GORILLA TREKKING IN UGANDA 2021
Gorilla Trekking in Uganda 2021 : If you watched the Rampage movie that stared Dwayne Johnson then you must have heard Uganda being mentioned as rightful destination for trekking the King Kong analogous. Mountain Gorillas botanically known as Gorilla beringei beringeie declared officially as endangered species in 2018.An endangered animal species refers to any animal or plant at the verge of extinction. Given that the only place on earth where these primates can be found is in Uganda, Rwanda or Democratic Republic of Congo.
With the current estimation of 1070 mountain gorillas residing on the earth’s surface entirely chilling on the Virunga Mountains and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest; Bwindi being home to over half of the entire mountain gorillas population.
Just like you hit the road to pay a visit to family or a friend and so is it to visit the only mammals with which we share virtually 80% of our DNA. Mountain gorilla Trekking refers to climbing or hiking through the forests and mountains to find the rare mountain gorillas and spend an hour with them.
In Uganda mountain gorilla trekking is carried out in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Park. Both games are found in the south Western region of Uganda in the Western arm of the Great Rift Valley. Mgahinga National Park is part of the famous Virunga Hills that cuts across Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mountain gorilla trekking is done all year round in the Uganda with peak seasons being the summer times. To access mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda, you will need a mountain gorilla trekking permit that currently costs 700 USD. Mountain gorilla trekking permits in Uganda are obtained from Uganda wildlife Authority or through a tour operator.
Mountain gorilla trekking experiences in Uganda start from the time of booking the trekking permit. When you book the permit you are assigned a day of trekking, this is the day when you have your mountain gorilla trekking experience. You trekking permit is only valid for that day and cannot be exchanged or transferred. However if you communicate before way before the D-day you can reschedule your trekking date to a more favorable time.
Mountian gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga National Park both start early in the morning with a brief and after the brief you head into the forest for your experience where you will meet, the mountain gorillas and spend an hour observing them, before you exit the forest.
On your mountain gorilla trekking experience you should be keen to observe the following guidelines for the continued safety and conservation of the mountain gorillas and also your safety and enjoyment of the experience.
- Don’t trek when you’re sick especially if you have a communicable illness.
- In the presences of the mountain gorillas speak in low tones in order to avoid disrupting their peace.
- Avoid throwing garbage in the forest
- Always maintain a7m distance from the gorillas since we share a lot of DNA, the gorillas can easily catch the disease from you.
- Always follow the instructions of the ranger
- Don’t feed the gorillas
- Don’t smoke, eat or drink in front of the gorillas
- Avoid using your flash to take photos of the gorillas flashes irritate the gorillas.
All these guidelines and more are communicated to you during the brief and by you tour operator before the mountain gorilla trekking experience.
Mountain gorillas themselves are huge, social and peaceful apes that live the high altitudes of mountainous forests. Mountain gorillas live in groups led by a male silverback with female gorillas and their infants. Uganda is home to over 16 mountain gorilla families.
