A chance to get closer to mountain gorilla (a moment with the gorillas) is so paramount not compared to any other many wildlife encounters across the world. For the rest of the species one can try from the made recreational spaces (Zoo) for an encounter, but the mountain gorillas are only maintained in their natural made ambiance which has placed gorilla safaris, the mainstream adventure many people across the world are eagerly waiting to encounter.
Mountain gorillas are endangered species which tested on the edge of extinction, great thanks to conservation efforts which have worked so hard to ensure the feature of the species. Just recently in 2019 International Union on Nature Conservation (IUCN) deleted mountain gorillas from the red list of critically endangered which followed the gorilla census which confirmed that the global population of mountain gorillas was becoming rich with over 1060 gorillas in the wild.
Since 1902 when a German army man captain Robert Von Beringe the first none African to discover the unknown species of gorillas on the slopes of Mt. Sabinyo on borders of Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo and killed two of them. He retrieved one of the apes and sent the remains to the Museum of Natural History in Berlin which were later classified and named Gorilla Beringei (Mountain Gorillas). A moment with the gorilla ever since continued to American researcher Carl Akeley and later fueled by Diana Fossey who engaged in deeper research of the about the conservation and behaviors of the gorillas.
Diana introduced the habituation idea which worked on making the shy gorillas used to Human Presence. The habituation process has continued with any gorilla group before it’s opened for trekking adventures. Currently in the gorilla zone of both Bwindi Impenetrable forests and the Virunga Massif have over 30 habituated gorilla families ready for trekking.
Today travelers worldwide have resorted on getting close to mountain gorillas. Deciding your trekking forest, procure a permit and next drive or fly to any gorilla park of your choice. The adventure starts earlier at 7:30 with a trekking briefing on etiquette to follow when trekking, then trekkers are grouped in numbers of 8 people to trek a single habituated gorilla family. The trek starts short with an armed ranger guide who leads in paving a way through the impassable forests searching for the apes, the trek continues while trekkers follow the fresh plant breaks, fresh dungs, right from where they had their previous night.
Reaching to gorilla needs some efforts as it can take about 30 minutes to over 6 hours searching for the apes through the thorny, muddy, moist, slippery slopes, bamboos, and the mountain gorillas dwell deep into the volcanic impenetrable rainforests. Finding the gorilla needs more energy to penetrate deeper into their dwells. Gorilla trekking sincerely writing is very hectic but finding the gentle giants then all the tiresomeness is forgotten and concentrate on a moment with the giant apes. This is a moment of asking whatever about the gorillas, taking photos and a selfie with the gorillas gives a very perfect memorizing moment, no eating at the presence of the gorillas, no smoking, no shouting, no cameras with flashlights, gazing at the entertaining moment from the apes is the reason to keep watching as the silverback charge with roars and chest beating, the juveniles jump next to you and hurrying in tree branches this is a lifetime moment to remember.
After a long journey then have to recharge for a trek back to the starting point, have some sugary energizing drinks is a great score. If traveled along with packed eats can either eat them or wait to reach back at the starting moment and then it’s a moment with the gorilla narration memorized in your mind.
Where to trek mountain gorillas?
Though people co-lived with the gorillas before any none black person discovered them, ever since mountain gorillas have maintained their habitats that they can’t just be found anywhere in the world but only the central African volcanic rain forests of the Virunga Massif and Bwindi forests. Not like other gorilla specie which can be encountered in the number of countries, mountain gorillas are only luckily encountered in the three countries. Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo are glorious of the species.
Uganda upend the only country with two parks i.e. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which hosts over half the world’s population of mountain gorillas, the park is world’s best option of encountering the apes with higher number of permits presented to trek daily, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Uganda’s smallest park but richly blessed biodiversity with gorillas being the main eye catch here. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is part of the great Virunga Conservation Area shared among the 3 mentioned countries also accommodating Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda and the Virunga National Park of Congo. Rather than these parks and countries there no mountain gorillas and getting closer only chances are here, and Gorillas in all parks are well habituated to ensure a perfect encounter.
How much is mountain gorilla trekking?
Trekking mountain gorillas in all parks one must have a trekking permit which are issued respectively in all countries. The experience in trekking gorillas only seen with the cost of the permit which vary with countries, trekking in Rwanda is globally known for upmarket trekkers where the permit double and triples accordingly compared to other countries. A permit in Rwanda cost US$1500, in Uganda it cost US$700 and in Congo US$450.
When is the best time to meet mountain gorilla?
There is not formulized period of trekking gorillas, they can be trekked all year around. However, the gorilla zone experiences two traveling seasons which are dry and wet seasons experiencing very little rainfall and shining most of the time. For a perfect moment with the giants the dry season is more adorable for the adventure which closely happen in the months of June to mid-September and December to February. These are peak traveling seasons where a travelers almost crowd in every tourist destination, facilities are fully occupied to capacity and permits are always fully booked on a daily basis. If one intends to trek in the peak seasons of the dry months of Spartan sunshine one should book a permit prior to trekking dates at least 3 month before the date, but should know this is thefinest season to trek gorilla.
During low seasons are mainly experience a wet weather conditions of reasonable raining with low turn up of travelers. The low season is experienced in the months of March to May and from Mid-September to November characterized with heavy down pours with lower temperatures which tend to fall to about 17OC, forests are misty and moist, muddy and slippery. For a challenging trekking experiences as also some facilities like lodging lower the costs as they can’t even have the half to capacity occupation.
