Bwindi, Uganda

The Thinker

01 / 01

OM-1 Mark II · OM 40-150mm F4.0

72 mmƒ41/250ISO 5000

The story

In the mountains of Uganda, on the border with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, at an altitude exceeding 2,600 metres above sea level, lies Bwindi Forest — a UNESCO World Heritage Site spanning 321 square kilometres. Bwindi means “A Place Full of Darkness” in the local dialect, a name the forest earned through its dense, almost impenetrable vegetation.

It is also one of only two remaining places on our planet where mountain gorillas still live in the wild. Thanks to the tireless work of rangers — and no small part played by tourist interest and the funds that come with it — the population has grown over the past five decades from roughly 300 last surviving individuals to around 1,060. Mountain gorillas have moved, as a result, from Critically Endangered to “merely” Endangered.

We were lucky enough to successfully track and spend an hour in the immediate presence of the 10-member Oruzogo family. One of its members is this young individual. The rest of the family was either resting, entertaining themselves climbing a massive tree trunk, or spending time playing with the youngest — a three-month-old baby.

Not so The Thinker, as we aptly named him. For most of our time there, we watched him cycle through poses and facial expressions that could, without any doubt, rival the greatest philosophical minds in human history. What deep question was he pondering?

Whenever I think about the fact that I was, at one point, sitting next to whole 1% of the entire world population of these magnificent creatures — creatures with whom we share 98% of our DNA — I’m left completely in awe.

Bwindi, Uganda · February 8, 2026