You can spend an hour with the gorillas in their natural environment after traversing the dense forest for up to 7 hours searching for these primates. Encountering gorillas in their natural habitats is a process called gorilla trekking. This process of gorilla trekking can be very hectic since it is very physical and requires one to traverse the dense canopies and rugged terrain. Uganda is gifted to be part of the very few gorilla trekking destinations in the world. This country has about two of its primate protected areas hosting the endangered mountain gorillas. These gorilla trekking destinations of Uganda include the following.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
By world standards, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is without any doubt the gorilla trekking destination. This gorilla trekking destination is situated in the southwestern region of Uganda in the misty highlands of Kisoro, Kabale, and Kanungu districts. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’s dominance as a top gorilla trekking destination spans years back before it was gazetted as a national park. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park became a recognized animal sanctuary and gorilla destination by 1963 when the first mountain gorillas were sighted.
Through the years to 1991, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was made a national park. Since its establishment, Bwindi has been vital in all the gorilla trekking adventures. The park hosts the largest number of mountain gorilla primates in the world, totalling up to 459 individuals living in about 50 families, with 26 families habituated for trekking. This equals close to half of the total world population since there are only 1,000 mountain gorillas left in the wild today. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is done in the four gorilla sectors scattered across different directions.
These gorilla sectors include Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija, and Nkuringo. These gorilla sectors help in the location of the mountain gorillas since different gorilla families align with a different gorilla sector. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park stretches for over 331 square kilometers.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the second gorilla trekking destination of Uganda, also located in the southwestern region of the country. It is situated on the border with Rwanda, hosting about 100 mountain gorillas. In all the gorilla trekking destinations in the world, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park hosts the list few of the mountain gorillas. Mgahinga is also the smallest in size, running across 33.9 square kilometers. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has only one habituated gorilla family called Nyakagezi.
How to trek gorillas?
Trekking gorillas means navigating through the dense forest canopies and undergrowth in search of the mountain gorillas and spending up to an hour in their presence. Mountain gorillas dwell in the dense highlands of the gorilla destinations, and getting to them requires an extra effort of adventure through the vegetation. The relatively steep terrain and dense vegetation make this process of gorilla trekking a challenging one, but also very adventurous. After a long maneuver through these challenging conditions, visitors are awarded an hour to spend in the presence of the mountain gorillas.
Gorilla permits
For anyone to embark on a gorilla trekking adventure in any of the gorilla destinations, he or she require a gorilla permit. A gorilla permit is a document that grants visitors access to trek mountain gorillas in their natural environment. This permit is only granted by the Uganda Wildlife Authority through a local tour company. The gorilla permits are given to the visitors at a cost that varies depending on the nationality and region. These costs include USD 800 for foreign non-resident gorilla permits, USD 700 for foreign resident permits, USD 500 for the rest of Africa, and UGX 300,000 for East African citizens. This money from the gorilla permits facilities to support all the conservation efforts.
Gorilla briefing session
As visitors take on an exclusive gorilla trekking experience, a gorilla briefing session commences and provides the basis for the trekking experience. The gorilla briefing session is a pre-trekking activity that takes place at the offices of the gorilla destination. This briefing session is led by the park officers, such as the rangers. The gorilla briefing session covers all areas of the trekking adventures as it prepares the visitors for what they should expect in the forest. Some of the areas covered include the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking that are well-detailed during this briefing session for visitors to fully understand them, as they can be very important.
This session also includes the expected code of conduct that the visitors should portray, especially in the presence of the mountain gorillas. The rangers also demonstrate how visitors should react in different cases, like if a silverback charges or comes close to you. It is during this briefing that the trekking gear is checked and all other required items needed for a seamless gorilla trekking experience.
