Best Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Best Gorilla trekking in Uganda, a sightseeing of the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park forests in Uganda is an exciting experience, trekking these majestic creatures in their natural habitat is worth an encounter.

Bwindi impenetrable forests is a large thick forest where gorillas roam freely, feeding, playing and groom in these conducive forests. Other animals in Bwindi forests includes colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, Red tailed monkeys, chimpanzees and also nocturnal animals like the Demidoff’s galago.

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda neighboring the Democratic Republic of congo.

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is a UNESCO world heritage site which was gazetted in 1994 and protected by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Bwindi is a word derived from the native language Mubwindi that means a place full of darkness and dense vegetation. It is a diverse area with different kinds of tree plants where the endangered mountain gorillas stay.

Mountain Gorillas inhabit humid equatorial rainforest of up to 4000m, they live in groups between 10 and 20 gorillas usually with a single adult male called silverback. both mountain gorillas and lowland gorillas are vegetarians. Male gorillas make all decisions regarding movements, foraging and where and when to rest.

Gorillas and chimpanzees are our closest living relatives sharing about 97% genes with human beings.

Bwindi sectors for best gorilla trekking in Uganda.

Bwindi impenetrable forests have got four trail heads where gorilla trekking takes place, these includes: Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo. Among the four sectors, Rushaga sector has the most habituated families in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park.

Gorilla families in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

Rushaga sector: Nshongi, Busingye, Mishaya, Bweza, Kahungye, Bikingi, Mucunguzi, Rwigyi, kutu, tindatine.

Buhoma sector: Mubare, Habinyanja, Rushegura, Katwe, Muyambi and Binyindo.

Ruhija sector: Bitukura, Oruzogo, Kyaguriro and Mukiza.

Nkuringo sector: Bushaho, Christmas, posho and Nkuringo family

Each gorilla family group is given a maximum of 8 people to trek to avoid overcrowding.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga gorilla national park was gazetted in 1991 and boats over 76 mammals which includes buffalos, bush pigs, forest hogs, bush bucks and many more with over 180 bird species. This park has one gorilla family called Nyakagezi group and mgahinga national park is well known for golden monkey tracking.

Both Bwindi impenetrable forest and mgahinga national park are a home to the Batwa people. Batwa are the indigenous people that inhabits the forests, they are known for hunting wild meat and were evicted from the forests in early 1990’s by the government of Uganda to preserve the mountain gorillas.

Mgahinga was derived from the native word Gahinga that means “piles of volcanic stones”. Mgahinga that lies along the Virunga Mountain ranges forms three conical extinct volcanoes.

Gorilla predators.

Gorillas are threatened by poachers, habitat destruction and civil unrest. Before the Batwa people were evicted from the Bwindi and mgahinga forests, they could hunt gorillas, cut down forests that are habitat for these endangered species and when the area has wars (conflicts) the gorillas are dispersed from their comfortable locations.

Credit to Uganda wildlife authority and the Ugandan government to preserve nature and protecting these magnificent species for future generations.

Time for best gorilla trekking in Uganda.

Gorilla trekking can be taken all year round, but the best months are December, January, February and June, July and August. During these periods, the trails are dry for a great trek.

How to book for best gorilla trekking in Uganda.

Gorilla permits are booked by Registered Tour companies and certified by the Uganda Tourism Board and Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Wild gorilla trekking is the best company to trust and book your gorilla and chimpanzee permits with. Gorilla permits are booked one month earlier prior to the tracking date.

Rules for gorilla tracking in Uganda

• Do not visit the gorillas if you have a cold or other infectious illness.
• Minimum age for gorilla tracking is 15 years.
• Human waste should be buried 30cm deep.
• You should maintain 10 meters distance from the gorillas.
• While on gorilla viewing, do not smoke, eat or drink.
• Visits are limited to one hour per gorilla group per day.
• Do not use flash photography while taking photos.
• Do not litter the national park
• Do not make much noise while on a gorilla trek
• Do not spit on the vegetation or on the soil.

Packing list for gorilla trekking

When going for a gorilla tour, these are the gear to pack for a successful tour. They include sturdy hiking boots, gaiters, rain jacket, camera, binoculars, insect repellant.

Facts about mountain gorillas

• Mountain gorillas have been found to live as high as 3400m in the mountains.
• Mountain gorillas are endangered and only over 1000 are left in the world.
• Male African mountain gorillas acquire his silverback title at about 10-12 years of age.
• Females in the group can come from different families that are not related.
• Dominant silverback is usually the strongest male; it mates with females that are about 10 years old.
• Mountain gorillas live in families of about 5-12 gorillas.

What happens before the gorilla trekking

Before the gorilla trekking in the morning, the game rangers will give you briefing about dos and don’ts about the tracking and will lead you into the forest in search of the gorillas. Each gorilla family is assigned a group of 8 people. You are allowed one hour to be with the gorillas after being found in the forest.

How do gorillas communicate?

Gorillas communicate in a variety of ways, including facial expressions, gestures and calls. Adult males use barks and roars during confrontations or to coordinate the movement of their groups to a different area. Postures and gestures form an important element of intimidation and it is possible for a clash to be diffused by a display of teeth baring and charging by beating their chests.

How to get to Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga National Park.

Getting to Bwindi impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park, depending on the Bwindi sector you are booked for, by Road these national parks are accessed through Kampala to kabale and kisoro to connect to Rushaga sector or Nkuringo sector. For tracking in the buhoma sector you start from Kampala to kabale to Kanungu to buhoma. Starting from Kampala via Kasese pass through the queen Elizabeth national park and connect to kihihi for tracking in buhoma sector.

Alternatively, you can use Air transport from Entebbe Airport to kihihi Airstrip in Kanungu district for a faster access to the gorilla parks. From Kigali the parks are accessed through the katuna border or cyanika border that takes about 4 – 6 hours.

What to expect on your gorilla trekking safari in Uganda.

When you book your gorilla trekking safari with us, expect close encounters with the gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park and mgahinga national park.

A safari like no other awaits!