"Humans can easily seek shelter and protection from unpleasant weather, but wild apes must tough out every storm in their rainforest homes. Unfortunately ‘storms’ for wild apes now include much more than rain – poaching, habitat destruction, human-induced disease - making them more vulnerable than ever. In the 20+ years I’ve studied wild gorillas I’ve shared many rainstorms with them. I took this photo following several hours of heavy, cold rain in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. I was cold and wet, yet thrilled to be surrounded by soggy, hungry mountain gorillas. Throughout the downpour all the infants sat tucked away in their mothers’ arms to stay warm and dry, unable to play and explore their forest. When this little guy’s mother got up to feed, he crawled on to her back so as to try to avoid getting wet as she moved through the dripping vegetation. At that very moment, the vulnerability of wild apes was obvious on so many different levels."
FINE ART & PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
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