Paris Saint-Germain quartet go gorilla trekking in Rwanda

Paris Saint-Germain players Julian Draxler, Thilo Kehrer, Keylor Navas and Sergio Ramos have been on a three-day trip to Rwanda as part of the club’s partnership with Visit Rwanda.

The quartet spent Monday morning at Volcanoes National Park. The pride of Rwanda, this vast protected park situated in Rwanda’s far northwest is home to the endangered mountain gorillas. The park is named after a chain of volcanoes making up the Virunga massif.
Standing at between 2,000 and 4,000 metres above sea level, these towering peaks overlook the dense jungle that the park’s amazing mountain gorillas call home. Rwanda is making every effort to preserve its extraordinary biodiversity and has a programme to protect its gorillas.

Accompanied by trackers who follow the movements of the gorilla groups daily, the club’s players ventured deep into the lush vegetation to catch a glimpse of these magnificent animals. As awestruck as his teammates, Julian Draxler said: “Seeing the gorillas up close in the forest has been an amazing experience. We are so lucky to have the opportunity to see them in their natural habitat. It’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I want to thank Visit Rwanda for hosting us. We enjoyed our time here very much.”

Afterwards, the players retired to the peace and tranquillity of the One & Only Gorilla’s Nest hotel, where they enjoyed a vibrant show laid on by a traditional Rwandan dance group.

Their stay ended with a meet and greet at Kigali Convention Center with 70 young fans, among them several members of the local Paris Saint-Germain Academy, which opened in the district of Huye last November in the presence of club legend Rai.

The players were quizzed by the eager youngsters, posed for selfies with them and also signed autographs. In answering one of the questions, Sergio Ramos had this to say about his trip to the Land of a Thousand Hills: “First of all, I would like to thank the country. From the first day we arrived, the welcome from all the people of Rwanda was wonderful. We have taken with us a very special affection and a lot of kindness from all the people we have met here. We will take away with us an unforgettable experience, thanks to the safaris and the gorillas and above all, thanks to the great hearts of the people here.”

Through its partnership with Visit Rwanda, Paris Saint Germain is committed to promoting the African country’s many unique treasures. The club’s aim in working with Rwanda is to help it continue to flourish in the tasks it has set itself, such as protecting biodiversity, developing its resources, and promoting its culture while maintaining tradition and safeguarding local expertise.