Page 21 - 2017 RWANDA

The two porters practically carried me down all the really steep spots

with lots of loose rocks and even some bouldery piles. I was very
grateful to have them at my side. We also learned on this trek that even

people who cannot walk up or down the trails will have a way up &

back, but more on that later.

So why was "Special Family" given that designation? Because its recent

history is so different from any other family ever observed during

Fossey's time or in more recent years. Several years ago, the family's

original silverback went missing. No one really knows whether he was

killed by angry farmers, poached, or killed in a fight with another
silverback over territorial and harem rights. For six months, the family

was led by the alpha female, again unheard of behavior. She kept them