History of gorilla trekking in Uganda

The history of trekking gorillas in Uganda inter-twines with the revolution of gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable. Bwindi forests as it was originally called got the light of tourists engaging in gorilla trekking when the status changed to a national park in 1991.  With two years of inhabiting Mubare gorilla family, gorilla trekking officially started in 1993. With the evolution of time, other gorilla sectors were made in Bwindi include Buhoma, Ruhija and Rushegura due to the increased demand of the activity.

Gorilla trekking in the smallest national park in the country was first done in 1994 after 2 years of habituating Nyakagezi gorilla family. since then, gorilla trekking has taken a brim in the country with over 20 gorillas that tourists can enjoy while on an itinerary.

Rwanda

The birth of the gorilla trekking activity in Rwanda was spearheaded by the famous American primatologist Dian Fossey in 1966. Through the Karisoke Research Centre, she protected the lives of the gorillas from the tyrant humans and ensured that they enjoyed the forest. In Rwanda, the home of the amazing mountain gorillas is the Volcanoes National Park which existence started when it was gazetted in 1925. The park’s premises were extended in 1929 by the Belgian Colonial government.

In the 1980s, Dian Fossey carried out a mountain gorilla census where she discovered that over 250 creatures exist in the wild and there was a need to protect them from being extinct. Susa family was the first habituated gorilla family in the country with a total of 42 members before they split up.

The activities of gorilla trekking in this country came to a standstill because the park had become a battlefield during the years of the Rwanda genocide. Restoration of gorilla trekking activities in the country resumed in 1999 and since then there has always been a great improvement in the tourism sector of the country especially gorilla trekking.

How mountain gorilla trekking is currently carried out

The rules and procedures of gorilla trekking in all the gorilla hosting countries are standard and cut across all three countries. 

Usually trekking is only permitted to visitors with gorilla trekking permits that are purchased by the tourists around 3 months prior to the activity due to demand.

On the trekking day, tourists start their preparations in the wee hours by gathering around at the headquarters of the park to have a brief meeting where they are informed of the trekking rules and regulations. After the gathering, tourists form groups of eight individuals and hit the jungle. 

While trekking, the hardships of the landscape are not endured by the tourists alone but also by their experienced tour guides that lead them through the forest not forgetting their armed rangers who are always on the lookout to protect the lives of the tourists.

Tourists spend 30 minutes or more hours trekking depending on where the particular family prefers foraging. 

On meeting the gorilla family, tourists are permitted a maximum of an hour of admiring the lives of the gorillas, watching them feed, play with infants and tourists shouldn’t miss on capturing the endless lovable moments that dazzle their eyes as long as their gadgets have no flashlights. 

Tourists must keep a required distance of about 7 meters away from the gorillas to ensure that the gorillas’ peace is not tampered with.

Walking back to the headquarters of the park is as adventurous as trekking to see the gorillas because tourists get to enjoy the surrounding scenery of the park while socializing with their teammates on the trekking day.

Gorilla National Parks in Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 

This prestigious park is among the most visited in the country because the harbors the prestigious mountain gorillas. It is amazingly the park that harbors almost half of what is left in the world for this species. This famed national park found in the southern western part of the country has four gorilla sectors named Ruhija, Buhoma, Nkuringo and Rushaga.

Rushaga sector has nine gorilla families namely Rwigi with 10 gorilla members, Mucunguzi the newly habituated, Kutu with 9 members, Busingye has 9 members, Bweza is a proud family of 12 members, Kahungye boosting with 17 members, Mishaya with 12 members, Bikingi boost with 15 members and finally Nshongi gorilla family with 10 lovely family members. 

The southern region of Bwindi blossoms due to the prestigious Nkuringo sector with the following gorilla families. Nkuringo was the first gorilla group to be habituated in the southern region of the park in 1997. It boasts 11 members and has a tantalizing history and Bushasho with 8 members. Buhoma sector is naturally beautified by gorilla families like Mubare the oldest gorilla family made of 8 members, Habinyanja with 17 members, Rushegura also with 17 amazing members, katwe roams around the forest with 7 members and Muyambi with 7 members.

The Ruhija sector is made of gorilla families like Bitukura with 13 members, Oruzogo boost of 17 members, Kyaguliro with 10 members and Mukiza survives with 10 members.

Mgahinga National Park 

The smallest national park has fascinating sights gotten from the glorious mountain gorillas that spend their lives in its prestigious premises. Trekking gorillas in Mgahinga leads tourists to one wonderful gorilla family that tourists can trek. Nyakagezi has 10 members that tourists can trek.

Gorilla National Parks in Rwanda.

The land of a thousand hills just can’t be missed among the countries that boast of the rare mountain gorillas as they breed happily in the forests of Volcanoes. The north western part of the country is where this majestic park is found bordering Congo’s Virungas. The history of this park can’t be supported without mentioning the historic zoologist Dian Fossey who fought till her death for the lives of the gorillas. 

The park is naturally crafted with the beauty added on by the 10 fully habituated gorilla families that include Karisimbi also known as Susa B made of 14 members, Amahoro made of 9 members, Umubano is comprised of 12 members, Agashya is also known as group 13 because they were initially 13 members, Kwitonda boosts with 29 members, Hirwa with 19 individuals, Ugenda made of 11 individuals, Bwenge had 7 members, Sabyinyo and Susa A can all be trekked by tourists in Rwanda.