Gorilla Tracking Experience in Uganda – The ultimate adventure!
A trekking experience along the mountain gorillas is a top highlight for visitors to Uganda regarded as the most rewarding experience and a once-in-a-life-time adventure. A face-to-face interaction with a bulky silverback mountain gorilla in his tropical rainforest home is a spine-chilling and a memorial personal experience that lasts for a lifetime.
The endangered Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla.b.beringei) only occur in the high-altitude tropical and montane rainforests within Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where the global population stands slightly over 1000 individuals. Uganda host half of this global where only up to 22 mountain gorilla families is habituated for daily trekking experiences. Mountain gorillas are vegetarian in diet and sedentary, living in family groups up to 15 individuals led by a dominant male called silverback.
Where to track Gorillas in Uganda
The global population of the endangered mountain gorilla in Uganda are protected within two pristine highland rainforest national parks in the south-west of of the country namely;
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Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
The ancient rainforest of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park is a UNESCO world heritage site owing to its biodiversity including the mountain gorillas. The 330sq kms of rainforest spreads across the eastern walls of the Albertine Rift over altitudes of 1400-2000m asl. Bwindi Forest is a prime gorilla tracking area with over 20 habituated mountain gorilla families across its four sector offices. The park is serviced by 4 sector offices with Buhoma also the main park office lying on the northern edge of the forest, Ruhija sector is on the N. East, Rushaga on the south and Nkulingo sector on the south west. From these sector offices are trail heads for daily mountain gorilla tracking to different gorilla families that range here. The sectors are all accessed by a fair network of roads and serviced with top notch accommodations suiting all budgets.
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Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
At only 34sq kms, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest park that hosts another population of mountain gorillas in the country. The park forms a transboundary conservation region of Virunga that straddles three countries of Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC. Mgahinga national park protects the Ugandan side of the three dormant volcanic peaks of Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo. On these slopes, only one habituated gorilla family occur and provides a tracking experience. The park also protects the largest population of another Albertine endemic, the golden monkey occurring across the bamboo ranges.
Gorilla Tracking Experience Options in Uganda
Uganda offers two options of gorilla tracking experiences that both differ in price and duration a visitor spends with the mountain gorillas. These once-in-a-life-time experiences are classified as Ordinary Tracking and Habituation Experience.
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Ordinary Gorilla Tracking Experience
Ordinary gorilla trekking experience is where a tourist is guided on trek to a well habituated gorilla family within its natural range. These habituated gorilla families are daily monitored by gorilla doctors and rangers to establish their health and their ranges mapped. It is important to note that although these habituated groups are used (tolerant) to human presence, they remain wild and unpredictable. On ordinary gorilla trekking, treks begins from the park’s sector offices at 8am, with a briefing from rangers guides. Visitors then will be grouped into an 8-person groups, headed by a ranger guide to trek towards any of the allocated gorilla family. On locating the gorilla family, rangers will allow you only an hour with the gorillas, to observe the interactions, relationships and other activity of the family as it feeds and socialize. Duration differs daily and depends on local weather patterns and how far the gorilla family range from trail heads. On average however, anything from 4-6-hours is normal.
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Habituation Gorilla Experience
Gorilla tracking on a habituation experience is where a small group (up to 4 max) of visitors will trek with researchers/guides to one gorilla family under habituation process. The activity leaves very early in the morning from the trail head to find the gorilla family leaving its nesting site and following on as it forages. Its important to note that these gorilla families are very shy and unpredictable, ranging deep into the rainforest, off trails, across and along tough ridges and boggy valleys, but the rewards outweigh the challenges. Once the gorilla family has been located, visitors are accorded up to 4-hours to observe the raw character and behavior of these endangered apes and appreciate the efforts by rangers as they try to win acceptance in their wild domain.
Trekkers aiming for habituation gorilla tracking experience therefore are advised to be above average fitness for this trek, even so one can hire a helper (available at trail heads) to carry their heavy backpack along this extra ordinary trek in the rainforest
Acquiring Gorilla Tracking experience Permits in Uganda
Uganda’s affordable trekking permits costs 700USD for ordinary tracking experience and 1500USD for habituation experience. The on-demand permits tend to be scarce in peak season therefore a need to purchase way in advance, for this will determine your tracking location and accommodation plan. Daily, a total of 8-permits are issued for any of Uganda’s 23 habituated gorilla groups and available for tracking experience from either of the two pristine gorilla protected areas. Permits are available online from UWA website or purchased through your local tour handler.
Guidelines to Observe on Tracking Day
Since Covid19, special guidelines are enforced to protect these endangered apes from transmissible diseases that include:
- A mask is a requirement while viewing the mountain gorillas
- Visitors with any signs of flu will not be allowed to track the gorillas
- Only 8 persons are allowed in each group
- An 8m distance between gorillas and visitors is enforced during the viewing.
Packing List for Gorilla Tracking Experience
On a tracking day;
- Pick that walking stick from trail head if you can; you will need it at some point!
- Hire that helper/porter to carry that backpack/camera bag even to give u a hand (available at the trail head and another way to support the community).
- Dress in long sleeved shirts/pants to avoid the nasty itching
- Carry that rain coat regardless of the season. It’s a true rainforest!
- Good hiking shoes and warm stocks are recommended
- Carry plenty of drinking water with a parked lunch that day for treks go for 4-8hrs this depends on the location of the gorilla families.