Gorilla Safari – Gorilla Trekking Tours
Gorilla Safari is a that tour encompasses tracking and habituation of mountain gorillas which is done in three African countries; Uganda, Rwanda and Congo.
Who does gorilla safaris?
For a person to do a gorilla safari, as gorillas are tremendously delicate to human disease, the park authorities will not permit anyone they ponder to be in deprived health to visit the gorilla groups.
In addition, no youngsters lesser 15 years of age are allowed to visit and one has to be substantially fit and in a good state as the activity encompasses hiking and alpinism hills.
Requirements for a gorilla safari
Most people taking part in a gorilla slog take a small daypack to carry their water supply, food and camera equipment. Here are some other items we endorse packing for your gorilla trekking experience.
Comfortable hiking/walking boots: As you’ll most likely be trekking for a few hours to reach the gorillas, a good pair of boots is essential.
Trousers and a long-sleeved shirt: You’ll be ‘bushwhacking’ into a murky rainforest, so wear trousers and a long-sleeved shirt to safeguard yourself from the thick scrub and annoys.
Gloves: A pair of gloves will protect your hands on your Uganda Safari when clutching branches and vines, predominantly a tough pair of cultivation gloves.
A light rain jacket – Bwindi and Virunga are both humid rainforests, and there’s a good chance of rain almost year-round. Pack a light-weight cloak or rain jacket that you can spool up in your bag and carry out if required.
Energy snacks – The trudge to the mountain gorillas isn’t dreadful, but it is rough. Energy snacks like nuts, dried fruit, chocolate or power bars are a great idea. Just remember to take any bosh with you as you go.
Water – Avoid purchasing plastic water bottles while you’re in Uganda or Rwanda. They’re abysmal for the environment. Bring a recyclable cafeteria (preferably with a purifying filter built in) or a pack of purification tablets. You’ll need to drink a lot throughout the trek.
Long pants and shirts – its best not to uncover too much skin during the jungle trek, and reminisce to pleat your trousers into your socks – you really don’t want safari ants skulking up there.
Places to trek mountain gorillas from
Mountain gorillas can only be traced in the boondocks of the moorlands of Rwanda within Volcano Park., and the Virunga National Park situated in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Uganda has two dwellings where these Mountain Gorillas may be seen, one is Mgahinga Gorilla Park; a magnificent park and a section of the Virunga chain of gigantic volcanoes that prolong into the DRC and Rwanda, and then in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park which ropes the mammoth Populace of Mountain Gorilla.
How many people can trek
A maximum of 8 people are endorsed to trek or visit a stated gorilla family in Bwindi, Mgahinga and Volcanoes National Park for one hour per day and only 4 people are allowed to expend four hours with mountain gorillas under habituation.
Tracking the gorillas can latter from a few hours to a whole day, dependent of how far the group has stirred since it was detected nesting up the prior.
How many gorilla groups
There are ostensibly 10 habituated Mountain Gorilla groups in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda and these consist of;
Susa family (Susa A)
Susa group is the largest Mountain Gorilla family in Volcanoes National Park and populates the lower vile of Mount Karisimbi with 33 members and 2 Silverbacks but had a total of 42 before its riven.
Sabyinyo Family
This group habitually roves on the slopes of Mountain Sabinyo and presently has 13 members and 2 Silverbacks.
Amahoro family
Amahoro Gorilla Group presently lives on the slopes of Mountain Visoke and has approximately 18 members with 2 Silverbacks.
Agashya Family
Agashya family is previously known as group 13 but lately altered its name and has a record of about 27 members with just one Silverback and travels on the slants of Mountain Sabyinyo just like the Sabyinyo family
Umubano (‘Live Together’) Family
With 13 associates plus 2 Silverbacks, Umubano gorilla group was molded by members of the Amahoro family after one of its Silverbacks called Charles, broke off to form his own group. Ostensibly, this group survives in the same terrain as the Amahoro Group.
Kwitonda family
Kwitonda gorilla group registers a vast number of 23 together with 4 Silverbacks. It dwells on the inclines of Mountain Muhabura and it got its name from the late prevailing silverback called Kwitonda.
Hirwa family
Hirwa family is a newfangled group and has 16 members with one Silverback. It was made by members from the Sabyinyo family and group 13 but later on more members amalgamated to upsurge the total to 16. It strays between the mountains of Mount Gahinga and Sabyinyo.
Karisimbi family
This group meanders on the slopes of Mountain Karisimbi. It has 16 members with one silverback. It’s a splinter faction of Susa family reason why they also appeal it Susa B.
Ugenda family
It is concocted of 11 members comprising 2 Silverbacks and this group superficially occupies Mount Bisoke and the ramble is reasonably not very difficult.
Bwenge Family
This group encompasses of 11 members with one silverback and it habitually rambles on the slopes of Mount Visoke and the trek is comparatively easy.
Titus Family
Titus Family was christened after the Silverback – Titus, and the group ostensibly squats the slants of Karisimbi and Visoke volcanoes.
There are several added Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda and this number retains on snowballing centered on the prodigious conservation success in Rwanda. Conversely, above are the only accustomed gorilla groups that dwell Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
Also there are 13 Gorilla Groups you can Trek; 12 Habituated Groups in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and 1 in Mgahinga Gorilla Park.
Kyaguliro Gorilla Family
This is a gorilla family situated in the Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park that was inured exclusively for study and entails of 15 individuals as well as 2 silverbacks.
Nyakagezi Gorilla Family
Nyakagezi gorilla Family is the solitary group found in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. It institutes of 3 silverbacks, 2 adult females, 2 black backs and 2 infants but in May 2013, a new baby was born snowballing the group number to 10.
Mubare Gorilla Family
The Mubare Gorilla Group is the primogenital trained gorilla family in Uganda and is sited in the Buhoma sector with a populace of 8 individuals together with 1 silverback.
Habinyanja Gorilla Family
It’s positioned in the Buhoma sector vacillating from Kahororo to Rubona with a present populace of 17 individuals containing 2 silverbacks.
Rushegura Gorilla Family
This is one of the 12-habituated gorilla groups set up in the Buhoma sector sited in the southern parts of Bwindi impenetrable forest. The group is branded to be one of the serenest families and ordinarily stay in the purlieu of Buhoma village.
Bitukura Gorilla family
It is one of the newest habituated groups within Bwindi Impenetrable forest traced in Ruhija sector of the park and it is an white-knuckle group with 4 silverbacks with Ndahura the 2nd fledgling silverback being the leader.
Oruzogo Gorilla Family
Oruzogo family was the jiffy habituated gorilla family that dwell in the Ruhija areas of Bwindi impenetrable National Park and has a population of 25 folks containing 2 silverbacks steered by Silverback Tibirikwata.
Nshongi Gorilla Family
The Nshongi gorilla family receives its name from the river adjacent to which it was first seen and is found in the Rushaga sector with a population of 26 entities containing 4 silverbacks.
Mishaya Gorilla Family
This is alternative family situated in the Rushaga sector with a populace of 12 individuals comprising 1 silverback. Silverback Mishaya was at first part of the Nshongi family but later in 2010 made up his mind to start up its own family.
Kahungye Gorilla Family
This is one of the new gorilla families set up in the southern sector of the Bwindi impenetrable national park. It was unbolted for tourism but in a year’s time the group had torn apart to give birth to a new Busingye family.
Busingye Gorilla Family
The Busingye Gorilla family chunk ways with the Kahungye gorilla family in 2011 under the headship of silverback Busingye who decided to riven from Kahungye group and form his own family.
Bweza Gorilla Family
This is a gorilla family that was as an upshot of parting of the Mishaya family from the prime gorilla group, the Nshongi family.
NOTE: The sizes of these gorilla families differ from time to time as a result of parting, welcome of newborn, skirmish, split, deaths, absconding of some family members. Some strong male gorillas may bout another gorilla family to foray females in an effort to magnify their families.
Best Time to go for gorilla trekking safaris
Uganda, Congo, and Rwanda gorilla tracking sites share a common climate with 2 dry seasons and one of the two is the best time to visit the rainforests.
The first season runs from about mid-December to the end of February and the second (the longest) runs from the beginning of June to the end of September.
Such times are the most convenient for gorilla trekking, but conditions such as muddy trekking trails are inevitable so, always carry your gaiters.
Other activities around tracking areas on Gorilla Safari
Other activities possible in Rwanda embrace tracking golden monkeys, nature walks, climbing volcanoes, mountain biking, birding in Nyungwe Forest, meeting the In Tore people, visits to the Iby’Iwacu cultural village, walking in the Buhanga Sacred Forest, and visiting the Musanze Caves, the genocide memorial in Kigali is well worth a visit.
Other activities likely in Uganda gorilla safari include excellent birding and wildlife viewing, it’s conceivable to assemble cultural visits to the native pygmy tribes, steered forest walks, volcano climbing, and dugout canoe trips on Lake Mutanda.
Inspecting adventurous City tours meant at reconnoitering more about the area majorly cities such as Kampala city in Uganda, Kigali in Rwanda and guided Mountain Hiking that encompasses individual courage to climb or get up on certain mountain ranges such as Rwenzori and Elgon in Uganda, Bisoke and Karsimbi in Rwanda, Nyiragongo in Congo among others
Difference Between Gorilla Trekking/Tracking and Habituation.
Gorilla habituation embroils acquainting wild gorillas to the existence of humans such that they can linger with their usual habits even in the presence of people, gorilla trekking.
On the other hand, encompasses probing for a habituated gorilla group which would take minutes or several hours until you land on one which you will discern for one hour.