Filmmaker Gordon Buchanan traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to film the wildlife for a new series on BBC.
But what he captured on film was something so beautiful, yet nothing he ever expected.
Buchanan and the rest of the film crew set up their cameras in the jungle at Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Soon after, a silverback gorilla walked out of the bushes nearby. The crew was intimidated at first, but what followed the gorilla out of the bushes had them in awe.
It soon became obvious to the crew that the gorilla was stopping traffic to allow his family to cross the road. The gorilla stood in front of traffic while several little gorillas came out of the bushes behind him to walk across the street.
Then a mother from the family crossed over with a baby on her back, while the father still stood there protecting them. Once the whole family was across the road, he followed them into the trees.
The big gorilla did a great job at keeping his family safe, and it’s such a heartwarming moment to witness! It’s amazing how smart gorillas are and how similar they are to humans.
According to berggorilla.org, young gorillas often stay close to their father who is usually the group leader. The father gorilla protects the infants and looks after them intensively.
A close relationship with the father is vital, since his care increases their chances of survival if their mother was to ever die or leave the group.
