This is Charles, a mountain gorilla in the virunga volcanoes, Rwanda. He is looking after his children and pauses in between grooming. You can just make out the tiny hands and feet of his baby at the bottom of the picture.

I find it exasperating when I tell some people about visiting the mountain gorillas and about my upcoming work in Cameroon with gorillas, chimps and monkeys. “Oh! gorillas! They’re so scarey, you’ll end up being killed, they’ll attack you!” is how some people react. (Sigh) I’m afraid that old flick King Kong has a lot to answer for in bad management of the gorilla’s PR…

To my mind, it’s like us: if we are attacked, we will react and attack back: the same with gorillas and lots of other wild animals.

To obtain a gorilla head or hand or foot is still seen as a “trophy” in parts of Africa. It saddens me. I think it’s almost part of the same mentality that says “Ooh don’t go there, the gorillas will attack you”. It’s some kind of macho triumph to have a part of an immensly powerful animal that has the potential to overpower you.

You can blame the poachers but in some ways who can blame them when they can get so much money for this grisly business? It’s the demand that dictates the supply…

Perhaps if the people who buy the animal parts and also eat these magnificent creatures could have the opportunity to sit with them for just an hour, maybe this would change their minds and also their hearts..?