigate all of the whole process and gives you the best tour for gorilla trekking, safaris in the savannahs of Akagera National Park for the Big Five, and Nyungwe National Park for primates like chimpanzees, colobus, and mountain monkeys.
