Why Gorilla Trekking is One Hour

Why gorilla trekking is one hour has so many factors to it, and we shall delve into them along the way. Gorilla trekking is that activity that has travelers hiking through the lush forest that inhabit the mountain gorillas in their search. Mountain gorillas are apes that were not so long ago listed as critically endangered but are now just endangered due to an increase in their population to about 1,063 of them in the whole world. Mountain gorillas are found in only four destinations of only three countries in the entire world, that is; Virunga National Park of the Congo, Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park of Uganda. More than half the total world population of mountain gorillas resides in Bwindi alone, the rest of it is in the other three national parks that make part of the Virunga massifs. Gorilla trekking requires one to purchase a gorilla permit which costs only $700 in Uganda effective July 2020 while in Rwanda it costs $1500 and Congo has them each at $400. Booking in advance is recommended due to the high demand for gorilla trekking.

Gorilla trekking can take any time from 30 minutes to 6 hours or more depending on the location of the gorillas and the travelers’ fitness levels. Travelers are allowed only one hour to spend with the mountain gorillas once they are encountered. Among the reasons why gorilla trekking is restricted to one hour include the following;

Mountain gorillas are an endangered species with a population of about 1063 individuals only in the entire world and found in the jungles of rainforests of Bwindi, Mgahinga, Virunga and Volcanoes National Parks. Mountain gorillas are endangered among others by communicable diseases from humans like flue and cough which they can easily acquire since they share 98% DNA with humans. To minimize their acquiring such illnesses from humans is why gorilla trekking is one hour upon encountering them.

The need for conservation has the bodies responsible for the protection and conservation of the mountain gorillas say the Uganda Wildlife Authority and Rwanda Development Board restricting the time travelers spend with habituated gorillas to only one hour. Gorillas, even though they are habituated, are still wild animals who still prefer and need their peace away from human presence, this is why gorilla trekking is one hour only per day per 8 tourists. Prolonged human stay with the mountain gorillas has them getting uncomfortable and stress out. Gorilla trekking is therefore limited to one hour only for the conservation of mountain gorillas.

The need to have mountain gorillas continue with their routine activities is another reason why gorilla trekking is one hour only when they are encountered. From as early as 6 am to evening time, gorillas have daily routines that they follow. Spending longer periods with the gorillas has them tampering with their schedule, thus why gorilla trekking is one hour only to allow them to continue with their routine activities that include among others feeding, grooming each other, resting, napping, playing around for the case of juveniles mostly, making nests among so many other activities.

Gorilla trekking has rules and regulations that are meant mostly for the conservation of mountain gorillas, they include among others;

Maintaining a distance of at least 7 meters away from the gorillas once they are encountered. This is to minimize direct contact with the gorillas to keep the spread of any infectious diseases from humans at bay.
Travelers that are sick of any infectious disease should not go gorilla trekking. Should one get sick on the day of the trek, please volunteer to not take part in the activity for the wellbeing of the gorillas. Your permit can be rescheduled should your schedule allow.
Travelers are not to touch the mountain gorillas.
Maintain low voices while in the forests and in the presence of mountain gorillas, they are not really friends with noise and they just might mistake your sounds to mean something ese-remember they too have about 25 distinct vocalizations.
Do not litter the home of the gorillas, your liter could be dangerous to them.
Make sure to dig a hole of 35cm deep should you require to use the toilet, and make sure to properly cover it.

Travelers who would like to spend long hours with the mountain gorillas can opt to have a gorilla habituation experience included on their gorilla trekking safari or have it alone instead of gorilla trekking. Gorilla habituation is the process through which wild mountain gorillas are trained to accommodate human interaction. The gorilla families that travelers get to trek are fully habituated and went through the habituation process which takes 2-3 years though some gorilla families can take the shorter time say 15 months only. Travelers who get to go on a gorilla habituation experience get to spend 4 long hours with the mountain gorillas in which time they help the researchers and gorilla experts study and deal with the gorillas say collecting their stool for medical examination, learning their behaviors and stress triggers, gorilla naming among so many others. A gorilla habituation experience permit costs $1500 only and can be purchased at the Uganda Wildlife Authority offices or through a trusted tour operator. Advance booking is also required as this is an activity that allows only 4 persons per gorilla family and there are 2 of them available for this in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi.

The length of one’s stay with the gorillas shouldn’t be a concern though. Whether you spend one hour or more with the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, be sure to have that out of this world feeling that many find it hard to put into words once encountered with the mountain gorillas. Get in touch with a trusted tour operator to help you put together the best gorilla trekking safari to have you spend time with these endangered species.