Gorilla Trekking vs Chimpanzee trekking

Gorilla Trekking vs Chimpanzee trekking: Mountain gorillas and chimpanzees are cousins if I may say; they are all mammals in the primates’ order belonging to the family Hominidae and subfamily homininae and living in rain forests. The animals both share 98% of their DNA with humans and also have similar physiques; similar life habits and are both herbivores.

These similarities make the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees almost appear the same animal, in most cases which is not true. However we cannot dismiss these very many similarities between these two animals; and it’s because of that, that most people who want to go for either mountain gorilla trekking or chimpanzee trekking confuse that two thinking it’s the same activity, better still thinking if they see a mountain gorilla, they have as well seen a chimpanzee or if they see a chimpanzee they may as well have seen a mountain gorilla.

Some trekkers however, who have figured out that mountain gorillas and chimpanzees are two different animals will often ask or wonder if mountain gorilla trekking is the same as chimpanzee trekking.

Because of this confusion going around, here below we would like to address the similarities and differences between mountain gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking.

We shall start with the similarities, the similarities between mountain gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking include:-

Both mountain gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking are done in forests. These primates both live in rainforest so for anyone to find them and see them you will have to go to these forests and find them.
On a trekking experience for either mountain gorillas or chimpanzees you will have a brief before you start the trek. This brief is meant to address most your expectations for the trekking experience and also lay down the trekking rules for you before you head into the forest to trek the primates.
For a trekking experience for either mountain gorillas or chimpanzees, you will be grouped with other people with whom you will trek with, you cannot mountain gorilla trekking or chimpanzee trekking alone.
Trekking rangers will guide you into the forest on your chimpanzee trekking or mountain gorilla trekking experience. The rangers are trained and well skilled primate guides that are usually acquainted with the forest you’re trekking and the primates.
Whether your trekking mountain gorillas or chimpanzees, you will spend an hour in the presence of the primates. During this one hour you will observe the primates, take pictures of the primates and just enjoy their presence.
The rules for mountain gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking are the same. Because these primates are very similar, human presence affects them the same way. Some of the trekking rules include but not limited to: – keeping a 7 meter distance between you and the primate, not using flash photography when taking pictures of the primates, staying in your trekking group, not engaging in any behaviour that will irritate the primates, not trekking will you are sick, not feeding the primates, not touching the primates among other things.

These six are the main similarities between mountain gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking.

The differences between mountain gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking then include:-

The mountain gorilla trekking experience usually takes longer than chimpanzee trekking experience. This is because mountain gorillas stay in high altitudes in mountainous rain forests, it takes a long time to get to them, so the trekking takes long unlike chimpanzees that stay on the lowlands of the forest; which makes them easy to find hence making the trekking experience shorter.
The number of people in a group of mountain gorilla trekkers is usually 8 people well as the number of people in a group of chimpanzee trekkers is usually 10 or 12 people. This is because the chimpanzees live in larger groups of about 60 individuals compared to the mountain gorillas that stay in groups of about 15 individuals. Which means if the people are more than 8 for the mountain gorillas, the gorillas may be scared away, yet 12 people will not scare away 60+ chimpanzees.

These two are the main differences between mountain gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking.