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  • 16 hours ago
In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, the work of tracking mountain gorillas has long been dominated by men. But women are now stepping in to protect Uganda's iconic primates.
Transcript
00:00Generous Chansimire moves with purpose through Bindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.
00:08She's one of the few female rangers in the park and one of its dedicated mountain gorilla
00:14trackers. The work demands patience, sharp listening skills and keen observation.
00:22I had passion for nature since I was a child and I started this work of a ranger in 2015.
00:35Those are 10 years and a half I think but tracking the mountain gorillas it is seven years now.
00:43My day, I wake up very early in the morning at around six, prepare myself. When I reach in the
00:53forest,
00:55my work starts there.
00:57For the past seven years Chansimire has been doing the job she truly loves. Before tradition and the
01:06share, the toughness of the terrain meant Bindi's forest trials were almost exclusively worked
01:15by men. But Chansimire stayed determined to prove she belonged.
01:22They described me as a warrior, as an iron lady, you know. It is not for the weak. They encourage
01:30us,
01:30they motivate us. They always feel they should help us. It is a good feeling to work in a male
01:36-dominated
01:37organization. Mountain gorillas are one of the four great ape species living in African rain forests.
01:47They are the largest with adult silverbacks, weighing up to 250 kilograms. Around 460 live in Bindi,
02:00and every morning Chansimire scans the forest for broken branches, footprints, and distant calls.
02:09And she has already earned the recognition.
02:13When you are looking for a lady ranger, there are only two that I can pick. Her and one who
02:20sometimes
02:22freelances in other departments. But this one specifically, her work is tracking.
02:27And she has a vast experience in tracking. In flying, even when you bring new people to go and do
02:33a job,
02:34she is the point of reference. I have to say, she is very resilient,
02:38fernestuous, and determined in the work she is doing. And she motivates very many.
02:43Today, generous stands not only as a guardian of wildlife, but as a symbol of possibility.
02:51Each step she takes through Bindi echoes beyond the trees, sending a message to young girls in nearby
02:59villages. Courage has no gender. Even in the deepest forest, a woman can lead the way.
03:09If they really have the passion,
03:12I would give them a green light, let them carry on with their passion.
03:16Freely happy I feel very bonne when they are unimportant.
03:17I love when I why I put the conversation in here.
03:22Those days, I pray for Leanne.
03:23I pray for these days, especially before you ceremonies it again.
03:24You
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