Simply Uganda
Gorillas are among the most spectacular animals on the planet and in my opinion Uganda is one of the best places to track them.
Called by Sir Winston Churchill “The Pearl of Africa”, Uganda is just that, with magnificent scenery, a plethora of wildlife and the friendliest of people.
Uganda is landlocked in the heart of Africa. Straddling the Equator, its shores lie on the majestic Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa and second largest freshwater lake in the world! If you think that typical African countryside does not offer you endless rolling green hills, snow-capped mountains, misty forests and deep, crystal clear lakes, then you haven’t been to Uganda! Even though Uganda is a small country, it offers all of this and a lot more, including white water rafting, exceptional game viewing, birding and some fantastic hiking. It’s here that the eastern savannah meets the west African jungle. In a nutshell, there is no other African destination that offers such a diverse variety of activities and wildlife encounters. Yet with so much on offer, it is to Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to spend a memorable one hour in the company of a family of great Apes, that I am drawn.
Gorilla Trekking – A Once-in-a-Lifetime Encounter
So what, you might ask, is so special about this once-in-a-lifetime encounter?
Well, if you are a wildlife enthusiast and as passionate about Africa’s wildlife as I am, then coming face to face with a family of great Apes is one of those wildlife encounters not to be missed.
For one hour you become part of their world as they go about their daily routine of foraging, burping, farting, scratching, playing, climbing or enjoying a siesta! It’s an experience that touches the soul and leaves one grasping for more.
Today Mountain Gorillas are critically endangered and are found only in a very small region of east Africa. Teetering at around 740 individuals and on the brink of extinction, viewing them can only be done in one of three east African countries, namely Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Living at very high altitudes and with strong family bonds, Mountain Gorillas do not survive out of their specific rain-forest habitat and familial groupings. So viewing them is on their terms, in their habitat, and requires you to journey to this remote part of the world. Mountain Gorillas have adapted to the high altitudes in which they live and their long glossy coats help to keep them warm and dry in the chilly forests. Each Gorilla has its own distinct facial features (after which it is named), habits and personality, all of which can be seen whilst sitting quietly and observing them.
On average, Gorillas eat over 600 different types of plants, many of which are also unique to Bwindi. Their diet is made up of 90% vegetarian food and 10% ants, termites, bark and sand. A silverback will eat up to 20 kgs of food per day including the roots, flowers, fruits, stems, leaves and pith of a plant. A Gorilla band will vary in size, but is always controlled by the dominant silverback. His family breakdown includes adult females, black-backs, sub-adults, juveniles and infants. A female gives birth every four years and one female will have up to 10 babies in her lifetime, of which 6 or 7 will survive.
Gorilla trekking follows a pretty standard routine. Daily, at 8 am, visitors assemble at the Park Headquarters at four locations around the Park for their once-in-a-lifetime encounter. The day begins with a briefing of the park and gorilla etiquette by the head ranger. This is followed by a maximum of eight people joining their pre-booked gorilla group for the day. In the Buhoma region, Habinyanja, Rushegura and Mubare make up three Gorilla groups, with Nkuringo in the Nkuringo region, and Nshongi plus the newly-formed Mishaya groups in the Rushaga region. Bitukura are the last group and are found in the Ruhija region of the park. Each habituated gorilla group is made up of different individuals totalling different numbers. Knowing which group to trek is part of the overall trekking experience.
Depending on where your given Gorilla group is located, it can take anything from 20 minutes to 6 hours of walking to locate them. Accompanied by your knowledgeable guide and two armed escorts (armed, not to protect you from Gorillas, but from dangerous poachers and other insurgents), the walks take you through some of the most beautiful farmland, rugged terrain and pristine forests imaginable. The majority of the guides who lead you on the trek are from the local villages and have been instrumental in the habituation of the gorillas. The local guides contribute to the overall trekking experience – just watching them as they communicate with the Gorillas and listening as they share their stories with you form long-lasting memories worth their weight in gold.
Weather is unpredictable in the rain forest and one can expect to experience all four seasons in one day. It is therefore advisable to be well prepared, fairly fit and well kitted out in case the trek becomes strenuous.
Today, the two greatest threats to the survival of the Mountain Gorillas are, firstly, diseases transmitted by humans. It is for this reason that a strict distance of 7 meters is maintained whilst viewing them. The second threat is habitat loss due to deforestation. Bwindi is not only one of the most densely populated areas in Uganda, but it is also one of the most fertile. There is a shortage of land in Uganda, which is needed to feed a growing and very poor population, and to support subsistence farming, the main source of food for many in the rural areas. This means that the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is constantly under threat.
To this end, the impact of Gorilla tourism is far reaching, and by travelling to these remote corners of the world, you are not only ensuring their survival, but creating an awareness for their plight and supporting the communities that live and work around Bwindi. Currently, Gorilla trekking is still considered to be “low-impact” tourism whereby small numbers of people pay a high price to view an endangered species in their natural habitat. In the near future, however, things could change as more and more Gorillas are habituated for human viewing.
Bwindi is the only true rainforest where all three apes exist together – Mountain Gorillas, chimpanzees and man!
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