It’s possible to go and visit, face to face, the endangered mountain gorillas of the Virunga volcanic mountains in the tri-border region of Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. They live in a number of family groups, each with one or two silverbacks. These are the same gorillas that Diane Fossey studied. They are not generally aggressive and are accustomed to seeing humans, although park visits are strictly limited to six people and one hour with the gorillas so as to limit habituation. Silverbacks do occasionally charge but seldom harm anyone. The group that I visited was led by one of the largest silverbacks. His head was absolutely massive. We didn’t get too close to him because part of his display of social dominance was to turn his back and generally avoid us. The rest of the family was more rambunctious; one of the adolescents grabbed my leg once and threw a little fit until one of the park rangers admonished him with a gorilla noise. The park rangers are armed with automatic rifles and will shoot poachers on sight. They are excellent trackers and can locate a family of gorillas on the mountain in less than two hours. Being amongst a family of gorillas is really a magical experience. There is something special about these thick, hairy gentle apes that sets them apart from other primates.