GORILLA TOUR
TRACKING THE ENDANGERED MOUNTAIN GORILLAS
The Mountain Gorilla is the rarest and most endangered of the Great Apes. In this article we feature a wildlife Gorilla Tour Holiday which provides a unique opportunity of tracking the endangered mountain gorillas in the rain forests of East Africa. Last year, over 800,000 tourists visited Uganda to enjoy a memorable experience trekking gorillas.
The United Nations Environment Programme has designated 2009 as The Year of The Gorilla.
Gorillas, the largest of the great apes are divided into 3 sub species. The Western and Eastern Lowland gorillas and the rare Mountain Gorillas. Lowland Gorillas are found in many zoos. Only about 700 Mountain Gorillas remain in the wild, with none in captivity.
The world’s remaining Mountain Gorillas live within four national Parks in East Africa in two regions, 45 km apart.
Around 350 animals, half the world’s population of Mountain Gorillas inhabit The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. It is believed that the ancient forest of Bwindi has 20-30 family troops. A few of these families have been habituated (accustomed to humans)
The second population is found within three National Parks in the Virunga Mountains. This is a chain of volcanoes along the northern border of Rwanda, The Democratic Republic of The Congo(DRC) and in Uganda. Part of The Great Rift Valley, the range rises to a height of 3-4500m. Most are dormant although Mount Nyiragongo and Mount Sabyinyo erupted as recently as 2006.
Mgahinga National Park, 33 sq Km in area, is located in southwest Uganda. It is home to around 50 gorillas in 5 groups. The Nyakagezi Group is the only troop habituated to humans. A process which can take up to 2 years. This group is also inclined to cross the border into Rwanda or the DRC.
Rwanda has Parc des Volcans where Diane Fossey (Author of Gorillas in The Mist) studied the Mountain Gorillas for 20 years and is credited with a reduction in poaching. The park covers 46 sq miles and encompasses six volcanoes.
The DRC has a section of the Virunga Mountains called The Parc Nationale des Virunga.
Gorilla Troops number up to 30 apes and are led by one dominant, mature gorilla known as a silverback, because of a silver tinge to their hair, grown at about 13 years of age. The group contains several young males, some females and their offspring. The Silverback protects the troop and organises eating, nesting and travel. Despite an impressive size and obvious physical strength, the Mountain Gorilla is usually calm and non-aggressive. Surprisingly, they are herbivores and eat over 100 species of plants. Despite poaching and destruction of their habitats by logging and recent civil strife in the area, their numbers remain stable and even show a slight increase.
Tracking is a memorable experience but with long days, dense vegetation and steep slopes it is not for the elderly, very young or unfit. There are some basic rules.
Minimum age is 15 years
You must not be sick or carry any infectious disease. The apes ate extremely vulnerable to human complaints.
No flash photography is permitted
No eating or drinking in the vicinity of the gorillas
No touching. Although they may decide to touch you!!
As normal with any trekking, you must have suitable footwear and clothing. The climate is wet and cool in the mountains.
Binoculars are a useful addition to your equipment.
Finally, check with your safari tour operator that Gorilla Watching Permits are included in the cost. These daily permits can be quite expensive.
There are few wildlife experiences to compare with being upclose to the rarest and most majestic of all the apes - the Mountain Gorilla. With only 700 left in the wild, this is an exciting and unique Gorilla Tour Holiday.
ADVENTURE TRAVEL
What could be more adventurous than an African Safari?
From what I have read, once someone goes on Safari they can’t seem to get enough of these adventure packed holidays. They return year after year to various African countries to admire the wildlife, the scenery, the exotic birds and meet the people of Africa.
There are of course many companies that provide safaris and there is sure to be one to suit every budget and taste. You can really get back to nature and rough it in tents and land rovers or stay in luxurious lodges with pools and spas and be waited on every moment of the day.
Whatever you choose you are bound to have a great holiday. You should return home, fitter, tanned, relaxed and with enough stories and photographs to last until your next Safari.
When staying in one of the National Parks you usually see: lions, elephants, impala, zebra leopards, rhino, wildebeest, bushbuck, crocodile, buffalo, monkeys and an abundance of bird and insect life. You will probably see snakes too!
A good guide will keep you informed about all you see. They can teach you about every aspect of African wildlife, from the big cats to the tiniest insect. They will be the people to make your trip unforgettable. The guides find and take you to the most likely spots to view the animals and they try to ensure you are well informed about all of the animals habits, the best spots to view and photograph them and of course they also keep you safe. They do carry guns for the ultimate protection but usually the protection comes in the form of advice in how to dress, behave and take instruction when out in the wild.
Following your guides advice of being quiet and treading softly should get you up close and personal with a variety of large animals.
It is not all getting up at the crack of dawn to travel out to the bush. Although there is a fair amount of this. Afternoons are usually spent relaxing by the pool, drink in hand, snoozing or chatting as the mood takes you.
Then in the early evening as the sun goes down a quick Sundowner, frequently a gin and tonic and you are off again to observe the animals at night.
Most Safaris are a mix of walking and driving. Our Travel Advice would be to pack walking shoes you are used to and that are broken in, take neutral coloured clothes for your time in the bush, you will need good sun screen and a hat, cotton clothes with long sleeves are good for keeping you cool and keeping off the sun and mosquitoes and take a good pair of binoculars and a camera preferably with a long lens for all the wildlife you are going to see.
A Safari Holiday is great for adults and teenagers alike. It is not really the holiday for small children. The long drives in the bush and the need to be quiet at times are not really suitable for children. Your teenagers however will probably find they love the holiday. The excitement of being in a situation totally different from the usual, seeing animals previously seen only on television and actually living life as opposed to viewing it , all make this an adventure holiday with a difference.
