david korte photographs

The weekend in Doussala included a trek to look for gorillas in the forest of Moukalaba-Doudou National Park. The rainy season made the trek a challenge. The road between Tchibanga and Doussala was a muddy river of clay, including a bridge washout requiring a deviation through a stream. Luckily the stream was small, with sandy bottom, though the slick clay banks provided plenty of opportunities for trouble.

We crossed the swollen river to the park by small kayak, and walked most of the morning before we caught up with gorillas. A female with juvenile watched our arrival from the canopy before fleeing through the treetops to rejoin the rest of the family. It was the last we saw of them, for the inundated forest made it virtually impossible to keep up with the gorillas.

By mid-afternoon the rains returned, making it difficult to follow the gorillas, and dangerous to move through the forest. The constant patter of raindrops muffles most other sounds, making it difficult to hear any large animals in the vicinity. It was time to head back to the village.