What is Gorilla Trekking? Best Destinations for Family-Friendly Gorilla Trekking Preparing for Your Gorilla…

Gorillas in Africa
Gorillas in Africa, There are only gorillas in East and Central Africa. They are a type of big ape called Gorilla beringei beringei. It is the biggest live primate in the world. It’s bigger and stronger than other gorilla species, and its fur is thicker and longer, which helps it live only in harsh conditions like high elevations and very cold temperatures. Just like human thumbprints, each mountain gorilla has a unique nose print.
The gorilla is the biggest member of the ape family. Most gorillas are vegetarians, which means they eat plants, but some are omnivores and eat small animals for meat. Because of this, they mostly live in the tropical forests of central Africa. Even though you can sometimes find them deep in the woods, they spend most of their time on the ground.
The eastern and western gorillas, as well as maybe four or five types, are all in the genus Gorilla. After chimps and bonobos, the gorilla is thought to be the next most closely related live creature to humans. The reason for this is that, based on what is compared, they share 95 to 99% of our DNA.
Trekking with lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park
At the moment, there are two main types of gorillas. Their names are western gorillas and eastern gorillas. It’s important to remember that each of these animals has two types. The well-known mountain and lowland gorillas are both in the eastern gorilla species. There are two types of western gorillas: cross-river gorillas and western lowland gorillas.
Only their sizes and the sounds they make to talk to each other are different between these two kinds. If they live in different places, that could be another difference. Most of the time, the eastern gorilla is bigger than the western gorilla. The damage to their natural surroundings, on the other hand, ties them all together.
Gorillas in the African hills
As was already said, gorillas are from the Eastern gorilla species (Gorilla beringei berengei). You can find them in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Virunga Mountains in Congo. In the area, there are about 880 mountain gorillas. Because of habitat loss for farming and human population, as well as poaching for bushmeat, these numbers have dropped by more than 70% in the last 20 years.
One of the most interesting animals in the world is the mountain gorilla. Getting close to these great apes is thought to be one of the best wildlife experiences because they look and act a lot like people. The only places you can find mountain gorillas are in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. More than half of the living mountain gorillas live in Uganda, which is where most of the sightings happen.
This has made Uganda Gorilla Safaris more famous, since people can now track these big cats in Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks. Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda are both places where you can see mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas have thick black fur that makes them stand out from the brownish western and eastern lowland gorillas. Also, their arms are shorter than those of coastal species.
Is it better to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Uganda?
Wild mountain gorillas are trained to get used to people through a process called “gorilla habituation.” Habituation can take two to three years for gorillas. During that time, experts keep going to see a known group of wild gorillas every day.
They learn more about certain gorillas’ habits and how they act. Over time, as the experts get to know each gorilla, they give them a name. Once scientists are sure that these mountain gorillas can be walked, they do a practice run with a small group of tourists, which could include scientists and members of the media. After a gorilla family has finished a practice run, it can be used for travel.
The Cross River Gorillas are in Africa.
Poaching, ecosystem loss, and diseases spread by people are all things that put Cross River gorillas in danger. A little more than half of them are thought to have died from illnesses like Ebola and malaria. To save the last few Cross River gorillas, both countries need to work together to stop poaching, make more people aware of how the number is dropping, and find a safe place for them to live.
People in Africa see Western Lowland Gorillas.
Western lowland gorillas are one of the big apes that is most likely to be hurt. The exact number of western lowland gorillas in the world is unknown because they live in some of Africa’s thickest and most remote rainforests. However, it is thought that there are only about 100,000 of them left in the world, and their numbers are dropping because people are destroying their habitats and poaching them. They live in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon.
Other gorilla types can be told apart from western lowland gorillas by their slightly smaller size, brown-gray fur, and reddish chests. They also have bigger heads, smaller ears, and brow wrinkles that stand out more. Even though there are a lot of them, the western lowland gorilla number has been going down. The number of gorillas has dropped by more than 60% in the last 20 to 25 years because of disease and hunting. Scientists think it would take 75 years for the population of western lowland gorillas to recover, even if all threats were taken away.
Because of fighting and cutting down trees, these countries probably won’t get better any time soon. Poaching is a big problem for them because it cuts down on the number of animals living in the area. People kill them for bush meat or as bycatch.
African gorillas that live in the eastern lowlands
The eastern lowland gorilla, which is also called Grauer’s gorilla, is the biggest of the four types of gorillas. It is different from other gorillas because its nose is short, its hands are big, and its body is stocky. Even though they are very big, eastern lowland gorillas, like other gorilla types, mostly eat fruit and other plant-based foods. It has been years of civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRCeastern), which has hurt both lowland and mountain gorillas.
The lowland tropical rainforests in the eastern DRC are home to the eastern lowland gorilla. About fifty years ago, its area was 8,100 square miles. Over time, it has slowly shrunk to about 4,600 square miles. This subspecies may only still be found in 13% of its original range. In the mid-1990s, there were about 17,000 eastern lowland gorillas. However, scientists think that number has dropped by more than 50% since then. The violence in the area has made it hard to get a true count of the animals.
Going on a gorilla trek in Uganda
Going on a gorilla trek means hiking through the tropical forests of Uganda to see mountain gorillas where they live naturally. Most tourists go to Uganda to go gorilla trekking because it is such a beautiful place for a safari. The best thing about going to Uganda is going gorilla trekking. In fact, mountain gorillas are the main reason why people come from all over the world to visit Uganda.
In Uganda, the main places to go gorilla climbing are Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. But Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, which is home to 22 habituated gorilla families, is the most popular safari spot in Uganda for gorilla trekking. Also, Bwindi is the best park for tourists to see mountain gorillas in the wild. There are also over 120 species of mammals, 348 species of birds, and 11 species of reptiles in the park.
How much gorilla permits cost in Uganda;
You need to get a gorilla permit before you can go gorilla trekking in Uganda. This means that the price of the permit has a big effect on the price of gorilla trekking in Uganda. The gorilla trekking pass now costs $700 for people from outside of East Africa who are not residents, $600 for people who live in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, or Tanzania, and 250,000 UGX for people who are citizens of East Africa.
The Gorilla Habituation Experience permit/pass costs $1,500 for foreign non-residents, $1,000 for foreign residents in East Africa, and 750,000 UGX for East African Citizens.
Going on a gorilla trek in Rwanda
Gorilla trekking is the most famous tourist activity in Volcanoes National Park, in Rwanda and the chances of seeing mountain gorillas are very high. To find one of Rwanda’s gorilla families, people go gorilla trekking, which means hiking through dense bamboo woods and steep mountain slopes. The final encounter with the primates is regarded as one of Rwanda’s most exciting and memorable African Gorilla Tracking experiences.
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park starts around 7:30 a.m. with a briefing from park authorities and Rangers. During the briefing, participants are divided into groups and given to a specific gorilla. Trekking with family gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.
Less fit hikers are put in groups closer to the park headquarters. At 8:00 a.m., park Rangers lead the group to the gorillas. As previously stated, gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda gives you the choice of visiting one of ten habituated groups/families. Seeing mountain gorillas is an amazing experience regardless of which group you end up with.
You could watch the monkey kids play for hours on end. There is always something new and fun for mountain gorillas to do. Some people may come up to you, but they won’t be mean. When you’re with the gorillas, it’s important to stay cool and listen to your Guides. Don’t make sudden moves. Tracking gorillas in Volcanoes National Park can take anywhere from one to six hours, based on which group you are with and where they are on the day of the trek.
Cost of Gorilla passes in Rwanda;
Rwandan permits to go hiking for gorillas cost USD 1,500 for tourists from other countries and $200 for Rwandans and people who live in East Africa. In Rwanda, only the Rwanda Development Board can give out gorilla permits.
Congo goes on a gorilla trek
Mountain gorillas are one of the most important animals to see on a tour in Virunga National Park. There are eight groups of habituated gorillas in Virunga National Park. The Kabirizi family has 32 members and is the most popular and largest. No matter which group of gorillas you’re tracking, the trip usually starts with a lecture in the early morning.
After the explanation, Park Rangers take trekkers to where the gorilla family lives. It could take anywhere from one to four hours to find the group. You have an hour to watch and take pictures of the group as they feed, clean, and care for the kids.
How much it costs to see gorillas in Congo;
You can see gorillas in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for just USD 450 if you’ve always wanted to meet these friendly giants.
How Much Does It Cost to Go Trekking in Africa?
The main things that decide the cost of a gorilla trekking safari are the gorilla permit, the type of lodging, the distance to the parks, and the mode of transportation. Gorilla trekking is pretty pricey compared to other animal safari activities in Africa.