RESUMPTION OF UGANDA GORILLA TREKKING FROM KIGALI

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The Uganda Rwanda border was recently reopened after being closed for a period of close to three years. We have therefore resumed the cross border gorilla trekking trips in which you land in Kigali where we pick you from and then transfer you to Uganda to explore and do some of the exciting activities Uganda has to offer.

There are a lot of activities you can do in Uganda including but not limited to – Gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, Wildlife viewing, Adventure sports, cultural tours and so much more. Our packages which start from Kigali and cross to Uganda range from short 3 day excursions to multi day tours with an option of Ending the trip in Entebbe also available if you don’t wish to return to Kigali after the trip.

Important things to note while planning your crossover trip

Shorter distances for gorilla trekking trips:

The drive from Kigali to Bwindi is 4-5 hours. This is much shorter compared to the 8-9 hours drive if you are starting your trip in Entebbe.

Moderately priced Gorilla trekking permit:

The Uganda Gorilla trekking permit costs $700 while the Rwanda gorilla trekking permit costs $1500, this therefore means that you will save a lot of money if you decide to land in Rwanda but trek gorillas in Uganda.

Lots of activities to do in Uganda

Uganda has many national parks and game reserves as compared to Rwanda. Therefore if you decide to combine your visit to Rwanda and Uganda, you will have a variety of activities to choose from ranging from Gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, white water rafting and kayaking, Game drives, cultural tours and so much more.

Booking your tour

Kindly get in touch with our reservations team and we shall design for you a custom itinerary based on your preferred length of day and dates of travel.

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Interesting facts about mountain gorillas

Interesting facts about the mountain gorilla

Mountain gorilla interesting facts

Interesting facts about the mountain gorilla you did not know

Interesting facts about mountain gorillas – Mountain Gorillas are the endangered primate species living in the dense tropical forests of Bwindi impenetrable forest and Mgahinga gorilla forest in south western Uganda, Bwindi impenetrable forest, harbours over half of the world population of the mountain gorillas and others can be seen in volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in the DR. Congo. The gorillas where in extinct due to the serious poaching and killing of this great Apes. However, due to active conservation measures and tourism, they have been saved from the hands of the poachers and are now increasing in number. The facts about the mountain gorillas, is that you can not see them out of there habitats compared to other animals. They can not survive in Zoos you can only see the gorillas in the wild in the tropical forest of Bwindi, Mgahinga, volcanoes and Virunga National park.

Listed below are the interesting facts about mountain gorillas

Why are they called mountain Gorillas?

The mountain gorillas are the largest primates that live in the dense tropical forests, they live at an elevation ranging from 1,500 to 4,000 metres in altitude. The temperature tends to drop below the freezing point making the place extremely cold up in Bwindi impenetrable forest, Virunga, volcanoes national park. the gorillas have thick fur covering their skin which helps to regulate the temperatures. There is over 1,063 according to the latest figure of the world’s population of the mountain gorillas in the Virunga massif that is Uganda, DRC and Rwanda.

Mountain Gorillas are wanderer – they do not have a home

Mountain gorillas do not have a stable home, they are wanderers they live in the wild and each g=day they move from one location to another to build their nests, they have a territory ,they make their beds with twigs, leaves, branches, they cover small kilometres each day to set up a new home. But they can also migrate from one country to another like they can move from Uganda to Rwanda or to the Democratic Republic of Congo or vice versa. This is a reason why travellers trek the mountain the gorillas because they move each day and you will need to move some distance to locate them. Trekkers will raise up early morning and head to the park headquarters for briefing and they will be divided in groups led by the rangers/ Guides in to the forest for the start of Gorilla trekking. Gorilla trekking depends on the particular gorilla family you have been assigned to trek and only a group of 8 people are allowed to trek each gorilla family per day.

Baby Mountain Gorillas are smaller than Human Babies:

Mountain gorilla babies are much smaller compared to the human babies, when the baby gorilla is born, they weigh three to four pounds lower than the average weight of the newly born human baby. However, unlike the humans, the gorillas can grow up to 500 plus pounds.

The Gorilla Doctors make forest Calls which Keeps the Gorillas Healthy:

The Mountain Gorillas have their Physicians who often visit the different gorilla groups in the forest, the Gorilla Doctors make forest calls, as away of monitoring the health of the gorillas, administer immunisations, and treat the gorillas they may be sick or having injuries. These all contributes to the overall conservation efforts which results in the increase in number of the endangered species of the mountain gorillas.

Mountain Gorillas are the Gentle Giants of the Forest

Mountain gorillas are peaceful primates in the forest but when startled, they can become aggressive and fierce and will be forced to attack you. When disturbed, that can charge and to show the anger, they roar, thumping the chest, grunting loudly but may not attack you, it only does this to as an attempt to bluff you and as away of protection and defending his family. In case the gorilla’s charges, you can respond by crouching down and lowering your head to show that you have accepted defeat. The gorillas are strong and huge creatures, the silverback is the head of the family and will defend the family at any cause. The male gorilla/silver back is Ten times stronger than the Adult human.

Mountain gorillas, though massive and huge, they are not fat:

Just like the human Vegas and vegetarians, the mountain Gorillas will give you a picture of what a plan based diet will do to you, though their diet consists of easiest food to find, the vegetation, the gorillas feed on leaves, branches, plants and some times insects when the leaves have dried off. The gorillas consume up to 60 pounds of leaves and vegetables each day which makes them look huge but in actual sense, the gorillas are not fat they have much thick far covering their bodies since they live of high mountains and the temperature rich the freezing point.

Mountain Gorillas use tools to make life Easier.

Mountain Gorillas use tools for their daily life and also to simplify work for them for example, gorillas learn the use of tools from the other fellow gorillas for example, picking snares from the young gorillas, also, they use sticks to extract ants from the ground or from the tree tops those that get stuck on trees. some gorillas even put a log across the stream for them to pass easily from one side to another among others, gorillas are under a study and in the near years, there will come more other use of the tools by the gorillas to make life easy.

The greatest threat to Mountain Gorillas:

The common threat to the mountain gorillas is the rampant poaching, poaching snares set to trap the small antelopes, sometimes end up trapping the mountain gorillas thus causing illness and death. Also, the over whelming population of humans causing inadequate land for settlement has caused encroachment of humans in to the gorilla inhabits which causes destruction of the forest due to man made activities such as deforestation for charcoal burning, logging among others.

The silver coat on a silverback Mountain Gorilla shows a sign of Maturity like a lion’s Mane:

The young male gorilla has black backed fur, but when the young male gorilla grows and has reaches sexual maturity, he will start to develop a saddle shaped areas of silver hair sh. Like human beards and lion manes, indicate that the gorilla has matured and can now take on the role of the head of the family and to look after the family members.

Mountain gorillas communicate with one another

The fact that the mountain gorillas are almost have the total DNA of 98% like the humans, they have a higher larynx compared to humans and a soft palate which does not make them to communicate with verbs, nouns or make sentences like the humans do. They simply grunt, hoot, make gestures, chest beating, and making symbols which is there way of communication. As a result of gorilla habituation, this has facilitated the communication and the interaction of the gorillas with the humans using the sign language.

Top Interesting facts about mountain gorillas – Interesting facts about the mountain gorilla you did not know. Mountain gorilla interesting facts.

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Where to see gorillas in Africa

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Best Gorilla Trekking Destinations in Africa

Top Destinations in Africa Where to see gorillas

Where to see gorillas in Africa – Africa boasts for having varied landscapes in different regions that are habitats for numerous sub-species of gorillas. These are the endangered mountain gorillas, western lowland gorillas and the eastern lowland gorillas or Grauer’s gorillas. Among all these, most people prefer to trek for the endangered mountain gorillas which are found in only 3 countries; Rwanda, Uganda and DRCongo. There are over 100,000 western lowland gorillas in the rain forests of the western and central Africa.  Best Gorilla watching in Africa.

The top nine best gorilla trekking destinations

Encountering gorillas is absolutely a great wildlife experience. Watching one of the closest relatives to human beings that live in forests, with behavior that is almost the same as humans is amazing and ought to be planned for as one of safari activities. Plan for your gorilla trekking tour in any of these destinations. Where to see gorillas in Africa;

Uganda – Gorilla Trekking in Uganda the Pearl of Africa

Uganda offers extraordinary gorilla trekking experience. It has more than a half of the entire endangered mountain gorillas in the whole world. They live in the rainforests in Bwindi Impenetrable national park and Mgahinga Gorilla national park in the far southwestern part. Because Mgahinga is situated on the border with Rwanda, the gorilla group there sometimes roams around to the border and the gorillas are still protected by the rangers of Volcanoes national park in Rwanda. There are 13 gorilla groups that have been habituated for trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest. The big forest has been divided into 4 regions all with different groups of mountain gorillas and tourists select the group they wish to visit. Trekking in each of the different regions comes with a unique experience. A permit for gorilla trekking in Uganda costs US$ 700 for each individual.

Bwindi impenetrable national park also has gorillas which are used for research and study by researchers and scientists. These gorillas can be visited along with the researchers for the Gorilla Habituation Experience at a fee of US$1,500 per person.

Tourists that visit Uganda for gorilla trekking have a variety of other adventurous activities they can do; Chimp tracking, wildlife viewing, water rafting, canoeing and mountain climbing among others.

Rwanda – Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills

Rwanda is famously known for its luxury gorilla trekking experience that takes place in Volcanoes national park. The effort of Dian Fossey foundation in conservation of these primates has today largely contributed to making Rwanda the number one gorilla trekking destination in Africa. 10 gorilla families have been habituated in Volcanoes national park for trekking. The park is easy to access on good roads and there are cozy lodges around the park. The park organizes an annual activity known as “Kwita Izina” where various celebrities are invited as gorillas are given names. You can be part of this event. A gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda costs US$ 1,500 for each person.

A gorilla trekking safari to Rwanda can have other tourist activities added to it, for example, visiting Dian Fossey’s tomb, visiting the local communities, touring around other destinations like Akagera national park, Nyungwe forest national park and others.

Democratic Republic of Congo Gorilla tours

DRC is a popular destination because it has both mountain and eastern lowland gorillas. Mountain gorillas live in Virunga national park on the slopes of the Virunga volcanoes while the eastern lowland gorillas are in Kahuzi Biega National Park and more lowland gorillas in the far western part in the mountains of Madiakoko. There are 4 mountain gorilla groups that have been habituated for trekking in Virunga national park. Gorilla trekking in congo has not yet picked up as compared to that in Rwanda and Uganda. This is because the region suffered political unrest for a long time. However, today the destination has been declared safe for travel though it is recommended that tourists organize their safaris through tour operators. DRCongo still has the cheapest gorilla permit among the three mountain gorilla destinations, costing US$400. DRC has good lodges for tourists to stay on their gorilla trekking safaris. While at Virunga, you have a chance to visit the only gorilla orphanage centre in the world-Senkwekwe.

More thrilling tourist activities to do in Congo include; Nyiragongo Volcano Hile, visiting Tchegera Island.

Congo Brazzaville Gorilla trekking

 This country is one of the best destinations to visit for western lowland gorillas. It is also known as Republic of Congo and neighbors the DRC to the west. Gorillas live in Odzala-Kokoua national park in the northwestern side of the country. There are 2 habituated gorilla groups and a group of not more than 4 is allowed to visit each group. More gorillas can be watched in Nouabale-Ndoki national park at Mbeli Bai.

Nigeria- Cross River gorillas

The Crosss River gorillas are rare species of gorillas found around the border of Nigeria and Cameroon. They live in the forested mountains at the top of cross river. Their appearance is different in a way that they have shorter mouth, their heads are elongated yet with shorter skulls as compared to western lowland gorillas. There are 200-300 Cross river gorillas found in Afi Mountain, Mbe Mountain and the Okwangwo division. Chances of spotting these gorillas are low because they are few living in a large area of 3,000sq miles.

Central African Republic

CAR has the largest number of western lowland gorillas in the whole world. It has habituated gorillas available for trekking in the thick tropical rain forests. The primates can be perfectly watched from Dzanga Bai in Dzanga-Sangha Special reserve. You are advised to first find out about the situation in the country before travelling because it is a troubled destination.

Equatorial Guinea

Gorilla tours to Equatorial Guinea are conducted in Monte Alen National park located in the southern province of Mount Alen centre. The western lowland gorillas live in the rainforest on the slopes of the mountain. The park covers a total area of 1600sq km. Trails that lead to locations where gorillas may be spotted are quite long. Tourists will move long through a long trial and stay at Esamalan Camp. Gorillas in this park are not habituated. However much tourism in Equatorial Guinea is still in its early stages of development, there are some few local guides that conduct lead tourists through the forest for gorilla trekking.

Angola gorilla tours

Angola is another West African country that hosts the wondrous western lowland gorillas. They are only found in the Cabinda enclave in the northern side of the country. Gorilla trekking tours are not yet well develop and because of this, the chances of seeing these primates are low.

Gabon gorilla experience

With a variety of wildlife that has been protected for conservation, tourism in Gabon is still underdeveloped. There are 13 national parks and most of these are habitats for gorillas particularly the western lowland gorillas. Some of the national parks in Gabon that harbor gorillas are Moukalaba-Doudou national park, Lope national park, Laongo national park. Habituation was tried out in Mikono conservation centre of Lope national park but it was not successful. You therefore have chances of spotting these gorillas in Lope national when you are on a wildlife safari for other residents on the park other than the trekking activity. Besides the gorillas that are found in Laongo national park, there are much more attractions to enjoy here including chimps, forest elephants and the amzing marine life along the shores of Atlantic Ocean; whales, dolphins and hippos among others.

For the most interesting experiences of gorilla trekking, book for your safari in Uganda and Rwanda through Adventure in the wild safaris.

Africa has a number of countries that are great for safari even though they do not have gorillas. These include; Tanzania, Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Swaziland among others. They offer magnificent wildlife tours, beach tours, hiking experiences, cultural experiences and more.

Contact us if you have any questions about Where to see gorillas in Africa or African safari and gorillas, best gorilla. 

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How Big Are Silverback Gorillas

How big is a silverback gorilla

How big are silverback gorillas, how big is a silverback gorilla, how big is a gorilla, how big is a silverback

A silverback gorilla is an adult male mountain gorilla. They are referred to silverbacks because their back hair starts to turn from black to grayish, silver colored as they approach maturity. This happens at the age of around 11years and full adult size is obtained at 15 years or more. Silverback gorillas are also larger in size compared to other gorillas, which are the females and younger ones. The color and how big the silverback gorilla is are clear ways can differentiate them from a mature female and the younger ones.

Mountain gorillas are endangered sub species of the Eastern gorillas. They are found in only three countries namely Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. They live in Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park and the Virunga massif which comprises of Mgahinga national park, Virunga national park and Volcanoes national park. there is a population of only about 1060 mountain gorillas left in the world which are found in the above mentioned areas with Bwindi Impenetrable forest hosting the largest number, approximately half of the total population.

Mountain gorillas do not survive in captivity and their habitats are forests on higher elevation of 8,000-13,000 feet. They live in groups of 5-30 members and each group is headed by a silverback gorilla.

How big is a gorilla: size of a silverback gorilla

Generally, male mountain gorillas are normally bigger than female mountain gorillas. A silver back gorilla grows to a height of 1.5 to 2 meters with the arm stretching from 2.3 to 2.6 meters.

The weight of a mountain gorilla

A fully mature silverback can weigh up to 195 kilograms. Some silverbacks weigh up to 200 kilograms while females can weigh up to 160 kilograms. One of the heaviest silverback so far recorded was 219 kilograms but was unfortunately shot at Lake Kivu in 1938.

Mountain gorillas can be seen at any time of the year. You can contact us and have your gorilla trekking space secured in any of the three countries. A gorilla trekking permit costs USD700 in Uganda, USD1,500 in Rwanda and USD400 in the DRC. The experience of meeting these gentle giants is the most thrilling experience in Africa. It is important to plan for this activity early enough because the number of people allowed to visit each gorilla family is limited to a maximum of 8 people per day. We perfectly plan for your itinerary and include other interesting activities around the destination.

How big are silverback gorillas, how big is a silverback gorilla, how big is a gorilla, how big is a silverback

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