Why is Gorilla Trekking Only One Hour? – Rwanda Safari Tour
Why is Gorilla Trekking Only One Hour? Gorilla trekking is an exciting and popular sport in which people travel through deep tropical rain forests in pursuit of endangered mountain gorillas and spend one hour with them in their natural environment. Gorilla trekking is available in five African destinations: Mgahinga gorilla national park and Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in Uganda, which house half of the world’s mountain gorillas, Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A tourist who wishes to undertake gorilla tracking in any of the gorilla locations must obtain a gorilla trekking permit, which is a document or card granted to all visitors over the age of fifteen that allows him or her to hike the endangered mountain gorillas.
Reasons why gorilla trekking is only one hour.
Gorilla trekking takes between 2 and 7 hours, depending on the location of the gorillas, and once located, tourists spend an hour with them in their natural environment snapping photographs, preserving the moments, and learning about their lifestyle, mannerisms, and habits, among other things.
Visitors are therefore permitted to spend one hour with them for a variety of reasons, including gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is one hour because gorillas are susceptible to human diseases, and the more time visitors spend with the gorillas, the greater the chances of humans spreading diseases, and in order to prevent disease transmission, visitors are permitted to spend one hour with the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
Visitors are allowed to spend one hour with the mountain gorillas because there is a need for conservation of the mountain gorillas, and spending a lot of time with the endangered gorillas taking photos and watching them carry out their daily activities like feeding stresses the gorillas, so government officials in charge of tourism in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo implemented a policy where visitors are allowed to spend one hour with the gorillas.
Mountain gorillas live in groups of 10 to 35 individuals, which include females, juveniles, infants, and the dominant silverback. Because they live in families, they have daily routines that include feeding, moving from place to place in search of food, resting, social life where they interact with each other, and the time for constructing nests for the next night; therefore, visitors only spend one hour so that the gorillas can continue with their daily routine without disruption.
Visitors who wish to spend more time with the gorillas in their natural environment can choose for a gorilla habituation experience, which involves training the mountain gorillas to become accustomed to human presence. Gorilla habituation is only done in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park’s Rushaga section, and it takes 2 to 3 years. A team of researchers, park rangers, and guides conduct the gorilla habituation procedure, which enables a maximum of four tourists to participate. During the gorilla habituation process, guests are permitted to spend four hours with the mountain gorillas while monitoring, observing, and identifying the gorillas.
Gorilla Trekking Destinations in Africa.
Gorilla tracking is done in a variety of locations that provide remarkable experiences, such as Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which is the most visited gorilla destination in Africa since it is home to almost half of the world’s mountain gorillas. The national park is located in south-western Uganda’s Kanungu region and is home to 19 habituated gorilla families spread across four sectors: Rushaga, Nkuringo, Buhoma, and Ruhija.
Mgahinga gorilla national park is another gorilla destination located in south-western part of Uganda in Kisoro district and a home of two habituated gorilla families, the Nyakagezi and Hirwa families, volcanoes national park is located in north-western Rwanda in Musanze village and a home of over 15 habituated gorilla families, Virunga national park in Congo and a home of 8 habituated gorilla families, and Kahuzi Biega National Park which is home to 5 habituated gorilla groups.
Cost of a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo.
In Uganda, a single gorilla trekking permit costs $700 for non-residents, $600 for locals, and UGX 250,000 for East African citizens. A gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda costs $ 1500 for all countries, whereas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo a permit costs $400, with a cheaper permit available for $200 during the low season.
A gorilla trekking permit, on the other hand, should be booked 3 to 6 months before the trekking date to minimize disappointments, since permits are competitive and sometimes sell out, especially during peak season.
When to go for a gorilla trekking safari.
Gorilla trekking may be done at any time of year, although the optimum time is during the dry season, which lasts from June to September and December to February. Because there is less rainfall during the dry season, access roads to gorilla sites are passable, and the gorilla tracking routes in the forest are dry and passable, as opposed to the wet/rainy season, when the pathways are muddy and slippery, making gorilla tracking difficult.
What to pack for a gorilla trekking safari.
Visitors going on a gorilla trekking safari should pack gorilla trekking essentials such as hiking shoes to keep your feet dry, long sleeved shirt and trousers to keep you warm, rain jacket to protect you from rain, warm sweater, backpack to carry your essentials, energy snacks, walking stick, camera, and so on.
Gorilla trekking is an exciting activity that will provide you with spectacular and once-in-a-lifetime safari experiences as you spend one hour with them in their natural environment. If you want to go gorilla tracking, you may contact Explore Rwanda Tours.
