| Tourists in the Mist: Finding Rwanda's Famous Apes |
| Written by CYNTHIA McFADDEN | |
| Wednesday, 30 April 2008 | |
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"I was overcome with this incredibly feeling of gratefulness. There are believed to be less than 800 mountain gorillas left in the world and here were 17, less than 10 feet away from me. Who gets to see that in their lifetime? Who gets to be a part of telling their story to the world? After our hour with them, Cynthia asked me, "Well, was it worth it?" And though it cost me some sweat, a few years off of my life and my favorite sneakers, it definitely was. Being in the presence of the gorillas reminded me that we are all just a small part of a greater world and that all beings, not just people, are connected." - ABCNews' Digital Reporter Dana Hughes Most people would not put the words "Rwanda" and "tourism" together, but the government is determined to do so. In this country with so little, great care and attention has been put into creating an eco-tourism program that protects the gorillas and helps the people in the communities that surround them. All the while giving folks like us a chance to visit them, for a price. Our mission was to see how the mountain gorillas, one of the most endangered animals on the planet, are doing under the management of one of the poorest countries on earth. According to the World Wildlife Fund, these gorillas are on the brink of extinction. Our guide, translator and driver for the trip was a man named Themis, a local journalist and a survivor of the genocide. Read more... |
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