Tracking Mountain Gorillas

Tracking Mountain Gorillas is a rare and memorable Africa vacations adventure trip experienced by very few people .....

No, we haven't done this type of Africa vacation yet, but would like to try it someday!

Here's what we've learned so far from our research about tracking these majestic creatures:

Mountain Gorillas (Scientific Classification: Gorilla berengei berengei) live in the forests of the Virunga Volcanoes region, along the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire). They are the one of the world's rarest animals.

Uganda is one of the best places to go for tracking mountain gorillas.

Bwindi National Park (also known as the Impenetrable Forest) in Uganda provides one of the last remaining sanctuaries for mountain gorillas.

Sadly, they are an endangered species now, and there are only about 700 mountain gorillas left in the world, and about 300 of those are in Bwindi.

(In comparison, there are about 20,000 western lowland and eastern lowland gorillas remaining - the other two gorilla sub-species.)

The Ugandan Wildlife Authority is trying to preserve the remaining mountain gorilla population by offering escorted trips for tracking mountain gorillas. But these are very restricted and help to fund future preservation efforts too.

Volcano Visoke:
Mountain Gorillas Habitat

What to expect on a Mountain Gorilla Trek

• Trips are conducted on foot, so you must be physically fit and healthy.
• Bwindi means Dark Place in Swahili, so you can expect to travel through dense forest undergrowth -- the Park is also called the Impenetrable Forest!
• Only two groups of gorillas - the Mubare group ('M' group) and the Habinyanja ('H' group) are tracked within the Park.
• Restricted access: only 12 permits are issued a day, divided between the two groups being tracked, to reduce human contact and exposure with the mountain gorillas.
• Gorillas move around in search of food, so a guide and several trackers will track the gorillas movements, starting from their last known locations in the forest, to pick up their trail and lead your group to their current location. This can take many hours, so be prepared!
• The actual observation time is limited to only 1 hour a day, to avoid excessive contact with humans and exposure to possible infections. Unlike humans, who have developed antibodies to combat infections, gorillas in the wild have not developed such immune systems. (How many new human virus strains have been discovered just in recent years ...?)

Taking Gorilla Photos

Mountain Gorilla Profile

• Flash cameras are not permitted as the flash may frighten the mountain gorillas, making them agitated and agressive. Your escorted party wouldn't want anyone to annoy 180lb gorillas!
• Due to the dark shadows in the forests, getting the correct exposure is extremely difficult. You probably would be better off buying professional photographs. Enjoy your time observing the group's activities instead. (After several disappointing results from our own vacations photography, we usually buy a few souvenir items to take home with us - just in case! We've needed them...)

Getting There

The closest town to Bwindi National Park is Kabale, in the southern part of Uganda.

If you are travelling to Kabale from Kampala, Uganda's capital city, you have to cross the Equator to get there!

Also, if you decide to arrange your own local transportation to Bwindi, your journey will be an adventure on its own! (Something about the rocky road winding up into the mountains of the Rift Valley.... )

Other Tidbits

Baby Gorilla and Mom

• Lake Bunyoni is just a short drive away from Kabale, if you prefer to spend some time relaxing there, before continuing the rest of your travels.
• There are 39 islands on the lake, and only a few are cultivated and permanently occupied.
• The islands of Bushara and Jasper have campsites and lodges.
• Excellent opportunities for bird watching there as well - dozens of bird species species frequent the lake all year round.

As we continue our research for our future tracking mountain gorillas vacations in Africa, we'll update our pages, so check back again soon!