Gorilla trekking Information
Gorilla trekking Information is t though a one life Safari experience, but it comes along with other inviting Safari Activities that you might need to include on your bucket-list, Currently the gorilla population is split between Virunga Massif, a mountain range covering the border region between DRC, Rwanda and Uganda. The mountain gorillas originate from sub-alpine and mountainous environments, like impenetrable Jungles of herbaceous growth in valley bottoms, old clearings and around landslides. It is a very large, very black, barrel-chested ape, densely-furred with a broad face. They feed on mainly on bamboo, leaves, shoots and stems of over 140 other species, vines and wild celery.
Mountain gorillas are very companionable and exist in groups of between 5 to 50 members. Each group has one dominant silverback whose silver hairs begin to grow in the saddle of the back as it gets to adulthood at 13 year of age. In a group, the silverback eats first and is accountable for the defense of the group. When threatened a dominant silver-back is protected by the females. When two gorilla groups move near each other they will avoid contact in order to reduce the risk of conflict. When the silver-back dies, his group usually splits. Gorillas spend much of the day resting, which provides such a great opportunity for trackers to join and observe the group, Gorilla trekking Information.
Reproduction in gorillas occurs gradually, where the adult females over the age of eight give birth on average one gorilla baby every four years and not more than six in a lifetime. The young gorillas are fiercely protected by both the dominant silverback and the females. In a case where the silver-back dies or is pushed from the group, the incoming dominant male will customarily kill the young gorillas. The protection and slow population growth of the gorillas can be attributed to tourists who come to visit them.
Gorilla trekking entails going on a guided hike through impenetrable rainforest to spend time with a specific gorilla group in their innate environment. Visiting these beautiful gentle creatures is a life-changing experience. While trekking you see the females cooing over their infants and this makes them human-like beings.
Where to go for Gorilla trekking
Depending on your Safari plan, Gorilla trekking can be done in either Uganda’s Habituated Gorilla families of Bwindi Impenetrable forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park– Uganda has more than half of the worlds population of Mountain Gorillas, all accessible for Visitors to trek. Although Uganda gorilla trekking is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the country has a lot more to offer. In fact, if gorilla trekking is beyond your budget, Uganda has numerous activities apart from the Uganda Gorillas, From the Birding tours, Wildlife Safaris, Nature walks, on-foot Rhino tracking, Golden Monkey tracking, White water Rafting, Kampala city tour, to the Cultural tours and many more. Our Safari experts will give you numerous options basing on your budget, Gorilla trekking Information.
Gorilla Tours
Rwanda Gorillas can be seen in the voluminous Virunga Mountains or the Volcanoes National Park, This is where Dian Fossey researched and habituated mountain gorillas in the 1960s. A visit to this park can give you additional insights like hiking the Dian Fossey in the park, Nature walks, Golden Monkey tracking Community Visits and many more.
Congo Gorillas are undoubtedly varied and inviting, being the fact that it’s the only country in the world inhabited by both mountain and lowland gorillas, Visitors have chances to track both species in the central African rain forest while on your Safari however, Congo’s Safety issues still remain a concern as to why the tourism sector is not developed in this region. Our tour experts will avail you the current status of the security Concerns in the Congo.
How much is a gorilla trekking permit?
In order to visit the mountain gorillas, every visitor traveling to either countries, must have to pay for the Gorilla tracking permit. Our Tour expert will be ready to help you attain the gorilla permit for either countries.
The gorilla trekking permit in Uganda costs per day $700 for foreign residents. As of 1st July 2022, the permit for foreign residents of East African countries (Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Kenya) was raised from $600 to $700. For East African residents it costs Ugx 250,000 throughout the year. The gorilla habituation experience permit costs $1500 for foreign residents, $1000 for foreign residents in East Africa and Ugx 750,000 for East African residents. Gorilla permits are booked with Uganda wildlife authority through your tour operator.
When is the best time to go for gorilla trekking?
The best time to visit Bwindi is during the dry season of June to August and December to February with smaller amounts of rains when the forest trails are less slippery and dry though expect some rain. The rain season happens during March to May and October to November and during this time Bwindi is wet and slippery. Temperatures are 23 degrees during the day and 11 degrees Celsius during the night. The temperatures in Bwindi are consistent all year round because of the small distance from the equator. Being an impenetrable forest there is a much rain within the year, Gorilla trekking Information.
How close can you get to gorillas in Uganda?
A safe distance of 7 meters about 23 feet away from the gorillas is observed. This is to prevent spreading any human diseases to the gorillas. If a gorilla moves closer to you, stay still and let him pass by.
What is the minimum age for gorilla trekking in Uganda?
The age limit for gorilla trekking is 15 years in all three countries. The age limit for gorilla trekking is set by the different government authorities responsible for managing the national parks. In Uganda, it is the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
