Encounters with Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda

Insider’s Take

You glance up at the towering Virunga Volcanoes, hear a particularly symphonic birdsong, turn a leafy corner, your guide signals for quiet, and suddenly there they are, magnificent, peaceful, massive: mountain gorillas puttering about in their domestic jungle haven.

For many of us this is an almost shockingly effecting moment. In an instant we viscerally experience our link with these wonderful creatures. Like awe-struck astronauts seeing the whole blue earth for the first time, we never quite look at our lives the same way.

The Pinto family’s visit with the mountain gorillas of the Virungas’ emerald world is beautifully recounted in Joy Pinto’s blog “Gazing Into Gentle Brown Eyes.”