The Chances of Seeing Mountain Gorillas in Uganda/Rwanda.

What is the chance of seeing Mountain gorillas?

Mountain gorillas are the jewel of the thick, dense forests of Uganda; particularly, they are found in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park in the southern part of the Country. Bwindi hosts half of the remaining population of the gorilla species in the world, distributed within the 4 sectors (Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushaga, and Ruhija); each of these offers a great chance to meet the large primates within their natural habitats, creating a once-in-a-lifetime memory. There are several habituated gorilla families for visits that have increased the chances of seeing mountain gorillas while on safari to the destinations.

Gorillas are characterised by their large fur bodies, with male adults weighing between 300 and 400 pounds and standing up to 6 feet tall. Females tend to be smaller in size; they live in families of up to 20 members led by a male silverback. These groups consist of females and black backs; they feed on leaves, stems, dead tree bark, fruit, and flowers.

The chances of seeing mountain gorillas on a gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are close to 99%;because gorilla trekking does not just fall on a gamble but rather a well-organised, successful conservation story, every morning a team of experts including trackers and guides go out to find where the gorilla families are, where they nested through their movements, dung and food droppings, and the aid of a GPS tracker by the time the guests start to trek in the morning the guides know the direction to take when looking for the gorilla.

It is also possible to miss the gorillas but on extremely rare incidents, it could be as a result of bad weather, gorillas moving to places where the trackers can not find them, a bad terrain that can not be accessed by trackers and guests, or a communicable disease, incase this happens, the guests are given a chance to track the following day but happens so rarely.

Gorilla trekking is one of the most incredible safari experiences in the world; it starts in the early morning at 7:00 am with a briefing from the park rangers on how to conduct your self while with the gorillas, in groups of 8 per gorilla family guests head out in search of the primate species, it takes 2-8 hours doing the activity upon finding the gorillas an hour is allowed to interact, take pictures as well as enjoy every moment while maintaining the gorilla rules and regulations including 7 meter distance rule and avoiding flash photography to mention a few.

Trekking gorilla permits require a permit; this is acquired from the Uganda Wildlife Authority through a Ugandan-registered tour operator. This year, the permit cost is $800 per person for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents, and 300,000 shillings for East African citizens. Once a permit is secured, a copy is shared with the guests to be presented on the day of tracking. It is important to buy gorilla permits in time due to availability.

What to pack during gorilla trekking includes long-sleeved shirts and trousers, waterproof hiking boots, gaiters, hand gloves,rain jacket, waterproof covers for phones and cameras, sun hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, trekking poles, face mask, permit, and any other important items of personal nature.

Gorillas can be tracked all year round, but best during the dry season in the months January,February, December, June, July, August, and September. This is because the trails of the forest are less slippery, easier to access, and make it easier to find the gorillas; gorilla trekking can also be done perfectly in the wet season.