Mountain
Gorillas of Uganda are not found in any zoo in the world because they do not
survive in captivity and they are only found in mainly three countries Uganda,
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mountain Gorillas, thanks to the conservation efforts
are growing in numbers in a dramatic way.
Larger buffer zones between parks and the local
communities are a priority because preserving and enlarging the Gorilla habitat
remains the biggest challenge.
How Safe Is Gorilla Tracking
Tracking of Gorillas both in Rwanda and Uganda
is safe and secure because there is no insecurity in either country as it is in
other countries on the African continent.
During a gorilla trek, rangers are provided to
tourists to guide them with an armed military escort.
Since Gorilla Trekking is a major source of
income for both Rwanda and Uganda both governments have done everything to make
it a safe experience for visitors since all it takes is one incident to destroy
Gorilla Tourism in either country.
What is the best time of the year to track Gorillas in
Uganda and Rwanda
Tracking of Gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda takes place
all year long apart from two rainy seasons where the trails become quite
muddy.
During the
dry seasons the rainforests of Uganda and Rwanda will always receive rains from
time to time and when it rains in either country it is mostly during the night
or early mornings and then it clears up.
Since the road quality to the parks in both
countries is not good enough 4-wheel drive vehicles are normally used to access
them.
Chances of seeing the Mountain Gorillas
Since Gorillas
move less than three kilometers a day a GPS locator is used to track them and
when a gorilla group is found, the GPS location and other references are
communicated to the Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo UWA Trailhead for the
locations to be registered and monitored.
When trekking the Rangers and trackers that lead
are not the ones who lead you for your group trek, that is done by the
pre-tracking team.
Wearing the right clothing or attire is mainly about
protection in the wild. The tourist will not find many mosquitoes when on a
trek, but there are flies and ants, nettles, thorns, branches that one needs
protection from. The following Is what a tourist needs to have during the trek;
-The tourist will need boots for the Trek
-The tourist will also need to have insect repellents
-The tourist will also need to have the help of a
porter plus walking stick
What habituation of gorillas mean?
Gorilla Habituation is a process where Gorillas becomes
used to Human Visitors and are harmless to the tourist these habituated gorillas
are mainly in family groups. This process of habituation normally takes about
two years where researchers, trackers, rangers work in getting these gorillas
ready for visitation or habituation by the tourist.
Habituation of family groups varies in numbers and
though one could put a number to each family group; it can change since there
are family feuds that lead to splits in families.
The experience
of Gorilla Habituation takes four hours especially the Mountain Gorillas in
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
There are only two gorilla families that a
tourist can visit on a Habituation Experience and those are Rushaga and Bwindi
Impenetrable Forest.
Tourist participation numbers is limited to 4 per day,
per group which means that only 8 participants are allowed each day in total
for two groups.
The Permits
for gorilla habituation cost 1,500 USD per person and are obtained through the
wardens of Rushaga and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
For a gorilla trek one has to be in reasonable
shape and good physical fitness to track the gorillas. Nkuringo Gorilla
group is the group requiring the most stamina and strength since you have
to ascend and descend 600m at the beginning and the end of the trek however,
Porters can be used to carry the pack and walking sticks on ones behalf
What is the length of time that a tourist can have with
Gorillas on a Trek?
The time a tourist can have per gorilla group is
one hour in both Uganda and Rwanda and that does not take into account the time
it takes to track the group. Pre-trackers are out finding the location of
a group even before one goes to the park headquarters.
A one hour trek with a Gorilla is a once in a lifetime
event though one can also trek them for 4 hours when in habituation.
Rules and Guidelines
for Gorilla Trekking
The rules for Gorilla Tracking are mostly
similar and are strictly enforced by the Rangers in both countries. And these
range from how much time one can have with the mountain gorillas, to rules
about your health and well-being so that you do not infect a gorilla with a
disease, The distance you will have to be from the gorillas, the use of a
camera without flash and to following the instructions of the Rangers.
The children under the age of 15 cannot track
mountain gorillas, however special children packages and activities can be organized
for the children while the parents track the mountain gorillas For example
cultural visits that include village school visits can be arranged by the tour
operator and guides who are experienced
Gorilla Trekking Parks:
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda takes
place in Volcanoes National Park
Gorilla Trekking in Uganda primary takes place in Bwindi
Impenetrable Forest where you have 12 Groups that can be tracked. Plus
another two groups that are undergoing habituation at Rushaga.
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