Rwanda

We went to the mountains in Rwanda to see some of the last mountain gorillas in the world.

The local tribes in this area of Rwanda once hunted the mountain gorillas, but now they are their protectors. Tourism provides the needed finances for these tribes to continue their work. These porters help handicapped tourists navigate the rough terrain where the gorillas live.

Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

This is a picture of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Institute. The institute collects money and educates the public about the gorillas. The fund is responsible for saving the mountain gorillas from extinction.

This a burial site which holds thousands of Tutu tribe members killed during the Rwanda genocide over two decades ago. Many were laid to rest in mass graves.

This is a silverback gorilla. He is the head of a troop of males and females that inhabit a segment in the Rwandan mountains. The gorilla monitors his troop and decides who belongs and who can visit. We were allowed to be there to take photographs, but the length of our visit depended on his tolerance. We stayed for half an hour before the gorillas decided to move on.