Uganda 8 December 2006

First sight - a youngish male in a tree overhead. Then a baby. Where's the mother? Nearby.

Silverback. Huge. Impressive. 25 stones? In the trees 20 metres downhill from us. We are practically level with him. Completely impervious to us he grasps brnches and chews on selected leaves.

The whole family is in the trees around and above us. Lazing. Eating. A female climbs overhead, pees then defecates, scattering us. Deliberate? Who knows? A message to her nearest relatives?

A mother and baby clinging on. Peering down at us, shyly. Curious.

After nearly an hour the silverback descends. The mother and baby come down within feet of Nadia. She is petrifies and delighted at the same time. Eye contact. No fear on the part of the gorilla.

We move down the hill. The silverback settles on the ground maybe 20 ft from us. Others are closer. Two juveniles barely ten feet away through the bushes.

Our hour is up but the guide says we have a few minutes more as they've just come down.

The silverback swngs away downhill. Snaps a young tree on his way - sheer exuberance.

A mother and baby swing down right in front of us. She agile, the baby clinging on. Mooch off.

The juvenile males pass behind us less than four feet away. A casual glance at us. No threat. I feel completely safe.