Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Uganda : Gorilla trekking in Uganda is one of the most thrilling wildlife activities on the face of the earth. Gorilla trekking is way different from the experience of game drives in the Serengeti national park in Tanzania, Masai Mara national reserve in Kenya or even Kruger National Park in South Africa. A gorilla trekking safari in Uganda’s mountain jungles offers visitors once-in-a-lifetime experience with the most celebrated mountain giants – the Wild Mountain Gorillas. That is to watch a family of mountain gorillas relaxing in their lush forest home is an awe-inspiring privilege and a memory you would take away and remember forever. This experience cannot be repeated anywhere in the world. Mountain Gorilla adventures have experienced a scotching interest in African safaris in the recent decade because of their successful conservation story that has seen them off the IUCN list of critically endangered species. Visitors who have been to East Africa or Uganda can attest how “no other wildlife safari encounter in the Africa matches the outstanding experience of spending time face-to-face with the mountain gorillas.
ABOUT MOUNTAIN GORILLA SPECIES IN UGANDA
Gorilla trekking is special because the mountain gorillas are the most endangered species on earth and the only animals having a 98% DNA with human beings with similar looks and behave. They also live in families where the dominant silverback gorilla is the head of the family and directs everything that is done by the group. A mature Mountain Gorilla also known as a Silverback Gorilla stands at about 4-6 feet tall and weighing about 300-485 lbs (136 to 220 Kilograms), the mountain gorilla is one of the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla scientifically named as the Gorilla beringei beringei. With over and about 1,070 registered individuals occupying the montane and bamboo forest jungles of the Central and East Africa’s volcanic mountain slopes at an altitude of 2,300–4,500 meters above sea level, mountain gorillas are listed as the most endangered species in the world. Mountain Gorillas are unique to a small section of central-east Africa, the Virunga Massif, which is comprised of three parks located in three countries; Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Out of the four gorilla species, Mountain gorillas live in the most extreme environment. There are two populations protected within small Central-eastern Africa border reserves of three countries. One of the gorilla populations is in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, within three National Parks: Mgahinga national park located in the southwest Uganda, Volcanoes national park located in the northwest of Rwanda and Virunga national park located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The other population occupies the jungles of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda located also in the southwestern Uganda. In collaboration with wildlife conservation bodies, governments of these three countries where mountain gorillas live have habituated some gorilla families for tourism and any tourist above the age of 15 years is allowed to encounter the giants while in their habitat.
Mountain gorillas are giant animals considered to be the most powerful and biggest primates in the world, the gorillas are listed as endangered species by the IUCN as of 2008. Currently Uganda is rated to be the best place for mountain gorilla trekking safari in the world and as of 2008, over 1000 mountain gorillas were recorded to be found in the forested areas of Uganda while the other population is found in the Virunga Conservation Area comprising of Mgahinga national park in South west Uganda, Virunga national park in Democratic Republic of Congo and Volcanoes national park in Rwanda. Another population is found in Bwindi impenetrable national park found in South western Uganda and is considered to be the largest population of mountain gorillas in the world.
Mountain gorillas are fur covered creatures living in the high altitudes, the fur helps them survive the cold temperature in the high altitudes. Mountain gorillas have a unique nose print which is used to identify them individually, mountain gorillas are generally smaller than the eastern lowland gorillas. Mountain gorillas grow to the height of 161 -171 cm for males and weigh about 120 – 191 kilograms, the females grow to the height of about 5 feet.
WHERE TO DO MOUNTAIN GORILLA TREKKING IN UGANDA
Uganda is a home to the half of the world’s mountain gorilla population found in the two national parks of Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga Gorilla national park while the remaining half is shared by Rwanda in Volcanoes national park and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Virunga national park.
BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK
Bwindi impenetrable national park is the best mountain gorilla destination in the world and this is attributed to being a home to half of the world’s mountain gorilla population, Bwindi impenetrable national park is one of the most visited national parks in Uganda located in the South Western region in Kanungu district of Uganda on the rim of the Rift Valley on the edge of the Albertine rift on the western branch. The park covers an area of 331 square kilometers protecting the Bwindi forest a large primeval forest covering the hill side of the park’s landscape, Bwindi forest is one of the ancient and very biologically varied rainforests in Uganda dating back to more than 25000 years.
Bwindi impenetrable national park is noted to be the home to the largest mountain gorilla population in the world (half of the world’s population) with over 1004 gorilla individuals and about 320 habituated mountain gorillas which are open for mountain gorilla trekking. Habituated mountain gorillas underwent through habituation experience which made them comfortable to human presence, in Bwindi impenetrable national park there are a total of 17 habituated mountain gorilla families. Bwindi impenetrable national park is divided into 4 sectors where Mountain gorilla trekking experience is done, each of these sectors host its specific mountain gorilla families which travelers visit. Each of these habituated mountain gorilla families is visited per day during mountain gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi impenetrable national park. Gorilla trekking sectors in Bwindi impenetrable national park are as follows
Buhoma sector
Buhoma sector is situated in the northern region of Bwindi impenetrable national park, this sector is hosts 5 habituated gorillas that are Mubare gorilla family Habinyanja gorilla family, Rushegura gorilla family, Muyambi gorilla family and Katwe gorilla family.
Ruhija sector
Ruhija sector is situated in the eastern region of Bwindi impenetrable national park , the sector is a home to 4 habituated mountain gorilla families including Oruzogo gorilla family, Mukiza gorilla family, Kyaguriro gorilla family and Bitukura gorilla family.
Nkuringo sector
Nkuringo is situated in the southern region of Bwindi impenetrable national park hosting 4 habituated gorilla families that are Nkuringo gorilla family, Bushaho gorilla family, Christmas gorilla family and Posho gorilla family (under habituation).
Rushaga sector
Rushaga sector is situated in the southern region of Bwindi impenetrable national park hosting 8 habituated mountain gorilla families that are Nshongi gorilla family, Mishaya gorilla family, Kahungye gorilla family, Busingye gorilla family, Bikingi gorilla family, Mucunguzi gorilla family, Kutu gorilla family and Bweza gorilla family.
MGAHINGA GORILLA NATIONAL PARK
Mgahinga Gorilla national park is the second safari destination in Uganda where mountain gorillas can be trekked, the park is located in the south western part of Uganda in the Kisoro district. Mgahinga gorilla national park is the smallest national park in Uganda covering an area of just 34 squares, the park forms part of the Virunga Conservation Area comprising of Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park thus Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Uganda.
Mgahinga gorilla national park gets its name from a Kinyarwanda word Gahinga meaning the pile of volcanic lave stone heaps where cultivation is carried out, the park comprises three volcanoes that is Mount Gahinga, Mount Sabyinyo “the old man’s teeth” and Mount Muhavura “the Guide”.
Mgahinga national park protects the second mountain gorilla population and currently the park hosts only one habituated mountain gorilla group in the names of Nyakagezi, this gorilla group is the only group which is trekked during gorilla trekking in Uganda.
MOUNTAIN GORILLA TREKKING EXPERIENCE
Mountain gorilla trekking experience is a mind blowing safari activity and once in a life opportunity offering a close up encounter with mountain gorillas our close relativities sharing 98% of their DNA with humans in their wild. Mountain gorilla trekking experience starts as early 08:00 am with briefing about the experience at the park’s headquarters, in the briefing conducted by a ranger taking you through the rules and regulations to follow during the experience. These rules and regulations were put for the safety of both mountain gorillas and the tourists on mountain gorilla trekking while in the jungle of both Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park.
After briefing you are grouped into 8 people, be assigned a mountain gorilla family trek, hire a porter and then trek into the forests looking for mountain gorillas with assistance from the ranger guide. The experiences last for about 2-5 hours of trekking through the forest and during the experience expect to spot some of the forest creatures as black and white colobus monkeys, mangabeys and various bird species. When you locate the mountain gorillas you are to spend a duration of 1 hour in their presence watching their amazing behavior which is similar to the humans such as taking care of their young ones, silverbacks protecting their families/groups, watch them pick fruits and leaves which they eat as food.
After one hour, you trek back to the park’s headquarters to receive your mountain gorilla trekking certificates marking the end of mountain gorilla trekking experience.
GORILLA TREKKING RULES AND REGULATIONS POST COVID PANDEMIC
- Always observe a distance of 7 meters between you and the mountain gorillas
- You are allowed to stay in the presence of mountain gorillas for 1 hour
- Avoid coughing and sneezing in the presence of mountain gorillas
- Sanitize and observe SOPs guideline while on mountain gorilla trekking
- Tourists below the age of 15 years are not allowed to do participate in the trekking
- Always wear a mask
- One mountain gorilla family is visited per mountain gorilla trekking experience
