♪♪ DJENGUET: We are in Democratic Republic of Congo, invited by the Kahuzi-Biega National Park.

[ Conversing in French ] What we are going to be doing is following a process of getting a group of wild gorillas used to a human presence so tourists can safely enter their territory.

Every day for the next three months we're going to try to get closer, gradually becoming part of the gorilla family.

With primates it's never easy.

The last thing they want to do is hang around humans.

To them, you are a threat.

You're putting your life in danger because the silverback is there to protect every single member of his family.

[ Gorilla screeching ] This is a type of terrain where he can't see where we are, so that's the reason why he's coming and he's charging.

This is very dangerous.

[ Gorilla screeching ] Oh, my God!

The silverback has tried to pull my left foot.

It's absolutely remarkable that he decided not to hurt me, because he could if he wanted to.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ DJENGUET: We are in Democratic Republic of Congo, invited by the Kahuzi-Biega National Park.

♪♪ ♪♪ What is at stake here is the survival of this creature.

[ Conversing in French ] So, what we're going to be doing is following habituation, essentially a process of getting a group of wild gorillas used to human presence, so tourists can safely enter their territory.

What we're going to be doing no one has filmed before.

Every day for the next three months, we're going to try to get closer, gradually becoming part of the gorilla family.

But with primates, it's never easy.

The last thing they want to do is hang around humans.

To them, you are a threat.

Gorillas usually live in a family of between 5 and 10 led by an alpha male, which is the silverback.

99% of gorilla films are with habituated gorillas.

The habituated group is not dangerous to film.

But to film a non-habituated group, you're putting your life in danger because the silverback is there to protect every single member of his family.

With that said, as a wildlife cameraman, I like to film really wild animals.

Then you get to see the behavior that you've never seen before.

That's what does it for me.

However, with a truly wild silverback, will three months be enough for him to essentially accept me into his family?

MAN: Sierra Tango 5 to Sierra Tango 6.

MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] Okay, let's go now.

[ Speaking French ] [ Conversing in French ] DJENGUET: Okay.

♪♪ To habituate a gorilla family, essentially, you are trying to show them that you are a friend, and you do this by acting like them.

[ Speaking French ] MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] [ Thumping ] [ Speaking French ] [ Claps hands ] [ Thumping ] DJENGUET: For them to see us acting the same is to reassure them, to make them feel comfortable around us.

MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] [ Rhythmic slapping ] ♪♪ ♪♪ DJENGUET: Filming gorillas always feels magical to me.

I can't get enough of them.

[ Thumping ] ♪♪ Yes.

The thing that I love the most about filming gorillas is observing how similar they are to us.

Their expression, mannerism, the dexterity of their hands, it's just -- just like ours.

♪♪ The baby's playing.

That means the silverback is not very far away.

MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] DJENGUET: Gorillas are just constantly on the move, looking for bamboo shoots or other foliage to eat.

They can quite easily cover up to five kilometers a day, so to keep up with them is really exhausting.

[ Conversing in French ] ♪♪ [ Gorilla grunts ] [ Conversing in French ] The silverback is about 20 meters from us through this very thick foliage.

No way I can film it because it's really dense.

MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] [ Gorilla screeching ] ♪♪ [ Conversing in French ] DJENGUET: This is a completely different story to what I normally do when I film gorillas.

The habituated group is already used to humans.

These gorillas are wild.

They don't know us.

They can't trust us, especially the silverback.

You know, he's very serious.

He's got a job to do -- look after his family, look after his females.

♪♪ [ Gorilla screeching ] MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] [ Gorilla screeching ] ♪♪ [ Conversing in French ] [ Gorilla screeching ] DJENGUET: When the habituation starts, a silverback will charge.

That charge is the way of saying, "Look, I've got a family here, so back off."

But if you stand your ground, it stops him moving forward.

[ Gorilla screeching ] ♪♪ ♪♪ MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] DJENGUET: I didn't quite realize how heavy habituating gorillas was.

You really have to keep following them.

If people disagree with this method, I can totally understand, but you have to be cruel to be kind.

And this is the pure example of it.

Back in the '80s, habituation also helped mountain gorillas.

There were around 400 left, and then Virunga, Bwindi National Park followed the same process.

Now we have more than 1,000 individuals, so it works.

[ Speaking French ] MONGANE: Oui.

[ Speaking French ] DJENGUET: Gorillas are very much like humans.

Family means everything.

MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] DJENGUET: And whenever I spend time with them, I can't help drawing similarities between their world and my world.

Amazing.

I'm married to a beautiful English rose.

[ Chuckles ] And I have two beautiful kids that support me, but as a wildlife cameraman, it's been really hard for them.

MAN: How much time do you spend away from home?

DJENGUET: Mm, this year, I've been away for almost, um... like, pretty much... ...all the time.

♪♪ That is genius.

She just pulled the curtain down to cover herself and her baby.

Who told you that gorillas don't know what privacy is all about?

[ Chuckles ] [ Birds chirping ] That was a successful day, I would say.

I can see how the habituation has progressed quite far already in terms of how relaxed the juveniles are.

However, it feels like we've still got a long way to go before the silverback and other adults accept us.

So, today we'll be focusing on the silverback because he is the one who will open the gates for us.

[ Conversing in foreign language ] For the last two weeks, I haven't been able to fully see the silverback.

He's always been hiding behind the foliage.

But today, I really would like to see him face-to-face.

That's the only way I can start building trust with him.

I can see how difficult it is to actually habituate a group of gorillas, because they just want to make sure that there's the distance between you and them.

As soon as you cross that little boundary, the male charges.

[ Gorilla screeching ] MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] [ Screeching continues, thumping ] [ Conversing in French ] DJENGUET: Okay.

This is... so challenging.

[ Conversing in French ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Speaking French ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Speaking French ] MONGANE: [ Chuckles ] DJENGUET: Oh, la la.

[ Conversing in French ] MONGANE: Mm-hmm.

♪♪ DJENGUET: [ Speaking French ] MONGANE: Whoa!

DJENGUET: [ Chuckles ] MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] ♪♪ DJENGUET: Yes.

Look at that.

[ Chuckles ] [ Speaking French ] It amazes me how a 250-kilogram creature can climb a huge tree like that.

♪♪ It's bizarre I think that way, but every time I film the silverback...

...I always think of loads of resemblances to my granddad, Bonifas.

♪♪ There's this sort of sense of family protection.

There's a sense of, you know, gentleness.

The mannerism and the -- how he holds himself, how he -- how he talked, how he looked at people.

Everything a proud and confident man would want to be, he had it all.

People in the community and within the family really looked up to my granddad.

He was the pillar in the family, the patriarch, you know.

And I always wanted to be like him.

The protecting figure, the leading figure.

The silverback.

♪♪ ♪♪ I feel like we have taken a big step forward.

Now that me and Mpungwe have looked at each other in the eye, I hope we started to build some trust between us.

Now I would love to see if he can let me get a bit closer to meet some of his family that he's been protecting so well.

The family's completely scattered around.

Each of them's got a tree.

[ Conversing in French ] So, then you can see the silverback's got the biggest tree.

I think he's relaxing a little bit with our presence, 'cause he's letting me see his family.

[ Conversing in French ] Kagulu.

♪♪ KAHEKWA: Why are the community members living around the park harming the gorillas in their habitat?

Empty stomachs have no ears.

They have no choice.

We've reached 2 million people living around the park.

When people are concentrated, dominated by poverty, they have no other means, so they go and rely on the park resources.

♪♪ MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] DJENGUET: So, when they're trapped by this, they will struggle to get off it and then struggle to death by not being able to escape it.

KAHEKWA: The local people need more land where they can grow crops.

People need more space where they can create villages to live in.

So, what can we do now to help the gorillas?

Invest into the community.

MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] KAHEKWA: This money will go to the public treasure to help the communities in term of development.

When the humans are benefiting from the park, that's a security for the gorillas.

In that way, gorillas must pay for their own survival.

DJENGUET: I feel like we are making progress.

I've started to build a connection with Mpungwe, but he's still keeping us at a bit of distance.

So for the next week, we are going to try to get a bit closer and see whether he will tolerate our presence from around 20 meters or so.

This is risky, though, because he's likely to charge.

There are actually two methods of habituating gorillas.

The first is a very submissive approach used by a female conservationist called Dian Fossey to get close to mountain gorillas for research purposes.

MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] DJENGUET: But in Kahuzi-Biega, they've used a more assertive approach, standing tall, facing the gorillas.

[ Conversing in French ] The park's founders had a theory.

Because they were male, they had to behave in a dominant fashion to win the respect of the silverback.

♪♪ Obviously, I don't want him to attack me.

[ Speaking French ] But it's vital for him to get used to humans.

♪♪ [ Gorilla screeching ] [ Conversing in French ] ♪♪ [ Conversing in French ] MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] [ Gorilla screeches ] [ Conversing in foreign language ] [ Speaking French ] [ Gorilla screeching ] [ Speaking French ] [ Rustling ] [ Screeching continues ] ♪♪ [ Screeching continues ] ♪♪ DJENGUET: There's a really big part of me that feels like we are harassing them.

Their droppings are diarrhea-like.

That means they are slightly stressed.

This -- This is what worries me.

KAJEJE: [ Laughs ] [ Conversing in French ] DJENGUET: [ Chuckles ] Oh, wow.

It's a very, very risky job, but he keeps doing it to protect these gorillas.

Mpungwe's clearly not comfortable with us just yet, but I have respect for that, because he's doing what any silverback should do, protecting his family.

For me, family means -- means everything, but I don't do this job for just pleasure.

I do it now because I want to get people engaged into what needs to be done to make sure that the gorillas are protected.

For me in particular, the feeling is an addiction.

When gorillas see you every day, that's when the trust starts to kick in.

And all of a sudden, through the habituation, you become part of the group.

And then they start doing things naturally, and that's the moment -- that's the moment when you start getting the best out of their behavior.

♪♪ Hello!

[ Conversing in French ] [ Chuckles softly ] [ Conversing in French ] [ Thumping ] I am literally 10 meters from the baby and the mother.

They're just sitting there and looking at us.

♪♪ Females become sexually mature around 7 or 8.

Once a female begins to breed, she will give birth to one baby every four to six years.

That is a cutie.

This low rate of reproduction is what partly makes it difficult for the gorillas to recover from population decline.

And knowing that really emphasizes the importance of what we're doing here.

Oh.

She's feeding.

She's feeding.

Ohh!

She was feeding.

Look, look, look!

[ Laughs ] Look at her face.

Just -- Just look at that.

I've never seen a mother gorilla feeding the baby.

From here, he's keeping an eye on -- on the family.

♪♪ He's there to look after the family.

He's there to solve problems.

You know, the confidence, you know, the power, and it takes me back to my grandfather, Bonifas, you know, just like that.

Because -- [ Chuckles ] Oh.

[ Chuckles ] Oh, geez.

Man, sorry.

I'll just carry on filming for a bit.

Being a strong male figure was one of the most important values he instilled in me.

When I was growing up, I was left-handed.

Back then, if you were left-handed, it's not a good sign for a boy.

Being left-hand was seen as being less masculine, basically.

That's just one of the traditions in our culture.

So, my granddad would use a bandage to cover my left hand so I can't use it, and that made me very slow at school.

I almost believed that I wasn't good enough, in a way.

When you are the last one to finish everything, you always get a little bit marginalized.

You have to prove to him that you are man enough.

Whoa.

I'm well over halfway of my trip now, and the gorillas have moved from the bamboo forest, and they're now in an area where they can eat bark, fruits, and flowers.

And this place is nuts.

Not only the density of the forest, the hills are really, really high.

We're talking about 500 meters drop.

And this is a type of terrain where Mpungwe will just ambush the team.

So safety-wise, we just have to be extremely careful.

[ Gorilla screeching ] Mpungwe.

It's me.

[ Gorilla screeching, thumping ] ♪♪ The previous terrain, he was able to gauge the distance between his family and us.

So he would be more relaxed.

[ Gorilla screeching ] ♪♪ Mpungwe.

He can't see where we are, so we're moving forward.

The team doesn't realize that they're crossing the boundary, so that's the reason why he's coming and then he's charging.

This is very dangerous.

[ Gorilla screeching ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Oh, my God.

Mpungwe has tried to pull my left foot.

♪♪ It's absolutely remarkable that he decided not to hurt me, because he could... if he wanted to.

♪♪ Today is a special day.

Kahuzi-Biega is hosting its largest group of tourists in years to visit the park's only fully habituated gorilla family, and I've been invited to join the group to see how a fully habituated silverback would behave amongst the tourists.

♪♪ MAN: Don't rush.

Don't rush.

So, this is Mr. Bonane with some of the children.

WOMAN: Hello, Bonane.

MAN: Oh, wow.

Fantastic.

DJENGUET: [ Speaking French ] KAHEKWA: In the mid-'80s to early '90s, we had 7,000 tourists a year.

That was before the war.

Today, 150 a month.

The park has only one gorilla group to visit, but the small income from Bonane group, it doesn't go far, so it's very important to have a second group.

WOMAN: Is he okay here or is he a bit sad?

MAN: Yeah, yeah, he's okay.

Yeah.

WOMAN: He's so comfortable there, isn't he?

[ Camera shutter clicks ] DJENGUET: There's a huge difference between Mpungwe's group and Bonane.

The contrast is enormous.

Mpungwe wouldn't tolerate this.

[ Camera shutter clicks ] MAN: We can say bye-bye to Bonane.

[ Indistinct talking ] Yeah, yeah.

[ Laughs ] DJENGUET: Bonane is so habituated to human presence.

I have a bit of an apprehension.

As much as I really would love to be this close to Mpungwe, in a way, it makes them a bit vulnerable, not being able to distinguish who's good, who's bad.

This journey started like a simple idea, following the habituation, but it gets deeper than that, you know, as you're progressing with it.

[ Explosion ] REPORTER: The United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo says 130 civilians were killed by M23 in the villages of Kishishe and Bambo.

The M23 movement, a largely Tutsi former rebel group, denied its role in the massacre.

DJENGUET: Oh, man.

No one in this country wants to see these things again.

I know it's not far from where I am.

And I do not want this war to spread across the country again.

♪♪ MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] KAHEKWA: I knew each one by name.

The habituated groups, they're used to seeing people every day.

They don't run.

They don't hide at all.

But unhabituated groups, when they hear a little noise, you know, they're ready to hide.

If once again fighting continued to be extended to this area, the remaining population of gorillas will, like, go away.

MAN: You think they would go extinct?

KAHEKWA: Yes.

Absolutely.

But I cannot reject the idea of habituating.

I support it 100%.

Because when the communities have income, they prevent each other not to harm the gorillas in the habitat.

♪♪ DJENGUET: I've got less than 10 days now, and Mpungwe has obviously been close enough to touch me.

But the ultimate test is to see whether I could be seven meters from him without him charging.

[ Gorilla screeching ] To be honest, though, I am starting to feel a bit uncomfortable seeing what habituation has done to the other silverback.

[ Gorilla screeching ] ♪♪ [ Screeching continues ] ♪♪ Mpungwe doesn't want to be filmed today.

He's not tolerating any... any movement.

MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] DJENGUET: [ Speaking French ] MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] DJENGUET: [ Speaking French ] MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] ♪♪ [ Gorilla screeching ] DJENGUET: [ Speaking French ] MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] [ Gorilla screeches ] ♪♪ DJENGUET: He's standing there.

The babies -- Everybody -- Everybody else is behind him.

MONGANE: [ Speaking French ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Conversing in French ] DJENGUET: I feel for him.

I really feel for him.

If I carry this camera like this, if you see it from a distance, it looks like I'm carrying a gun.

That's perhaps what he's thinking.

And every time I'm pointing the camera, he always hides himself.

Maybe he's always going to stay like this, huh?

[ Speaking French ] I have two minds fighting each other.

One is to see the gorillas being habituated.

And one is to have -- have Mpungwe remaining Mpungwe, like, remaining wild for the sake of his family.

Because if a gorilla can't distinguish a good person and a bad person, that is a huge concern for me.

I've got less than a week to go.

[ Conversing in French ] ♪♪ There's a gorilla.

♪♪ That's Tuliya.

I've never come across a gorilla at this distance, never.

[ Speaking French ] ♪♪ ♪♪ Look, we are surrounded by Mpungwe's family.

This whole place is peppered with gorillas.

[ Laughs ] [ Thumping ] Your turn.

[ Thumping ] [ Laughs ] ♪♪ Mpungwe's not far.

The son always hangs around his dad.

♪♪ ♪♪ KAJEJE: [ Speaking foreign language ] ♪♪ DJENGUET: [ Speaking French ] [ Gorilla screeching ] ♪♪ Might be... not a very smooth goodbye.

[ Conversing in French ] ♪♪ I think this is the best we're going to get from Mpungwe today.

Watching Mpungwe has taught me quite a lot.

I think the biggest lesson -- put family first.

I've reached the point now where I've start -- I've started to feel it really heavily, you know, going away for a long time.

I would love to spend... as much time as possible with my family.

Look, he's looking.

It's as if he knows today is my last day.

♪♪ [ Chuckles ] I know you, Mpungwe, now.

I know you.

[ Thumping ] Ah!

[ Chuckles ] Did you see that?

[ Laughs ] Ah, look at that.

[ Conversing in French ] MONGANE: [ Laughs ] DJENGUET: [ Speaking French ] I got what I wanted.

I can go back now.

Honestly, I'm a happy man.

That is a goodbye.

It couldn't be better than that!

MONGANE: [ Laughs ] MAN: Is there anything you would say to your grandfather now?

DJENGUET: I would just tell him that I looked up to him and I wanted to make him proud, but we live in a different era now.

I wouldn't be like him.

[ Speaking French ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Thumping ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Gorilla screeching, thumping ] ♪♪ To learn more about what you've seen on this "Nature" program, visit pbs.org.

♪♪