Does one really know what it means to wake up every morning early to go for animation in search of astonishing great apes in the forest, which is the most bewildering tourist venture? African gorilla trekking is ranked as the number one activity for providing spectacular encounters with primates in their natural habitats. click here to view mountain gorilla trekking safaris 

 

There are only three African countries offering these unique experiences, namely Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, though one should not forget that there are two types of gorillas worldwide, giving the best encounters all year round. click here to see gorilla trekking tour 

 

Where do people see endangered mountain gorillas in Africa?

Only one continent in the world offers mountain gorilla adventure; that is to say, three African countries "favor" mountain gorilla development because of the climate, hills, and vegetation.

 

These countries include Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which accommodate the great apes. In case you are planning your adventure in one of these countries, you need to compare the chances of seeing mountain gorillas in one of the countries with those in others to get the greatest satisfaction.

 

Devine African Safaris helps you plan mountain gorilla trekking safaris in these three countries. We also help secure all gorilla permits as soon as you book your tour with us in any of these three countries.

 

Where can I see mountain gorillas in Uganda?

Uganda has two endowed national parks: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. With half of the total world population, Uganda is situated in the great rift valley of East Africa, where the Equator passes. These national parks have approximately 450 mountain gorillas.

 

Bwindi Forest's impenetrable barrier boosts 36 mountain gorilla families, out of which 19 are habituated; and Mgahinga National Park shares borders with Volcanoes National Park and Virunga National Park.

 

Where can I see mountain gorillas in Rwanda?

Rwanda is blessed with a thousand hills, and Volcanoes National Park is located in the northern part of Rwanda, with tropical rain forest covering 160 km2 and five of eight volcanoes experiencing high visitor growth rates because of its popularity as a gorilla hub.

 

Volcanoes National Park has over twenty mountain gorilla families, of which ten are reserved for research and trekking. It can be reached by road within 2–3 hours from Kigali International Airport.

 

Mountain gorillas in the democratic Republic of Congo

Mountain gorilla trekking can be done in Congo in Virunga the national park though the Democratic Republic of Congo has been affected by political issues which attack tourist thus making gorilla trekking unsafe in this country some times.

 

Virunga national park is one of the most valuables of the Congo, with quintessential attractions worldwide for its lush beauty and gorillas. Volcanoes national park has 8 gorilla families, like the Kabirizi gorilla group, the Humba gorilla group, the Mapuwa gorilla group, the Bageni gorilla group, and the Lulingo gorilla group, among others.

   

Different African countries charge different prices for gorilla permits; Rwanda’s RDP charges $1500 while Uganda charges $700 and DRC charges $400. For one to be permitted to trek mountain gorillas, they need to buy gorilla permits in advance.

 

The Uganda Wildlife Authority is in charge of Uganda, Virunga is responsible for gorilla permits in Congo, and RDP manages all gorilla bookings in Rwanda.

 

The above price for mountain gorilla trekking allows tourists to spend an hour with these apes in the national parks of Virunga, the volcanoes, Bwindi, and Mgahinga; that price also includes park entry fees, a certificate, security in the forest, and a ranger service fee.

 

African gorilla trekking only allows children who are above 15 years old in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo; anyone below 15 years is considered weak and cannot deal with the great apes in case of any negative changes.

Reason for trekking age limit

 

The above age limit is considered because children below the age of 15 are considered vulnerable, which means they are not physically fit for gorilla trekking and have unpredictable personalities that may lead to behavior changes in primates.

 

for example, children may end up making noise when a gorilla tries to fume at them or get so close to them that it disorganizes the gorillas. in that case, the gorillas may react back by attacking tourists trekking in order to defend themselves.

 

With the view above, children below the age of 15 are not allowed to trek mountain gorillas The age limit is very important because these national parks are strenuous with steep slopes, which involve serious hiking and require one to be physically fit.

 

Therefore, children under the age of 15 are vulnerable and weak; they cannot manage to cope with the difficulties of hiking.

 

Mountain gorillas share up to 98% of their DNA with human beings, so they easily acquire communicable diseases like cough and flu since children always have flu and cough, which may cause the death of apes leaving in their natural habitats of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

 

That means the Rwanda Development Board and Uganda Wildlife Authority try a lot to conserve and protect the remaining few mountain gorillas by applying an age limit for gorilla trekking in Africa.