Gorilla trekking is an adventure in the jungle where tourists spend an hour while in the presence of the gorillas but the overall experience can last for 2 to 8 hours under the guidance of the park ranger guide. This experience allows only 8 people to trek with a gorilla family in a specific region. Gorillas live in groups called families comprising of 2 to 30 members and each family is headed by the alpha male called the silverback when old and black back at a young age.
Gorillas can be located in different African countries but our gorilla safaris will take you to Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These safaris take you in the jungle to spot the two subspecies which are the endangered mountain gorillas in the Virunga Mountains and the lowland gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega national park of Congo. Every tourist interested in vising the gorillas is supposed to have or buy a gorilla trekking permit which is a ticket, or password to trek the gorillas.
Gorilla permits are limited due to high demand and this, therefore, calls for early booking at least 2 to 3 months before the day of trekking. Trekking begins at around 7:30 am with a briefing from either the park ranger or the park warden. There is alot to be told during the briefing exercise and among them are the rules and regulations or guidelines to follow while trekking to enable you to trek smoothly. These rules are used before during and after trekking to allow the wild animals to stay in their nature.
One of the rules is trekking a single gorilla family allows only 8 visitors/tourists each day for
an hour. The limited number minimizes the spread of human-borne diseases and also the gorilla doesn’t get used to people hence remaining wild. Also, you will not be allowed to trek the gorillas if you have symptoms of cough and flu or any infectious disease.
Persons of age 15 years and above are allowed to trek with the gorillas and this is because they can withstand all the harsh conditions, and they can’t fear looking at the gorillas like the children also, trekking involves walking and hiking long distances which children may not manage to conquer such distances. This means that the gorilla permit is issued to persons above the age of 15 years.
Trekkers are emphasized to keep their voices low and to keep listening to the guide’s instructions while in the jungle. The forest has a lot including the bees which don’t need noise. Also, noise scares away wildlife and they will hide hence you miss spotting them. Always keep quiet or whisper to enjoy your trek.
Do not leave rubbish on the park premises. Since the park conserves for generations, littering the park can end up killing wild animals. Also, rubbish can be toxic to animals and this calls you to carry back each and everything back to the lodge or outside the park premises. Trekkers are supposed to keep a distance of 10 metres away from the gorillas. This makes the gorillas feel safe.
Do not eat, smoke or even drink anything in front of the gorillas. The droplets of food may contain poison ending up killing the wildlife, and the droplets could increase in spreading of diseases such as cough and flu. Don’t look in the eyes of gorillas directly in case they charge. You are advised not to run away because running will increase the risk of gorillas taking you down.
Flashlight cameras are highly discouraged since the gorillas seem to have been attacked by enemies and end up charging. Therefore, when taking photos, move carefully and slowly. Don’t mimic since you don’t know what the gorillas are communicating. Do not touch the gorillas since are wild animals and they can end up harming you. For the best gorilla trekking safari, contact our tour consultant team, we are ready to take you to any gorilla destination in Africa.
