Silverback gorillas are one of the most majestic sights in nature - and also one of the most mysterious.
Now, thanks to a Norfolk man, people can get up close to the magnificent male apes and their female companions in their natural African habitat.
Phil Nolan, from Gresham in North Norfolk, runs a specialist safari company that brings tourists face-to-face with endangered mountain gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda.
The former British Army officer, who studied at the University of East Anglia and is turning 40, has been based in Dubai for the past 11 years and is travelling to Uganda twice a year to lead mountain expeditions.
He has travelled to 82 countries, but “fell in love” with Uganda and its wildlife after first visiting in 2021.
He said: “With such a hectic life in Dubai I’ve come to love the peace and stillness of being with the animals in Uganda.
“There’s something quite soul-soothing about being so close to wild animals and seeing how they do life.
"We can learn a lot from them. But we need to and we must protect them.”
Wildlife Adventure Safaris focuses on mountain gorillas because they are concentrated in East/Central Africa.
Mr Nolan said: “Seeing the Silverback in real life is a truly humbling experience.
"I knew that as soon as I had experienced it, I needed to get more people to feel that same feeling.”
Although living on the man-made Palm in Dubai, Mr Nolan still misses the Norfolk village he grew up in.
With his parents still in Gresham, he visits home often and said he misses the pace of life in Norfolk.
He said: “More and more I miss the pace of life in Norfolk.
“Nothing seems to change too much, which is very different to the hustle culture of life in Dubai.
“It’s a settling thought to know that home life continues uninterrupted.”
Silverback Facts
The Silverback is a mature male gorilla who has reached a point in his life where the hair on his back turns greyish-white or silver.
Silverback gorillas can weigh up to 300 to 500 pounds and stand around 5.6 feet, with their bite force being around 1,300 PSI, exceeding that of lions.
Some studies have estimated that gorillas could lift up to 10 times their body weight - making them 10 times stronger than the average human.
David Attenborough famously sat with baby gorillas in a forest clearing in Rwanda in a BBC wildlife show.
The footage for his 1979 Life on Earth series entranced the audience and remains one of his most iconic moments.
Ebola Fears
The Ebola outbreak remains a worry for Mr Nolan and his guides, but as of yet, has not directly impacted the safari's areas.
Mr Nolan said the greatest risk is the implications of various travel restrictions and bans, rather than the risk of transmission of the disease.
Wildlife Adventure Safaris has risk management and safety measures in place for tourist violence and kidnapping.
Mr Nolan worked in International SOS, a global medical and security assistance company, after leaving the army - providing him with the needed expertise.
He added: "We take our duty of care very seriously and prioritise safety over our commercial bottom line.
"The greatest risk is road travel and we ensure that we have the best vetted guides, highest standard of vehicles and understood protocols to help prevent an accident but also to react to an incident if it occurs."
