1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:05,040 This programme contains some strong language 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 3 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:06,480 RADIO CHATTER 4 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 5 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:10,960 I've got less than ten days now. 6 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:15,840 Time's ticking. 7 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:21,320 As soon as we arrived, 8 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:23,240 we heard a roar. 9 00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:25,200 So, he's definitely around. 10 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,360 SCREECHING 11 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:22,920 I have two minds fighting each other. 12 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,800 One is to see the gorillas 13 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:32,760 being habituated, 14 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:37,200 so they get used to humans. 15 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:40,160 BARKING AND SCREECHING 16 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:51,080 But one is to have Mpungwe remaining wild. 17 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:58,680 I just wish I knew a little bit more about what I was getting into. 18 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:08,840 SCREECHING 19 00:02:32,640 --> 00:02:36,200 As a wildlife cameraman, I've been lucky enough 20 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,760 to film the most iconic animals on the planet. 21 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:50,480 But gorillas hold so much significance to me. 22 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:03,000 You find these creatures only right in the middle of Africa. 23 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:10,400 This... This is where I come from. 24 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:26,200 Now, I'm heading to document the mission to save the last remaining 25 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:27,880 eastern lowland gorillas. 26 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,480 NEWS FOOTAGE: - Mobutu could do nothing to stop the panic 27 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:37,440 and lawlessness in Kinshasa. - Pressure from war, deforestation, 28 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:41,480 and poaching has pushed these creatures to the 29 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:42,960 verge of extinction. 30 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:47,720 - During the war, half the population of these gorillas 31 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:50,880 were killed and eaten for bushmeat. 32 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:57,640 - To combat this, the government has turned to eco-tourism. 33 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:01,440 - Oh, wow! Fantastic! 34 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:08,360 - Tourist income will pay to ensure the gorillas are protected 35 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:10,360 and their habitat is secured. 36 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:21,640 The goal is to habituate a family of gorillas, 37 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:26,720 a process designed to gradually get them used to humans. 38 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:34,600 This is... This is our group. 39 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:39,240 But will the gorillas' highly protective alpha male be 40 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:41,000 willing to accept us? 41 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:45,360 In the end, it's all down to him. 42 00:04:56,840 --> 00:05:00,080 We are in Democratic Republic of Congo, 43 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:04,400 invited by the Kahuzi-Biega National Park. 44 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:14,520 What is at stake here is the survival of this creature. 45 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:26,160 So, what we are going to be doing is following habituation, 46 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:30,920 essentially a process of getting a group of wild gorillas used 47 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:38,080 to a human presence, so tourists can safely enter their territory. 48 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:43,200 What we are going to be doing, no-one has filmed before. 49 00:05:44,840 --> 00:05:47,320 Every day, for the next three months, we're going to try to 50 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:51,520 get closer, gradually becoming part of the gorilla family. 51 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:57,240 But with primates, it's never easy. 52 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:03,600 The last thing they want to do is hang around humans. 53 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,040 To them, you are a threat. 54 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:13,600 Gorillas usually live in a family of between five and ten, 55 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:17,960 led by an alpha male, which is the silverback. 56 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:24,800 99% of gorilla films are with habituated gorillas. 57 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:29,320 The habituated group is not dangerous to film. 58 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:33,760 But to film a non-habituated group, 59 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,360 you're putting your life in danger 60 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:40,240 because the silverback is there to protect every single 61 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:43,320 member of his family. 62 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:51,960 The silverback is about three times my size. He weighs 250kg. 63 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,920 And their strength is unprecedented. 64 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:58,240 Him attacking me would be lethal. 65 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:01,040 With that said, as a wildlife cameraman, 66 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:04,720 I like to film really wild animals. 67 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:08,000 Then, you get to see the behaviour that you've never seen before. 68 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:12,480 That's what does it for me. 69 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:20,600 However, with a truly wild silverback, will three months 70 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:24,880 be enough for him to essentially accept me into his family? 71 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:58,840 - OK, let's go now. 72 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:14,680 - OK. 73 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:21,840 To habituate a gorilla family, 74 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:27,080 essentially, you are trying to show them that you are a friend, 75 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:30,400 and you do this by acting like them. 76 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:40,480 BEATS LOUDLY 77 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:50,080 CLAPPING 78 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:53,200 RUSTLING 79 00:09:54,600 --> 00:10:00,280 For them to see us acting the same is to reassure them, 80 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:04,640 to make them feel comfortable around us. 81 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:12,000 PATTING CHEEKS 82 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,480 Filming gorillas always feels magical to me. 83 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:29,840 I can't get enough of them. 84 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:33,760 PATTING STOMACH 85 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:44,240 Yes! 86 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:49,160 The thing that I love the most about filming gorillas 87 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:53,760 is observing how similar they are to us. 88 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:56,640 Their expression... 89 00:10:57,640 --> 00:10:58,840 ..mannerism... 90 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:04,760 ..the dexterity of their hands, just...just like us. 91 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:11,680 In fact, gorillas are so similar to us, 92 00:11:11,680 --> 00:11:15,520 they can catch human diseases. 93 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:20,480 That's why, when they are in close proximity to us, 94 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:22,440 we have to wear masks. 95 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:31,240 I mean, they are one of our closest cousins, behind chimps and bonobos. 96 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,920 The baby's playing, that means the silverback is not very far away. 97 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:54,760 Gorillas are just constantly on the move, 98 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:58,880 looking for bamboo shoots, or other foliage to eat. 99 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:04,840 They can quite easily cover up to 5km a day... 100 00:12:06,560 --> 00:12:10,040 ..so to keep up with them is really exhausting. 101 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:55,800 The silverback is about 20 metres from us, 102 00:12:55,800 --> 00:13:00,240 through this very thick foliage. 103 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:04,920 No way I can film it because it's really dense. 104 00:13:09,680 --> 00:13:13,200 SCREECHING 105 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:34,760 This is a completely different story to what I normally do 106 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:39,000 when I film gorillas. The habituated group is already used to humans. 107 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:45,560 These gorillas are wild. They don't know us, they can't trust us, 108 00:13:45,560 --> 00:13:48,360 especially the silverback, you know, he's very serious. 109 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:49,760 He's got a job to do. 110 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:52,520 Look after his family, look after his females. 111 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:00,480 BARKING 112 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:17,800 SCREECHING 113 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:42,800 SCREECHING AND BARKING 114 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:49,920 When the habituation starts, a silverback will charge. 115 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:54,160 That charge is a way of saying, 116 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:57,960 "Look, I've got a family here, so back off." 117 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:04,440 But if you stand your ground, it stops him moving forward. 118 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:08,240 SCREECHING 119 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:51,880 I didn't quite realise how heavy habituating gorillas was. 120 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:55,880 You really have to keep following them. 121 00:15:55,880 --> 00:16:00,800 If people disagree with this method, I can totally understand. 122 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:04,160 But you have to be cruel to be kind 123 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:07,680 and this is the pure example of it. 124 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:14,440 Back in the '80s, 125 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:18,400 habituation also helped mountain gorillas. 126 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:21,960 There were around 400 left 127 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:27,320 and then, Virunga, Bwindi National Park followed the same process. 128 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:32,000 Now, we have more than 1,000 individuals, 129 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:33,760 so it works. 130 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:14,520 CHUCKLES 131 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:17,320 Amazing! 132 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:29,160 Yes, they tend to move around, according to where they're going to 133 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:33,680 be eating at the end of the day, and then if they find around that 134 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:37,720 area, everything is perfect, they will start building their nests. 135 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:46,640 That is genius! 136 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:49,520 She just pulled the curtain down 137 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:53,800 to cover herself and her baby. 138 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,760 Who told you that gorillas don't know what privacy is all about? 139 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:06,720 That was a successful day, I would say. 140 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:10,800 I can see how the habituation has progressed quite far already, 141 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:14,520 in terms of how relaxed the juveniles are. 142 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:21,240 However, it feels like we still got a long way to 143 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:27,040 go before the silverback and other adults accept us. 144 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:33,400 And I can see it's a tough job for these eco-guards, 145 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:37,040 who've devoted their lives to gorillas. 146 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:38,920 It's really tough. 147 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:14,840 There are certain things about this very country that 148 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:17,360 I'll react straight away. 149 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:23,440 Although they seem really happy, from my point of view, 150 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:28,840 I feel like... Come on, they deserve better than that, big time. 151 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:33,560 These guys work really hard and what do they get in return? 152 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:41,520 I am quite ashamed that the majority of the people 153 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:45,960 in this country live on less than $1 a day. 154 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:47,680 Literally nothing. 155 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:56,560 Let's face it, I am one of them. It's just that I was lucky. 156 00:19:56,560 --> 00:20:00,600 I was born with parents that had different opportunities. 157 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:11,520 I was born in a very large family, 158 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:15,000 if you see it from a Western point of view. 159 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:19,680 A family of eight and I'm right in the middle, number four. 160 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:27,040 My mother was a headteacher and my dad was a medical doctor. 161 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:34,880 We lived in the Republic of Congo, in the capital, Brazzaville. 162 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:39,000 We weren't poor. I never struggled for anything, really. 163 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,640 It was a strong family, really strong together. 164 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:47,880 But sadly, I've got like two photos of my childhood. 165 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:51,080 One of me and my sister and brothers 166 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:54,400 and maybe one of my grandad, as well. 167 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:59,080 But, yeah, most of our stuff was completely destroyed. 168 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:07,880 Back in 1997, 169 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:11,160 when the country was going through a huge upheaval, 170 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:14,360 we were living outside the country at the time. 171 00:21:14,360 --> 00:21:18,640 Therefore, the house was left alone. 172 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:27,960 We were amongst those who weren't lucky. 173 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:32,960 The house was looted and burnt. 174 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:42,240 So, we lost all our belongings. 175 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:49,720 That very region in the '90s was completely 176 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:52,600 affected by political instabilities. 177 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:57,280 The Democratic Republic of Congo 178 00:21:57,280 --> 00:21:59,760 also went through consecutive wars... 179 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:07,840 ..and that also affected the numbers of the gorillas, 180 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:09,440 so the population plummeted. 181 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:15,720 And the eastern part of the DRC, where I currently am, 182 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:20,720 hasn't fully recovered and it's possible that unrest 183 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:24,120 can break out again and that's the reason 184 00:22:24,120 --> 00:22:25,800 why I'm making this film, 185 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:30,000 to give the park visibility, to make sure that the 186 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:34,960 gorillas are protected and their home is protected. 187 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:24,880 So, today will be focusing on the silverback, 188 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:30,160 because he is the one that will open the gates for us. 189 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:36,880 For the last two weeks, 190 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:40,960 I haven't been able to fully see the silverback. 191 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:44,520 He's always been hiding behind the foliage. 192 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:49,600 But today, I really would like to see him face-to-face. 193 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:54,440 That's the only way I can start building trust with him. 194 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:58,960 I can see how difficult it is to actually habituate 195 00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:04,560 a group of gorillas because they just want to make sure that 196 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:08,240 there's the distance between you and them. 197 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:13,000 As soon as you cross that little boundary, the male charges. 198 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,400 SCREECHING AND BARKING 199 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:31,680 OK. 200 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:34,440 This is... 201 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:37,880 ..so challenging. 202 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:00,320 OK. 203 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:45,120 Which female is this one? 204 00:25:45,120 --> 00:25:47,120 - Tuliya. 205 00:25:47,120 --> 00:25:48,840 - She's extremely confident, huh? 206 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:04,240 This female we're filming here, 207 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:07,280 she's slightly different to the rest of the group. 208 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:12,480 She's fully habituated. That's why she's quite relaxed, 209 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:15,280 being only seven metres away 210 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:19,240 and that's why she's got the name Tuliya. 211 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:21,160 When you have a name, that is 212 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:24,120 the last stage of the habituation process. 213 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:30,720 This is how relaxed we are hoping Mpungwe 214 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:33,120 and the rest of his family will become. 215 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:36,520 - Hello. - Yeah? 216 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:39,760 - Is it possible to follow the silverback? - Ah, oui, yeah. 217 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:02,480 Yes. 218 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:04,840 Look at that! 219 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:19,480 It amazes me how a two and a half hundred kilogram creature 220 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:21,800 can climb a tree like that. 221 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:31,600 OK. 222 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:40,600 No, I wasn't hiding at all. I was just, you know... 223 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:45,760 It's just, I started to feel a connection with the group. 224 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:50,720 And I think about these poor creatures being persecuted. 225 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:55,320 And all they do is look after their families like any creature 226 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:58,360 should do on Planet Earth, you know? 227 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:05,880 And beyond that, I'm also trying to connect to this silverback, 228 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:07,520 you know? 229 00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:11,920 This...patriarch. 230 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:20,440 Gorillas are very much like humans. 231 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:28,120 We share more than 98% of our genetic codes with them. 232 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:34,360 And whenever I spend time with these cousins of ours... 233 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:40,240 ..I can't help drawing similarities between their world 234 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:42,040 and my world. 235 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:53,640 It's bizarre I think that way, but every time I film the silverback... 236 00:31:56,120 --> 00:32:01,200 ..I always think of loads of resemblances 237 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:03,600 to my grandad, Bonifas. 238 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:12,320 This sort of sense of family protection, 239 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:16,000 there's a sense of, you know, gentleness, 240 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:20,560 the mannerism, how he holds himself, 241 00:32:20,560 --> 00:32:24,000 how he talk, how he looked at people. 242 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:30,640 Everything a proud and confident man would want to be, 243 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:32,280 he had it all. 244 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:37,200 People in the community 245 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:40,800 and within the family really looked up to my grandad. 246 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:43,760 He was the pillar in the family. 247 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:47,280 The patriarch, you know. 248 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:51,880 And I always wanted to be like him. 249 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:57,000 The protecting figure, the leading figure... 250 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:00,280 ..the silverback. 251 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:23,640 I feel like we have taken a big step forward. 252 00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:27,640 Now that me and Mpungwe have looked at each other in the eye, 253 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:32,040 I hope we have started to build some trust between us. 254 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:37,640 Now, I would love to see if he can let me get a bit closer, 255 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:41,560 to meet some of his family that he's been protecting so well. 256 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:48,800 I know it must not be easy for him to let his guard down 257 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:53,160 because gorillas and humans still don't have the best relationship. 258 00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:57,800 A fact that these rangers are trying to change. 259 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:16,440 HE CLAPS 260 00:35:26,680 --> 00:35:29,440 - First, I was a park ranger. 261 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:31,720 The gorilla habituation officer. 262 00:35:31,720 --> 00:35:36,120 Now, I'm a consultant to the park. 263 00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:38,800 When they need something related to the gorillas, 264 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:41,920 training rangers and so on, they always come to me. 265 00:35:59,440 --> 00:36:00,760 - OK. 266 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:15,080 - Until 1937, this was a free forest, 267 00:36:15,080 --> 00:36:17,200 where everyone had access. 268 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:26,080 The Belgian colony era discovered that this forest is threatened, 269 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:29,080 so they created a reserve, 270 00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:33,240 which became the Kahuzi-Biega National Park. 271 00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:40,520 So, the national park is fully protected 272 00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:45,840 to prevent the human pressure of the gorillas and their habitat. 273 00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:52,960 But life is very difficult here for all inhabitants. 274 00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:09,920 - The families are completely scattered around, 275 00:37:09,920 --> 00:37:12,000 each of them's got a tree. 276 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:28,800 So, then, you can see the silverback's got the biggest tree. 277 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:35,880 I think he's relaxing a little bit, 278 00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:40,920 with our presence because he's letting me see his family. 279 00:38:21,240 --> 00:38:25,280 - Why are the community members living around the park 280 00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:27,560 harming the gorillas and their habitat? 281 00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:33,240 Empty stomachs have no ears. 282 00:38:33,240 --> 00:38:34,800 They have no choice. 283 00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:39,480 We reached two million people living around the park. 284 00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:43,200 When people are concentrated, dominated by poverty, 285 00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:48,800 they have no other means, so they go and rely on the park resources. 286 00:39:15,280 --> 00:39:19,080 - So, when they're trapped by this, they will struggle to get 287 00:39:19,080 --> 00:39:23,440 out of it and then struggle to death by not being able to escape it. 288 00:39:27,880 --> 00:39:32,080 - Secondly, deforestation here is enormous. 289 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:41,360 In 2020, more than 1,000 hectares of the habitat 290 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:44,160 of the eastern lowland gorillas has been cleared out. 291 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:50,320 The local people need more land where they can grow crops. 292 00:39:54,720 --> 00:39:59,080 People need more space where they can create villages to live in. 293 00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:06,520 So, what can we do now to help the gorillas? 294 00:40:09,240 --> 00:40:11,520 Invest into the community. 295 00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:30,320 This money will go to the public treasure 296 00:40:30,320 --> 00:40:34,280 to help the communities, in terms of development. 297 00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:40,760 When the humans are benefitting from the park, 298 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:43,480 that's a security for the gorillas. 299 00:40:43,480 --> 00:40:48,440 In that way, the gorillas must pay for their own survival. 300 00:40:52,360 --> 00:40:56,200 - There's a paradox here for the silverback. 301 00:40:56,200 --> 00:41:00,040 To protect his family, he has to go against his natural instinct. 302 00:41:01,160 --> 00:41:06,560 And I can completely understand why it's so challenging for him, 303 00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:11,320 because Mpungwe has to learn to trust the very species that 304 00:41:11,320 --> 00:41:14,360 threaten him and his family the most. 305 00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:25,400 I feel like we are making progress. 306 00:41:26,480 --> 00:41:30,400 I've started to build a connection with Mpungwe, 307 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:33,440 but he's still keeping us at a bit of distance. 308 00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:38,240 So, for the next week, we are going to try to get a bit closer 309 00:41:38,240 --> 00:41:41,840 and see whether he will tolerate our presence 310 00:41:41,840 --> 00:41:43,600 from around 20 metres or so. 311 00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:48,920 This is risky, though, because he's likely to charge. 312 00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:58,640 There are actually two methods of habituating gorillas. 313 00:41:58,640 --> 00:42:02,720 The first is a very submissive approach used by a female 314 00:42:02,720 --> 00:42:07,720 conservationist called Dian Fossey to get close to 315 00:42:07,720 --> 00:42:10,960 mountain gorillas for research purposes. 316 00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:23,240 But in Kahuzi-Biega, they've used a more assertive approach - 317 00:42:23,240 --> 00:42:26,400 standing tall, facing the gorillas. 318 00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:38,400 The park's founders had a theory - because they were male, they have 319 00:42:38,400 --> 00:42:43,960 to behave in a dominant fashion to win the respect of the silverback. 320 00:42:50,120 --> 00:42:52,320 Obviously, I don't want him to attack me. 321 00:42:57,320 --> 00:43:00,080 But it's vital for him to get used to humans. 322 00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:11,040 SCREECHING, ROARING 323 00:44:26,280 --> 00:44:28,040 BARKING 324 00:44:33,320 --> 00:44:40,800 SCREECHING, ROARING 325 00:44:44,040 --> 00:44:46,840 SCREECHING, ROARING 326 00:44:51,360 --> 00:44:56,400 There's a really big part of me that feels like we are harassing them. 327 00:44:56,400 --> 00:44:59,520 Their droppings are diarrhoea-like - 328 00:44:59,520 --> 00:45:02,200 that means they are slightly stressed. 329 00:45:03,320 --> 00:45:04,880 This is what worries me. 330 00:45:13,280 --> 00:45:14,680 HE CHUCKLES 331 00:45:54,160 --> 00:45:55,440 HE CHUCKLES 332 00:46:10,120 --> 00:46:12,360 It's a very, very risky job, 333 00:46:12,360 --> 00:46:16,800 but he keeps doing it to protect these gorillas. 334 00:46:20,360 --> 00:46:25,320 Mpungwe's clearly not comfortable with us just yet, 335 00:46:25,320 --> 00:46:28,280 but I have respect for that because he's doing what any 336 00:46:28,280 --> 00:46:31,800 silverback should do - protecting his family. 337 00:46:36,440 --> 00:46:38,960 - Do you think you're a silverback? - Oh! 338 00:46:42,040 --> 00:46:47,080 Let's put it this way - every family man on this planet, or dad, 339 00:46:47,080 --> 00:46:49,040 are silverbacks. 340 00:46:51,080 --> 00:46:52,600 And you're one of them! 341 00:46:52,600 --> 00:46:54,480 HE CHUCKLES 342 00:46:57,520 --> 00:47:01,360 I'm married to a beautiful English rose. 343 00:47:01,360 --> 00:47:03,440 HE CHUCKLES 344 00:47:03,440 --> 00:47:07,600 And I have two beautiful kids that also support me. 345 00:47:09,720 --> 00:47:11,880 I'm a lucky man. 346 00:47:11,880 --> 00:47:16,680 But it's been really hard for them - this is a time when they need me. 347 00:47:26,120 --> 00:47:30,640 - How much time do you spend away from home? - Mm... 348 00:47:30,640 --> 00:47:33,600 This year, I've been away for almost, um... 349 00:47:35,840 --> 00:47:39,080 ..like, pretty much, um... 350 00:47:41,440 --> 00:47:42,600 ..all the time. 351 00:47:58,440 --> 00:48:02,720 What scares me, though, is that what goes around comes around. 352 00:48:02,720 --> 00:48:06,440 I have a fear that, one day, my kids will leave me. 353 00:48:08,440 --> 00:48:09,560 HE CHUCKLES 354 00:48:11,600 --> 00:48:12,720 Oh! 355 00:48:15,320 --> 00:48:18,280 God, I'm so weak, I'm so weak! 356 00:48:21,720 --> 00:48:25,880 OK, look, I'll be strong. Hang on. 357 00:48:28,800 --> 00:48:29,840 Um... 358 00:48:31,800 --> 00:48:35,520 The reason I have that fear is because, for me, 359 00:48:35,520 --> 00:48:38,480 family means everything. 360 00:48:41,240 --> 00:48:44,560 They need me so much that, when I leave, you know, 361 00:48:44,560 --> 00:48:46,680 it's so...it's so painful. 362 00:48:46,680 --> 00:48:51,720 But I don't do this job for just a pleasure. 363 00:48:54,320 --> 00:49:00,040 I do it now because I want to get people engaged into what 364 00:49:00,040 --> 00:49:05,640 needs to be done to make sure that the gorillas are protected. 365 00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:11,000 For me in particular, that feeling is an addiction. 366 00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:20,760 The last week has been quite intense for the gorillas, 367 00:49:20,760 --> 00:49:25,640 but I'm wondering now whether our constant presence has had an 368 00:49:25,640 --> 00:49:33,160 impact in terms of Mpungwe allowing us closer to him and his family. 369 00:49:36,080 --> 00:49:37,600 It looks very open here. 370 00:49:39,600 --> 00:49:43,480 It might give me a chance to see individuals quite clearly, 371 00:49:43,480 --> 00:49:45,400 get some nice portraits, as well. 372 00:50:04,080 --> 00:50:07,480 When gorillas see you every day, 373 00:50:07,480 --> 00:50:10,560 that's when the trust starts to kick in. 374 00:50:15,560 --> 00:50:19,520 And then, all of a sudden, through the habituation, 375 00:50:19,520 --> 00:50:21,360 you become part of the group. 376 00:50:23,720 --> 00:50:26,720 And then, they start doing things naturally, 377 00:50:26,720 --> 00:50:29,080 and that's the moment, that's the moment 378 00:50:29,080 --> 00:50:34,880 when you start getting the best out of their behaviour. 379 00:50:47,920 --> 00:50:49,680 HE CHUCKLES 380 00:51:13,880 --> 00:51:17,560 Most females are sort of, you know, quite chilled by now. 381 00:51:19,760 --> 00:51:22,000 But Mpungwe's a wild animal. 382 00:51:25,520 --> 00:51:28,400 He's not going to give you 100% trust. 383 00:51:30,040 --> 00:51:36,360 He's got every instinct a man has to protect his family. 384 00:51:56,760 --> 00:51:57,960 Mpungwe, it's only me! 385 00:51:59,200 --> 00:52:03,960 He's being very, very cautious of me with the camera. 386 00:52:05,840 --> 00:52:08,720 And I keep trying to say, you know, well, look, 387 00:52:08,720 --> 00:52:10,160 I just want to be your friend. 388 00:52:11,960 --> 00:52:13,640 SCREECHING 389 00:52:13,640 --> 00:52:15,400 Mpungwe! Come on. 390 00:52:17,280 --> 00:52:19,320 He's not charging forward. 391 00:52:22,280 --> 00:52:27,680 Mpungwe's starting to allow us to come. It is a milestone. 392 00:52:34,160 --> 00:52:38,760 He's even standing and staring at me. He never used to do that before. 393 00:52:41,720 --> 00:52:47,000 Usually, direct eye contact with a silverback is considered to 394 00:52:47,000 --> 00:52:49,720 be a threat from a gorilla's point of view. 395 00:52:51,800 --> 00:52:58,160 The fact that Mpungwe doesn't charge when I'm looking directly at him is 396 00:52:58,160 --> 00:53:00,240 potentially a good sign 397 00:53:00,240 --> 00:53:03,480 because it means that he might be getting used to me. 398 00:53:08,120 --> 00:53:09,400 HE CLEARS THROAT 399 00:53:26,000 --> 00:53:27,040 Hey! 400 00:53:34,160 --> 00:53:35,200 HE SIGHS 401 00:53:53,920 --> 00:53:59,200 I am literally ten metres from the baby and the mother. 402 00:54:00,640 --> 00:54:03,200 They're just sitting there, looking at us. 403 00:54:09,080 --> 00:54:12,800 Females become sexually mature around seven or eight. 404 00:54:14,280 --> 00:54:17,080 Once a female begins to breed, 405 00:54:17,080 --> 00:54:23,280 she will give birth to one baby every 4-6 years. 406 00:54:25,120 --> 00:54:27,240 That is a cutie! 407 00:54:28,360 --> 00:54:32,000 This low rate of reproduction is what partly makes it 408 00:54:32,000 --> 00:54:36,280 difficult for the gorillas to recover from population decline. 409 00:54:38,040 --> 00:54:42,480 And knowing that really emphasises the importance 410 00:54:42,480 --> 00:54:43,760 of what we're doing here. 411 00:54:47,440 --> 00:54:50,000 Oh! She's feeding, she's feeding! 412 00:54:51,840 --> 00:54:55,920 Oh! She was feeding! Look, look! Ha-ha! 413 00:54:55,920 --> 00:54:58,200 Look at her face! Just...just look at that! 414 00:54:59,840 --> 00:55:02,920 I've never seen a mother gorilla feeding her baby. 415 00:55:12,520 --> 00:55:13,880 Wow! 416 00:55:13,880 --> 00:55:14,920 HE CHUCKLES 417 00:55:19,680 --> 00:55:22,040 Mpungwe is not very far from here. 418 00:55:22,040 --> 00:55:27,360 He's keeping an eye on the family. 419 00:55:35,200 --> 00:55:39,760 He's there to look after the family, he's there to solve problems. 420 00:55:39,760 --> 00:55:44,920 You know, the confidence, the power - it takes me back 421 00:55:44,920 --> 00:55:49,280 to my grandfather, Bonifas, you know, just like that! 422 00:55:51,360 --> 00:55:52,600 Because... 423 00:55:52,600 --> 00:55:53,640 HE CHUCKLES 424 00:55:55,640 --> 00:55:57,280 Oh! 425 00:55:57,280 --> 00:55:58,440 HE CHUCKLES 426 00:55:58,440 --> 00:55:59,600 Oh, jeez! 427 00:56:14,400 --> 00:56:18,560 Being a strong male figure was one of the most 428 00:56:18,560 --> 00:56:22,200 important values instilled in me. 429 00:56:25,320 --> 00:56:28,240 When I was growing up, I was left-handed. 430 00:56:29,600 --> 00:56:32,920 Back then, if you were left-handed, 431 00:56:32,920 --> 00:56:37,680 it's not a good sign for a boy. 432 00:56:37,680 --> 00:56:42,120 Being left-handed was seen as being less masculine, basically. 433 00:56:45,400 --> 00:56:48,840 That's just one of the traditions in our culture. 434 00:56:51,640 --> 00:56:59,000 So, my grandad would use a bandage to cover my left hand 435 00:56:59,000 --> 00:57:04,600 so I can't use it, and that made me very slow at school. 436 00:57:07,840 --> 00:57:10,760 I almost believed that I wasn't good enough, in a way. 437 00:57:13,560 --> 00:57:16,480 When you are the last one to finish everything, 438 00:57:16,480 --> 00:57:19,400 you always get a little bit marginalised. 439 00:57:22,480 --> 00:57:25,520 For a powerful creature like Mpungwe, 440 00:57:25,520 --> 00:57:28,360 if you're going to be his friend, you've got to be strong. 441 00:57:29,720 --> 00:57:32,640 You have to prove to him that you are man enough. 442 00:57:48,840 --> 00:57:50,240 Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh! 443 00:57:52,400 --> 00:57:56,040 Throughout the year, gorillas will move through different 444 00:57:56,040 --> 00:58:01,760 areas in their territory to find the food that they are looking for. 445 00:58:02,760 --> 00:58:05,720 I'm well over halfway of my trip now, 446 00:58:05,720 --> 00:58:10,600 and the gorillas have moved from the bamboo forest and they're 447 00:58:10,600 --> 00:58:15,120 now in an area where they can eat bark, fruits and flowers. 448 00:58:17,960 --> 00:58:24,720 And this place is nuts - not only the density of the forest, 449 00:58:24,720 --> 00:58:27,920 the hills are really, really high. 450 00:58:27,920 --> 00:58:32,040 We're talking about 500-metres' drop. 451 00:58:34,080 --> 00:58:37,800 And this is the type of terrain where Mpungwe 452 00:58:37,800 --> 00:58:40,640 will just ambush the team. 453 00:58:41,640 --> 00:58:45,160 So, safety-wise, we just have to be extremely careful. 454 00:58:53,080 --> 00:58:54,560 BARKING 455 00:58:56,920 --> 00:58:58,640 BARKING 456 00:58:59,960 --> 00:59:02,080 Before, he would charge from distance, 457 00:59:02,080 --> 00:59:08,040 but now he's starting to come really close and, yeah, size me up a bit. 458 00:59:11,560 --> 00:59:15,920 But I have to stand tall, and that is... That is key. 459 00:59:16,960 --> 00:59:18,520 SCREECHING 460 00:59:20,120 --> 00:59:22,400 Despite how aggressive he looks... 461 00:59:22,400 --> 00:59:24,160 SCREECHING 462 00:59:24,160 --> 00:59:26,240 ..now that Mpungwe's getting close to us 463 00:59:26,240 --> 00:59:31,120 without charging is actually a sign that he's getting used to us. 464 00:59:35,400 --> 00:59:41,080 I'm certain that Mpungwe knows that I want to be a part of his group, 465 00:59:41,080 --> 00:59:47,520 but whether he will eventually allow me in, that is the big question. 466 00:59:52,400 --> 00:59:59,360 SCREECHING, BARKING 467 00:59:59,360 --> 01:00:00,880 Mpungwe, it's me! 468 01:00:05,160 --> 01:00:07,840 SCREECHING 469 01:00:07,840 --> 01:00:10,240 SCREECHING, ROARING 470 01:00:17,640 --> 01:00:20,040 The previous terrain, he was able to gauge 471 01:00:20,040 --> 01:00:25,720 the distance between his family and us, so he would be more relaxed. 472 01:00:25,720 --> 01:00:33,720 SCREECHING, ROARING 473 01:00:36,720 --> 01:00:37,760 Mpungwe! 474 01:00:40,240 --> 01:00:44,040 He cannot see where we are, so we're moving forward. 475 01:00:44,040 --> 01:00:47,480 The team doesn't realise that they're crossing the boundary, 476 01:00:47,480 --> 01:00:51,280 so that's the reason why he's coming and then he's charging. 477 01:00:51,280 --> 01:00:53,040 This is very dangerous. 478 01:00:53,040 --> 01:00:55,880 SCREECHING, ROARING 479 01:01:04,480 --> 01:01:06,400 SCREECHING 480 01:01:09,120 --> 01:01:10,880 BARKING 481 01:01:13,040 --> 01:01:16,400 SCREECHING, ROARING 482 01:01:21,520 --> 01:01:23,000 Oh, my God! 483 01:01:26,280 --> 01:01:31,160 Mpungwe has tried to pull my left foot. 484 01:01:40,280 --> 01:01:45,120 It's absolutely remarkable that he decided not to hurt me 485 01:01:45,120 --> 01:01:46,600 because he could... 486 01:01:48,800 --> 01:01:49,960 ..if he wanted to. 487 01:01:53,360 --> 01:01:58,400 I think that moment was very meaningful. 488 01:02:03,960 --> 01:02:08,000 I have proven to Mpungwe that I'm man enough to be his friend. 489 01:02:11,840 --> 01:02:12,880 Game on! 490 01:02:21,200 --> 01:02:23,720 Today is a special day. 491 01:02:23,720 --> 01:02:29,120 Kahuzi-Biega is hosting its largest group of tourists in years to 492 01:02:29,120 --> 01:02:33,880 visit the park's only fully habituated gorilla family. 493 01:02:35,120 --> 01:02:39,200 And I've been invited to join the group to see how a fully 494 01:02:39,200 --> 01:02:44,840 habituated silverback would behave amongst the tourists. 495 01:02:48,080 --> 01:02:52,440 - Are you excited about today or would you rather be filming Mpungwe? 496 01:02:52,440 --> 01:02:56,800 - I must say, you know, truly, honestly, I'm half-half. 497 01:02:56,800 --> 01:03:01,640 My head, at the moment's programmed just to get close to Mpungwe. 498 01:03:01,640 --> 01:03:09,640 But I will equally be excited to be close to an habituated group. 499 01:03:10,680 --> 01:03:11,880 HE CHUCKLES 500 01:03:17,040 --> 01:03:20,680 - The tourism sector can make much money. 501 01:03:22,760 --> 01:03:26,800 Virunga, Uganda, Rwanda - they have the same product, gorillas. 502 01:03:29,160 --> 01:03:31,000 Tourism can help the gorilla 503 01:03:31,000 --> 01:03:35,320 because this can help the Kahuzi to promote...to be promoted. 504 01:03:36,480 --> 01:03:38,160 Don't rush, don't rush. 505 01:03:40,600 --> 01:03:45,360 So, this is Mr Bonane with some of the children. 506 01:03:46,400 --> 01:03:47,520 - Hello, Bonane! 507 01:03:48,880 --> 01:03:50,840 - Oh, wow, fantastic! 508 01:04:01,480 --> 01:04:07,800 - Obviously, wildlife filming and tourists doesn't quite go together! 509 01:04:13,640 --> 01:04:21,640 - In the mid-'80s to early '90s, we had 7,000 tourists a year. 510 01:04:23,040 --> 01:04:28,640 That was before the war. Today, 150 a month. 511 01:04:28,640 --> 01:04:32,840 The park has only one gorilla group to visit, 512 01:04:32,840 --> 01:04:37,320 but the small income from the Bonane group, it doesn't go far, 513 01:04:37,320 --> 01:04:41,040 so it's very important to have a second group. 514 01:04:48,960 --> 01:04:50,720 - Yeah, he's OK. 515 01:04:50,720 --> 01:04:51,760 Yeah. 516 01:04:57,560 --> 01:05:01,760 - There's a huge difference between Mpungwe's group and Bonane. 517 01:05:01,760 --> 01:05:03,840 The contrast is enormous. 518 01:05:05,040 --> 01:05:06,800 Mpungwe wouldn't tolerate this. 519 01:05:09,360 --> 01:05:12,000 - We can say bye-bye to Bonane! 520 01:05:12,000 --> 01:05:14,360 - Bye-bye! - Yeah, yeah! 521 01:05:14,360 --> 01:05:16,360 - HE CHUCKLES 522 01:05:16,360 --> 01:05:19,680 Bonane is so habituated to the human presence. 523 01:05:22,280 --> 01:05:24,280 I have a bit of apprehension, you know. 524 01:05:25,480 --> 01:05:29,080 As much as I really would love to be this close to Mpungwe... 525 01:05:30,840 --> 01:05:34,000 ..in a way, it makes them a bit vulnerable, 526 01:05:34,000 --> 01:05:37,440 not being able to distinguish who's good, who's bad. 527 01:05:39,400 --> 01:05:45,480 This journey started like a simple idea - following the habituation, 528 01:05:45,480 --> 01:05:49,320 but it gets deeper than that, you know, as you're progressing with it. 529 01:05:52,840 --> 01:05:54,320 GUNSHOT 530 01:05:55,920 --> 01:05:57,760 NEWS REPORTER: - The United Nations' mission 531 01:05:57,760 --> 01:06:00,440 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo says 130 532 01:06:00,440 --> 01:06:05,400 civilians were killed by M23 in the villages of Kishishe and Bambu. 533 01:06:06,880 --> 01:06:10,720 The M23 movement, a largely Tutsi former rebel group, 534 01:06:10,720 --> 01:06:12,200 denied its role in the massacre. 535 01:06:15,080 --> 01:06:16,320 - Oh, fucking hell! 536 01:06:20,080 --> 01:06:22,880 No-one in this country wants to see these things again. 537 01:06:26,000 --> 01:06:27,800 I know it's not far from where I am. 538 01:06:30,080 --> 01:06:35,240 And I do not want this war to spread across the country again. 539 01:06:47,880 --> 01:06:52,880 SHOUTING 540 01:06:52,880 --> 01:06:54,120 SHOUTING 541 01:06:56,720 --> 01:07:00,720 HE ADDRESSES THEM 542 01:07:00,720 --> 01:07:01,760 HE SHOUTS 543 01:07:31,080 --> 01:07:32,400 - I knew each one... 544 01:07:33,680 --> 01:07:34,720 ..by name. 545 01:07:38,440 --> 01:07:41,280 The habituated groups, they're used to seeing people every day - 546 01:07:41,280 --> 01:07:43,960 they don't run, they don't hide at all. 547 01:07:46,040 --> 01:07:50,640 But unhabituated groups, when they hear a little noise, you know, 548 01:07:50,640 --> 01:07:52,160 they're ready to hide. 549 01:07:55,200 --> 01:08:00,360 If, once again, fighting continues to be extended to this area, 550 01:08:00,360 --> 01:08:03,960 the remaining population of gorillas will, like, go away. 551 01:08:06,400 --> 01:08:08,320 Yes, absolutely. 552 01:08:21,400 --> 01:08:25,080 I cannot reject the idea of habituating. 553 01:08:25,080 --> 01:08:30,120 I support it 100% because, when the communities have income, 554 01:08:30,120 --> 01:08:33,560 they prevent each other not to harm the gorillas in their habitat. 555 01:08:39,520 --> 01:08:43,600 - The history of this place, you know, it was a hunting ground. 556 01:08:45,920 --> 01:08:49,200 Mpungwe, from a very young age, maybe when he was a baby, 557 01:08:49,200 --> 01:08:53,760 he's been witness to some of the upheavals in the past. 558 01:08:55,520 --> 01:08:59,800 He's got that in his instinct, you know, to be cautious of humans. 559 01:09:02,840 --> 01:09:06,840 GROWLING 560 01:09:09,280 --> 01:09:15,360 As soon as we arrived, we heard a roar, so he's definitely around. 561 01:09:16,720 --> 01:09:18,080 Time is ticking. 562 01:09:21,240 --> 01:09:23,520 I've got less than ten days now, 563 01:09:23,520 --> 01:09:28,200 and Mpungwe has obviously been close enough to touch me. 564 01:09:28,200 --> 01:09:31,800 But the ultimate test is to see 565 01:09:31,800 --> 01:09:35,760 whether I could be seven metres from him without him charging. 566 01:09:38,800 --> 01:09:41,640 GROWLING 567 01:09:41,640 --> 01:09:46,120 To be honest, though, I'm starting to feel a bit uncomfortable 568 01:09:46,120 --> 01:09:52,240 seeing what habituation has done to the other silverback. 569 01:09:52,240 --> 01:09:54,680 GROWLING 570 01:09:54,680 --> 01:09:58,520 SCREECHING, ROARING 571 01:10:01,680 --> 01:10:05,240 SCREECHING 572 01:10:09,920 --> 01:10:12,040 He really doesn't want to be filmed today. 573 01:10:13,720 --> 01:10:16,000 He's not tolerating any... 574 01:10:16,000 --> 01:10:17,200 ..any movement. 575 01:11:02,000 --> 01:11:04,520 Despite his scary presence... 576 01:11:05,560 --> 01:11:09,520 ..he's still very vulnerable cos he's looking, you know, 577 01:11:09,520 --> 01:11:10,680 he's not quite sure. 578 01:11:12,280 --> 01:11:15,560 He just wants to care about his family. 579 01:11:49,400 --> 01:11:51,600 SCREECHING 580 01:11:51,600 --> 01:11:53,560 ROARING 581 01:12:05,840 --> 01:12:07,240 SCREECHING 582 01:12:13,320 --> 01:12:17,640 He's standing there - the babies, everybody else, is behind him. 583 01:12:57,120 --> 01:12:58,160 I feel for him. 584 01:13:00,280 --> 01:13:01,520 I really feel for him. 585 01:13:04,520 --> 01:13:08,400 If I carry this camera like this, if you see it from a distance, 586 01:13:08,400 --> 01:13:10,920 it looks like I'm carrying a gun. 587 01:13:10,920 --> 01:13:12,920 That's perhaps what he is thinking. 588 01:13:16,120 --> 01:13:19,400 And every time I'm pointing the camera, he always hides himself. 589 01:13:23,800 --> 01:13:26,160 Maybe he's always going to stay like this, huh? 590 01:14:06,920 --> 01:14:10,280 - I've sort of noticed that you seem a bit withdrawn, 591 01:14:10,280 --> 01:14:11,720 a bit more sort of distant. 592 01:14:11,720 --> 01:14:13,400 And I just wondered what, if anything, 593 01:14:13,400 --> 01:14:16,000 is sort of going on for you emotionally? 594 01:14:19,120 --> 01:14:25,600 - I just wish I knew a little bit more about what I was getting into. 595 01:14:27,720 --> 01:14:33,160 Mentally, it's starting to feel a little bit exhausting because... 596 01:14:35,280 --> 01:14:38,800 ..I have two minds fighting each other. 597 01:14:40,240 --> 01:14:45,240 One is to see the gorillas being habituated. 598 01:14:48,280 --> 01:14:52,640 And one is to have Mpungwe remaining Mpungwe, like, 599 01:14:52,640 --> 01:14:56,160 remaining wild for the sake of his family. 600 01:14:59,520 --> 01:15:02,440 Despite the fact I'm trying hard to get close to him 601 01:15:02,440 --> 01:15:06,640 and just see if he will accept me as an individual, 602 01:15:06,640 --> 01:15:10,760 I would like for Mpungwe to be cautious of humans. 603 01:15:14,680 --> 01:15:17,960 Because, if a gorilla can't distinguish a good person 604 01:15:17,960 --> 01:15:21,880 and a bad person, that is a huge concern for me. 605 01:15:23,680 --> 01:15:26,760 But when they have a wild instinct... 606 01:15:28,440 --> 01:15:33,000 ..if there was to be an intruder then, from a distance, 607 01:15:33,000 --> 01:15:37,640 Mpungwe would be able to protect the rest of his family and go away. 608 01:15:40,880 --> 01:15:43,160 I feel like I have an... 609 01:15:43,160 --> 01:15:48,920 ..a really genuine connection with him and the rest of his family. 610 01:15:50,360 --> 01:15:55,240 And I'm starting to see a lot of elements around Mpungwe 611 01:15:55,240 --> 01:15:58,200 are connected to my own family. 612 01:16:00,800 --> 01:16:03,560 The sad thing with my family is that, 613 01:16:03,560 --> 01:16:09,680 when the patriarch left, that sort of role wasn't passed on to anyone. 614 01:16:11,440 --> 01:16:13,240 Then we all sort of... 615 01:16:15,200 --> 01:16:16,960 ..scattered around. 616 01:16:19,000 --> 01:16:21,880 I'm in England, my sister is in Paris, 617 01:16:21,880 --> 01:16:27,000 my brother is in South Africa, some are back in the Congo - you name it. 618 01:16:27,000 --> 01:16:30,360 That's why it's quite hard, you know, 619 01:16:30,360 --> 01:16:36,200 for me cos I don't feel connected to my brothers and sisters any more. 620 01:16:38,280 --> 01:16:43,000 No-one was there to maintain this very... 621 01:16:44,600 --> 01:16:49,080 ..important value in our family, in my culture. 622 01:16:51,400 --> 01:16:56,240 And I would love for Mpungwe to have plenty of time to pass 623 01:16:56,240 --> 01:16:59,440 that legacy on to his son... 624 01:17:00,800 --> 01:17:04,640 ..so that Mpungwe's family doesn't end up like my own 625 01:17:04,640 --> 01:17:06,880 and then that legacy carries on. 626 01:17:08,760 --> 01:17:11,960 I would have loved to be that sort of silverback who would 627 01:17:11,960 --> 01:17:17,560 keep my brothers and my sisters, my cousins and my kids all together. 628 01:17:20,760 --> 01:17:24,200 I kind of wanted to be like my grandad, you know, 629 01:17:24,200 --> 01:17:25,360 having the entire... 630 01:17:26,680 --> 01:17:29,040 ..the entire tribe, you know, around. 631 01:17:33,000 --> 01:17:35,280 But I've never quite achieved that. 632 01:17:39,280 --> 01:17:41,440 COCK CROWS 633 01:18:22,280 --> 01:18:23,320 Mm. 634 01:18:29,200 --> 01:18:30,240 Mm-hm. 635 01:19:46,920 --> 01:19:51,720 Conservation is not black and white. It's very complex. 636 01:19:53,400 --> 01:19:55,840 John and Lambert, 637 01:19:55,840 --> 01:19:59,200 they really are fighting hard for the gorillas to thrive. 638 01:20:02,960 --> 01:20:07,160 And I think the symbiotic relationship is going the right way. 639 01:20:15,520 --> 01:20:17,360 I've got less than a week to go. 640 01:20:18,400 --> 01:20:21,000 I wanted to cement the whole thing around 641 01:20:21,000 --> 01:20:24,840 this close proximity with Mpungwe. 642 01:20:24,840 --> 01:20:28,720 Going home and not being able to accomplish that would feel 643 01:20:28,720 --> 01:20:31,200 almost like a bit of a failure. 644 01:20:32,280 --> 01:20:33,360 Simple as that. 645 01:20:36,400 --> 01:20:41,440 It's not just a wildlife project. 646 01:20:41,440 --> 01:20:46,200 To me, gorillas are exceptional. 647 01:20:46,200 --> 01:20:47,480 We share so much. 648 01:20:49,360 --> 01:20:54,320 So, if I can be known for anything, I'd love it to be for this. 649 01:21:14,840 --> 01:21:15,880 Look at that! 650 01:21:28,840 --> 01:21:29,880 Look at that. 651 01:21:31,680 --> 01:21:32,720 That's Tuliya. 652 01:21:34,800 --> 01:21:41,480 I've never come across a gorilla this distance, never. 653 01:21:55,920 --> 01:21:56,960 Look! 654 01:21:58,160 --> 01:22:01,640 We are surrounded of Mpungwe's family. 655 01:22:04,280 --> 01:22:08,200 This whole place is peppered with gorillas. 656 01:22:08,200 --> 01:22:10,120 HE CHUCKLES 657 01:22:10,120 --> 01:22:11,760 We are fully accepted. 658 01:22:25,480 --> 01:22:31,520 This is one of the sons. He must be around six. And he wants to play! 659 01:22:35,560 --> 01:22:36,600 Your turn. 660 01:22:41,800 --> 01:22:44,120 HE CHUCKLES 661 01:22:44,120 --> 01:22:45,160 Oh! 662 01:22:48,160 --> 01:22:52,760 Mpungwe's not far. The son always hangs around his dad. 663 01:23:20,240 --> 01:23:23,080 When I got here, I had one thing on my mind - 664 01:23:23,080 --> 01:23:24,920 learning about habituation. 665 01:23:26,240 --> 01:23:29,280 Throughout the process, you start to learn about a lot of things, 666 01:23:29,280 --> 01:23:30,320 you know. 667 01:23:34,560 --> 01:23:39,000 This is how we sometimes find ourselves in circumstances 668 01:23:39,000 --> 01:23:42,560 that you weren't planning or projecting. 669 01:23:46,720 --> 01:23:49,680 You know, we live, we learn, we battle with stuff, you know. 670 01:23:51,200 --> 01:23:55,160 Well, certainly me, battling with myself and watching Mpungwe, 671 01:23:55,160 --> 01:23:56,960 reminding me of certain things. 672 01:24:02,000 --> 01:24:05,720 When you grow up with a grandad who you've never seen crying 673 01:24:05,720 --> 01:24:07,000 or anything like that... 674 01:24:08,960 --> 01:24:15,120 ..you know, in moments of sadness, he always was steady, you know. 675 01:24:17,640 --> 01:24:19,880 I just wanted to copy my grandad, you know... 676 01:24:21,720 --> 01:24:22,960 ..to be like him. 677 01:24:25,200 --> 01:24:26,720 Very dominating. 678 01:24:28,880 --> 01:24:34,720 But watching Mpungwe being himself made me 679 01:24:34,720 --> 01:24:36,680 realise that I'm not a silverback... 680 01:24:38,600 --> 01:24:41,480 ..that I've been putting on a facade of looking like one of those 681 01:24:41,480 --> 01:24:43,000 but, within the family, 682 01:24:43,000 --> 01:24:46,480 I'm definitely not a dominating or a controlling figure... 683 01:24:51,680 --> 01:24:53,920 ..which is one thing I have to face, you know. 684 01:24:57,440 --> 01:25:00,080 Just face not being a silverback. 685 01:25:00,080 --> 01:25:01,120 HE CHUCKLES 686 01:25:18,240 --> 01:25:19,520 Today is my last day! 687 01:25:21,080 --> 01:25:27,040 It would be really nice just to say a really good, peaceful goodbye... 688 01:25:29,760 --> 01:25:32,720 ..to finish this incredible journey I've had. 689 01:25:36,000 --> 01:25:40,960 My only apprehension about that is that he might not be in a good mood. 690 01:25:43,320 --> 01:25:49,200 To end it on a really brutal note would be really 691 01:25:49,200 --> 01:25:50,800 heart-wrenching for me. 692 01:26:09,160 --> 01:26:13,040 SCREECHING 693 01:26:13,040 --> 01:26:16,680 SCREECHING 694 01:26:20,200 --> 01:26:23,320 Might be not a very smooth goodbye. 695 01:26:36,280 --> 01:26:39,360 I think this is the best we're going to get from Mpungwe today. 696 01:26:45,240 --> 01:26:47,600 Watching Mpungwe has taught me quite a lot. 697 01:26:50,240 --> 01:26:53,960 I think the biggest lesson - put family first. 698 01:26:53,960 --> 01:26:57,360 I've reached the point now where I started to feel it really 699 01:26:57,360 --> 01:27:00,560 heavily, you know, going away for a long time. 700 01:27:03,960 --> 01:27:06,480 I would love to spend... 701 01:27:08,120 --> 01:27:10,760 ..as much time as possible with my family. 702 01:27:15,080 --> 01:27:17,280 Look! He's looking! 703 01:27:19,280 --> 01:27:21,400 It's as if he knew today is my last day. 704 01:27:26,800 --> 01:27:28,800 HE CHUCKLES 705 01:27:28,800 --> 01:27:30,600 I know you, Mpungwe, now, I know you. 706 01:27:36,760 --> 01:27:37,960 HE GASPS 707 01:27:42,200 --> 01:27:43,440 Did you see that? 708 01:27:46,720 --> 01:27:48,240 HE CHUCKLES 709 01:27:48,240 --> 01:27:49,400 Oh, look at that! 710 01:28:00,240 --> 01:28:03,760 LAMBERT CHUCKLES 711 01:28:06,280 --> 01:28:07,760 LAMBERT CHUCKLES 712 01:28:07,760 --> 01:28:12,640 I got what I wanted. I can go back now. Honestly, I'm a happy man. 713 01:28:12,640 --> 01:28:16,200 That is a goodbye. It couldn't be better than that! 714 01:28:16,200 --> 01:28:17,440 HE CHUCKLES 715 01:28:20,120 --> 01:28:23,840 - Is there anything you would say to your grandfather now? 716 01:28:23,840 --> 01:28:26,000 - I would just tell him that I looked up to him 717 01:28:26,000 --> 01:28:32,160 and I wanted to make him proud, but we live in a different era now. 718 01:28:32,160 --> 01:28:33,680 I wouldn't be like him. 719 01:28:37,360 --> 01:28:42,920 If I'm who I am, it's because of a lot of support from my wife, 720 01:28:42,920 --> 01:28:45,040 and from my kids, as well.