Girls in Nature

A woman fulfilled her lifelong dream of seeing mountain gorillas in the wild after an intense 10km trek through Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Ankita Kumar, 33, from Bangalore, India, spent five years yearning to see the endangered species but could never afford the pricey permits. The gorilla trek, organized by Jim Jam Safaris, finally made her dream come true on a special occasion—her 50th country visit. Ankita said “I’ve wanted to see them for five years, but the permits are so expensive—$800 in Uganda and $1500 in Rwanda. "It all adds up with flights, visas, and other costs, but it was worth every penny!” Accompanied by her brother, a guide, and rangers, Ankita's group of eight ventured deep into the dense forest, equipped with gardening gloves and gators to protect from fire ants and stinging nettles. At one point, she heard rustling in the thick foliage next to her. She said: “I asked the ranger if it was the gorillas, and he went to check. "When he told me to come with him, it was just the ranger, my brother, and me when we first spotted them. “They were so gentle and quiet, just doing their own thing. "It was overwhelming to finally see them after all these year. "Bwindi is called impenetrable for a reason! “We had to hack our way through thick jungle, and the trek was physically demanding, but it was so worth it.” The group spent an hour with the Bweza family of gorillas, including a baby gorilla, who Ankita described as "naughty" and full of curiosity. Ankita said “It was like watching TV—he kept doing cute things and then looking at us to see our reaction. "It was as if he was putting on a show for us!" The experience was both physically and emotionally intense, Ankita teared up during a tribal dance that preceded the trek. She said “That moment felt more real than when I actually saw them. “It was like my dream was actually coming true.” “It was such a surreal experience and what made it even more special was that it happened in the 50th country I’ve visited!”