Gorilla Trekking

Gorilla trekking is undoubtedly a unique, once-in-a-lifetime wildlife experience that is not to be missed! A face-to-face encounter with a silverback gorilla in the wild is ranked the best wildlife experience in the world.

Gorillas are by no means tame. They are wild animals and will tolerate human presence for an hour a day at most. Experienced guides will accompany you on your trek, many of whom have been involved in the habituation process.

On arrival, these guides will brief you about the various aspects of “gorilla etiquette”, but the main aim is to equip you to make the most of this unique opportunity.

The best places in the world to trek gorillas are Uganda, Rwanda & the DRC.

On a Uganda gorilla tour, you can trek Mountain Gorillas in two parks: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, which is home to over 500 mountain gorillas.

There are 17 habituated gorilla families in the Bwindi Forest, and 136 gorilla trekking permits are available each day. However, if you do not book long in advance, the chances of getting a permit are slim. Bwindi Forest is divided into four sectors from which guests can trek gorillas: Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the east, and Nkuringo and Rushaga in the South. As of 1 July 2020, the cost of a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda is US$700.

At Bwindi (only from the Rushaga sector in the South), you can enjoy the gorilla habituation experience, in which wild gorillas are habituated to become accustomed to human presence. A gorilla habituation experience permit costs US $1500 and is restricted to a maximum of four travellers who are willing to spend four hours with the wild gorillas.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park shelters 2 gorilla families.

The Bwindi Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks are roughly a five-hour drive from Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, which makes gorilla trekking possible even if you have limited time.

What to expect on your trek

Once you arrive at the park headquarters or trailhead, you will be briefed by the park’s rangers and guides. When the trek begins, you will spend no pre-determined length of time in the forest. It will depend on the gorillas’ movements and where they slept the previous night. Treks can last for 30 minutes or up to 5 hours. The terrain can be rugged, with steep slopes and dense vegetation. In addition, the park’s height above sea level ranges from 1000 to 2000 metres, meaning participants must be physically fit to enjoy the trek. Once the gorillas are located, your group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. After this, you will return to the park gate.

Because it is impossible to predict the length and difficulty of the trek, it should not be attempted by anyone who is not in excellent physical condition. Trekking will likely involve scrambling through, over and under dense undergrowth with nettles, barbed vines and bamboo thickets. Correct footwear and clothing are essential. You should build up the strength and endurance of your leg muscles by walking, climbing stairs, doing knee bends and similar exercises before you leave home.

Your group’s lead tracker has his “own” gorilla family. He bonds closely with them by visiting them daily and studying their home range and travel routes. All trackers are experienced in looking for signs of gorilla activity, such as footprints, dung, chewed bamboo and celery stalks, and abandoned nests from the previous evening. Gorillas soil their nests and then leave them to build new ones each night. Trackers can tell the age of the nests and identify the group that made them.

Although the trackers allow time to stop and rest, they maintain a somewhat upbeat pace throughout the trek. They aim to ensure you will reach the gorillas in time to spend an hour with them before heading back.

You will probably smell the gorillas before you see them. When you reach them, the tracker will move forward, making soft smacking and groaning sounds with his mouth to assure the group that friends are approaching. Although gorillas make very few vocalisations, family members often use this sound of reassurance with each other.

If your trek to find the gorillas has not been unusually long, you will likely see them during their long midday rest and play period. At this time of day, the dominant male (usually a silverback) generally lounges on the ground or against a tree while youngsters roll in the vegetation and climb on trees, vines and each other. Females nurse and play with their infants.

What to pack for your gorilla trek

A small, lightweight, frameless, waterproof backpack
Light, waterproof hiking boots or shoes with tread soles
Thick socks
Camera (no flash photography allowed on the trek)
Leather or heavy canvas (gardening-style) gloves
Waterproof rain pants, a rain suit or a poncho with a hood
A short-sleeved shirt or t-shirt. Long trousers made of lightweight material
A sweatshirt or sweater – not necessary on the trek, as it gets very hot during trekking
Waterproof, foldable hat
Water bottle – the lodge provides bottled water and a packed lunch

Health precautions

DON’T TREK GORILLAS if you know you have a contagious illness. You might pass the disease on to the gorillas with disastrous results. If you suspect you have such an illness, report it to our head office or the guide at the park headquarters. There is a good chance that you will be refunded for the cost of your gorilla permit. If you do not disclose your illness and the guide detects it, you will be barred from trekking and will not get a refund. Illnesses include colds, coughs, diarrhoea and influenza.

Regulations and rules of conduct

All gorilla trekking participants must familiarise themselves with the following regulations and rules of conduct.

You MUST, at all times, follow the instructions of your guide. He is in contact with the gorillas every day and understands them well. Always remain in a quiet, compact group behind the guide, who will attempt to position you so that the dominant male of the group can always see you.
Noise levels must be kept to a minimum not to disturb the gorillas.
A 7m distance from the gorillas should be observed at all times.
If the dominant male gorilla, usually a silverback, approaches very closely, or if he charges, you mustn’t move backward or run. Remain exactly where you are, look downward and adopt a submissive, crouched posture.
NEVER make any sudden movements.
If a young gorilla approaches, NEVER, under ANY circumstances, make any move to touch it.
If a gorilla stares at you, look away or downward immediately.
NEVER use a flash when photographing the gorillas. Move slowly and carefully when taking pictures.
Only visitors in good health AT THE TIME OF THE TREK will be permitted to trek gorillas, as gorillas are susceptible to colds and other respiratory diseases transmitted by humans.
All visitors must be physically fit and capable of enduring a walk of several hours in rugged terrain.
At this time, all gorilla visits are limited to a maximum of 8 persons per gorilla family for one hour.
Eating and/or drinking near the gorillas are not permitted.
No smoking on the trek.
Unnecessarily destroying any vegetation is prohibited. All visitors must carry their litter out of the park, leaving NOTHING behind.
If you need to cough or sneeze near the gorillas, please turn your head away and cover your nose and mouth to minimise the spread of bacteria or viruses.

Gorilla facts

Adult males develop a silver hair spray across their back and hips, hence earning the name “silverback”. This occurs at about 12 to 15 years of age. The lifespan of gorillas is 40-50 years, and females will have their first infant between the ages of 10 and 12. Their gestation period is nine months, and their inter-birth interval is three to five years.

- The age categories used for classification are:
- Infant: Birth to three and a half years
- Juvenile: Three and a half years to six years
- Subadult: Six to eight years
- Blackback: Eight to 12 years. Adult female: from eight years onwards
- Silverback: From 12 years onwards

Interesting gorilla facts:

No two gorillas have identical nose-prints.
Gorillas do not drink water. They obtain all the moisture they need from the vast amounts of foliage they consume.
Gorillas have larger muscles in their arms than legs (the opposite is true for humans).
They have 32 teeth—the same number as humans—and two full sets of teeth during their lifetime, similar to humans. Their first set of teeth (similar to human baby teeth) is replaced by their permanent set as adults.
Unlike monkeys, they do not have tails.

The four subspecies of gorillas

Mountain Gorillas (G. beringei beringei)

They live in the dense vegetation of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park (Uganda) and along the Virunga mountain range that stretches across Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda), Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (Uganda), and Virunga National Park (DRC). Mountain gorillas have longer, thicker fur than other subspecies, helping them survive colder temperatures.

They are critically endangered, with an estimated 1000 individuals living in the wild. Males weigh around 14kg to 169kg and stand 1.4m to 1.8m.

Eastern Lowland Gorillas (G. beringei grauri)

The Eastern Lowland Gorilla is the largest of the gorilla subspecies and can be found in Kahuzi-Biega National Park in DR Congo. Although they resemble mountain gorillas, they have longer arms, shorter fur and teeth, narrower faces, and rounder nostrils. With a population estimate of a mere 4000 individuals, they are listed as endangered. Males have an average weight of 210kg and a height of 1.8m when standing upright.

Western Lowland Gorillas (G. gorilla gorilla)

The Western Lowland Gorilla can be found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Congo and Equatorial Guinea. These gorillas are smaller and lighter than the other subspecies and have short hair, a broader skull and a more pronounced brow ridge. Though more numerous than other subspecies, they are listed as critically endangered because of threats from habitat destruction.

The Western Lowland Gorilla is the most widespread gorilla, possibly numbering 100,000. Adult males weigh between 130kg and 220kg and can be up to 1.8m tall, standing upright.

Cross River Gorillas (G. gorilla diehli)

These gorillas are scattered in at least 11 groups across Cameroon and Nigeria’s lowland montane forests and rainforests. They are the world’s rarest great ape, with fewer than 300 individuals surviving in the wild. Cross River gorillas are very similar in appearance to the Western Lowland Gorilla, but subtle differences can be found in the skull and tooth dimensions. Adult males weigh up to 200kg and can reach a height of 1.2m to 1.7m when standing upright.