Gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda, and seeing these enigmatic animals in their natural habitat, is truly a life changing experience – one you’ll certainly remember forever.
Led by a highly trained guide, you’ll trek through the dense rainforest in search of a gorilla family. Nothing will prepare you for the intensity of this encounter: there is no denying that being among these great creatures, with their searching, intelligent eyes, and singularly human-like behavior, is a powerful experience.
3 Reasons Why Gorilla Trekking is Restricted to One Hour
The mountain gorilla is the largest primate in the world, and also one of the most endangered. Poaching and habitat destruction has led to a situation where there are now only 840 mountain gorillas remaining in the wild, with the majority of these residing in Rwanda and Uganda.
Once you have found a gorilla family, you’ll be able to spend an hour with them and while this may not seem like much, restricting your visit to 60 minutes is extremely important because:
- There is a great need to conserve them. Mountain Gorillas are an endangered species and there is a great need to protect them. The more time people spend watching and photographing them, the more stress is placed upon these animals. In addition, there are more chances of humans spreading disease to the gorillas, which could severely affect their health and well-being.
- Gorilla families are very organised. They have their time to feed, make nests, sleep, and so much more. Gorilla trekking is thus restricted to one hour so as not to disturb their daily timetable.
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Volcanoes National Park are ecotourism sitesand as such, they ensure that gorillas are trekked with minimal impact on their lives and environment. By restricting gorilla trekking to 60 minutes, the gorillas will remain with their natural behaviors.
An Hour to Remember
Gorilla trekking is an extremely intimate experience – more like visiting a family than racing around on a safari. Once you’ve taken your photographs, you’ll be able to enjoy the privilege of observing these extraordinary animals up close. While one hour will never be enough, it is an hour that you’ll remember for the rest of your life.