The mountain Gorillas are so rare that only 800 of them are now left in the wild and having a chance to see them is rare indeed as very few people get a chance to do so. Out of the 800 mountain Gorillas that exist now, 450 of them can be found in the extinct volcanic-region known as Virunga Range which lies along borders of Uganda, Rwanda and DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) in the East Africa. You may be wondering where the other 350 are, well they can be found in the nearby areas of Bwindi (in the thick forest located in Uganda).
As the geographical region where the Gorillas exist is very vast, the visitor can get a chance to meet them at different locations but the two parks in Uganda, the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, are the ideal sites to see them so get ready for the unique experience and book an affordable cheap flights to Uganda.
The first park where you can have a change to see the rare mountain Gorillas is the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park which lies in the extreme south-western corner of Uganda at Virunga Mountain’s slopes. The area also borders the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as Rwanda. The park covers about 28 square-miles and the place may look small but besides mountain Gorillas, you can also have a chance to meet Leopards, bushbucks, golden monkeys and buffalos.
The second park i.e. Bwindi where you can meet the mountain Gorillas is located in the south-western region of Uganda and hosts around half of all the Gorillas. An area of about 200 square miles is covered by the national park and is covered with very dense rainforest. The area is also proclaimed as a World Heritage site. The fun part of seeing the mountain Gorillas in this park is that you follow them through the dense-foliage and that makes the journey turn out into an adventure of its kind. In this park you can also get a chance to see the chimpanzees and other spectacular species of birds besides the Gorillas.
If you want more out of your trip you can also visit Rwanda or the Democratic Republic of Congo to see the Gorillas. In Rwanda you can track them down in the park situated in country’s North known as Virunga National Park and also known as PNV (Parc National des Volcans) covering an area of about 46 sq.miles and has six volcanoes in it. If you intend to see the Gorillas from the DRC, you can do so in the Parc National des Virunga (a section of the Virunga Mountains Park in DRC). One important thing to note is that the Gorillas often migrate from one place to another in the Virunga National Park but you don’t need to worry as the local safari-companies keep good track of their movements and know pretty well where to find them.
However, there are some things to be kept under notice if you are about to plan your journey. As the area where the mountain Gorillas are spread is very vast therefore you have to track them down and although this requires effort but will turn your journey into an adventure of its kind. The trek leading to their habitat will take you through the dense vegetations, up-steep slopes and the journey may last a several hours.
To cope-up with the dense vegetation and nettles, it’s highly recommended to wear gloves. Secondly wearing long socks is also very important due to the presence of Red Ants in the area. The Gorillas are not so easy to track but once you do so you’ll be surprised how habituated they are to humans allowing you to get closer to them.
There are some other advices as well if you intend to meet them as following:
a) You are expected to be over 15 in order to take the journey.
b) You should be in good health before the visit and should not have any infectious disease.
c) You are allowed about an hour to be with the gorillas while keeping a 5 meter distance.
d) The maximum number of people in a group allowed is from 6-12 (per day).
e) Flash photography is prohibited.
f) The trekkers should be well equipped and should wear warm clothes due to the climate.
g) Pointing or touching the Gorillas is not recommended however they may not agree with the terms and conditions.
As the species is very rare and was considered a threatened species, you require an official permit which is managed by the local respective parks. You may need to acquire a permit in advance perhaps even months in advance and a visit with a tour can also be arranged for you.
In Uganda, the permits can be obtained from Uganda Wild-Life Authority’s Headquarters – Kampala (Uganda’s capital) as well as via international booking through email. In case of a journey through Rwanda, you can obtain the permit from Rwanda’s Tourism Board Offices located in Kigali and Ruhengeri near the PNV. We hope this article will provide you with the basic information you needed for a safer and more convenient journey towards seeing the rarest of the wildlife.
Ahan… man u r doing good…