Are you prepared for an African vacation and searching for one of the most memorable safari experiences? Choosing a gorilla trekking safari is a life-changing decision. Only the African continent, where gorilla activities are available, is home to gorillas. The Apes do not adapt to captivity but only to high altitude places. Popular locations for gorilla trekking include Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which is home to half of the world’s mountain gorilla species, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in western Uganda; Volcanoes National Park in northeast of Rwanda; Kahuzi-Biega National Park, which is home to eastern lowland gorillas and Virunga National Park in the eastern region of Democratic Republic of Congo. Gorilla trekking is fun, unforgettable and ethical.
One of the world’s most ethical and safest safari activities is gorilla trekking. Everything relating to gorillas is about conservation, which is why the Batwa pygmies who had long resided in the forest were driven out in order to establish a haven for these primates, plants and other wildlife to thrive. Following this conservation effort, the late Dian Fossey, renowned researcher conducted gorilla studies in the Virunga conservation area. She described the relationship between people and gorillas, the value of conservation efforts and rarity of seeing gorillas in their natural habitat. The ethical aspect of this activity is recommended to all visitors to the many national parks because there are approximately 1060 Mountain Gorillas remaining in the world.
To ensure safety and survival of both humans and gorillas, visitors are given a rundown of the trekking regulations. Since the forest is their home, nobody is expected to disturb their tranquility in the jungle. Good news if all the dos and don’ts are observed, there is little danger because habituated gorilla groups are accustomed to human presence.
Gorilla trekking is done on foot under the supervision of an expert ranger guide, who will welcome you and give you a rundown of all dos and don’ts before the trek. This time, teaching the gorillas’ way of existence, the forest and other aspects is necessary. With a DNA similarity of almost 98% to humans, gorillas are one of the people’s closest relative. In the lush jungle, they consume fruits, insects, stalks, roots and more while making over 25 different sounds. They are gregarious animals that live in families, each of which is protected and led by a dominant silverback.
It’s nice to see that young ones spend majority of their time playing and feeding while their mothers provide nursing care. Trekking with gorillas lasts from 2 to 8 hours, with an additional hour to observe them interact, play and feed.
All visitors going for gorilla trekking are required to follow the guidelines as announced by the ranger guides before the activity begins. This is done to protect both visitors and gorillas. The rules include not littering the park, keeping quiet so as not to disrupt the apes’ tranquility, keeping the 7-meter distance away from the gorillas and according to the tour guides’ advice. When taking pictures, never use a flashlight because the light rays will harm gorilla’s eyes and irritate them. Spend no more than an hour with a family of gorillas to avoid stressing them, do not touch a gorilla, cause noise in the jungle or smock.
A gorilla family may only be accessed by a total of eight persons each day. This conservation strategy was implemented to safeguard apes and their pristine habitat. Gorillas are one of the largest primate species in the world and are supposed to be preserved so they can be visited by future generations. The ranger guides assist in guiding visitors through the entirety of gorilla trekking adventure.
Cost of Gorilla Trekking.
Gorilla trekking costs 250,000ugx for East African citizens, 600usd for international residents, and 700usd for foreign non-residents. For foreign non-residents, Rwanda charges 1500 USD, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo charges 400 USD. These funds are channeled to pay for ranger guide wages, park entrance fees and conservation purposes. 10% is donated to the neighboring communities to improve on their livelihood. Booking a trekking permit is advised at least six months in advance because of high demand and limited supply of the permits.
Best time to do gorilla trekking.
All year long, people can undertake gorilla trekking adventures, although December to February and June to August are the best times to go. This is the dry season which presents least trekking challenges. On the other hand, picking the rainiest months of the year allows you to conduct the activity on a budget, with less people around and with wonderful photo opportunities.
Going on a gorilla trek is completely safe and morally sound. Gorillas only fight outsiders when they feel threatened. They accomplish this by running on all four limbs, shredding leaves, yelling and thumping their chests as a sign of dominance.
