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Gorilla trekking in Africa

By Edna Heard

PHOTOs BY JUDY SCHEUERELL

This pair of mountain gorillas was part of a gorilla family that the Scheuerells of Sun City trekked to see in the wild in a
Rwandan rainforest. Mountain gorillas are critically endangered.

A Sun City Texas couple journeys to the jungles of
Rwanda to view mountain gorillas

Judy and Bob Scheuerell remember square acres and home to about 500 go- sive conservation efforts are paying off.
with affection their adventure in Af- rillas living in their natural habitat in a
rica. Their tour started in Kenya and mountain rainforest. The permit fee to Arriving at the park, the Scheuerells and
Tanzania with wildlife safaris and game join a gorilla trek was $750 a person and others who had come to see the gorillas were
viewing. Then to Rwanda to sightsee and was good for one hour to observe the goril- entertained by native dancers. Then they
visit the cooperatives that showcase na- las, though there was no guarantee you’d were divided into ten groups of eight, each
tive handcrafts. The burned out church in actually see a gorilla. group having two guides. Ten groups are all
Nyamata, Rwanda, where 10,000 people that are allowed in each day so the gorillas
were murdered, remains as a memorial to Mountain gorillas are critcally endan- don’t get too used to being around humans.
the genocide that took the lives of a million gered. Although the gorillas in the park
people in Rwanda in 1994. are protected, poaching still goes on. It’s Each person on the tour was encouraged to
heartbreaking to see these magnificent, hire a personal porter for $10 to carry back-
While some of the Scheuerells’ tour group gentle creatures killed for their hands, packs, water, cameras and other items. It
decided not to make the post-tour trip to which are used for Asian medicines. The was explained the porters were ex-poachers,
Rwanda to see the mountain gorillas, the natives living near the park realize the or the children of ex-poachers, who were
Sun City Texas couple enthusiastically gorillas bring tourists who spend money now able to make a living without poach-
signed up for it. Volcanoes National Park, and help the local economy, and the gorilla ing, prompting all those on the tour to hire
where the Scheuerells visited, is 40,000 population is increasing slowly as exten- a porter.

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