Mountain gorilla trekking is one of the world’s headline
wildlife activities, on par with whale watching, bear safaris, tiger tours or
shark diving. A gorilla safari is a memorable experience, and one that a lucky
few treasure for the rest of their lives. Despite the notoriety they have
gained through popular culture, mountain gorillas are intelligent, shy and
gentle creatures with complex family structures.
Gorilla tracking takes place in two forests in Uganda, and
Rwanda. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is best experienced in the Volcanoes National Park, which homes about half the total population. About 11 families here are “habituated”. This
means that they have very carefully, over a period of 5 or more years been made
accustomed to the presence of humans. Rwanda Gorilla trekking takes place in
the Volcanoes National Park, where about 10 families are habituated.
Mountain Gorillas
A visit to the gorillas is not to be taken lightly, as it
involves finding a reliable company to book your tracking permits up to two
years in advance. It also involves planning the logistics to travel to remote
locations, and preparing the equipment for the challenging conditions of the
rain forest. If you make the effort to track gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda,
though, it is well worth it. There are only 800 or so left – less than the
number of children in a small school. All of these are found in the wild, as no
mountain gorilla has ever been raised in captivity. The gorillas found in zoos
are the western lowland variety.
On the day you track gorillas, you awake before dawn. After
breakfast, a short walk or drive brings you to the park headquarters for your
briefing. The track starts at about 9:00 am, led by rangers who keep a 24/7
watch on each family. A gorilla safari in Rwanda involves walking times of
about 4 to 6 hours, at high altitude. A Uganda gorilla tracking safari involves
lower altitude, but steeper slopes, with longer walking times, of 6 to 8 hours.
Regardless of whether you track gorillas in Rwanda or Uganda, you will be
allowed to spend a maximum of one hour with them, to reduce stress on the
family.
This hour will give you a glimpse into the life of a gorilla
family, and their interactions bring home the similarities and differences
between us and them. If you are lucky enough to gaze into the eyes of a
gorilla, you may sense a connection there.
Know, however, that your presence in their home has helped ensure their
conservation and continued existence. We Support Child Uganda
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