Into the Congo

On the slopes of Mount Mikeno in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park live some of the last mountain gorillas. There are only two populations of these rare animals: here in the Virunga mountains and in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. This photograph features a female from the Humba family, a habituated group who live not far from the Bukima station. Whilst her stare evokes thoughts of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness or Michael Crichton’s Congo, the Humbas were very welcoming.