Gorilla Trekking

Once you arrive at the park headquarters or trail head you will be briefed by the park’s rangers and guides. When the trek begins, there is no pre-determined length of time you will spend in the forest. It will depend on the movements of the gorillas and where they have slept the previous night. Treks can last for 30 minutes or up to 5 hours. The terrain can be difficult, with steep slopes and covered in dense vegetation. In addition, the park’s height above sea level ranges from 1000 to 2000 metres, which means participants do need to 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 a very good physical condition. Trekking is likely to involve scrambling through, over and under dense undergrowth with nettles, barbed vines and bamboo thickets. Correct footwear and clothing are essential. It is recommended that you 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 forms a close bond with them by visiting them daily and by 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 abandon them to build new ones each night. Trackers are able to tell the age of the nests as well as identify the group that made it. 

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

You will probably smell the gorillas before you actually 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, this sound of reassurance is one that family members often use 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. 

• 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 light-weight material 
• A sweatshirt or sweater – not necessary on the trek, as it gets very hot during trekking
• Waterproof, foldable hat
• Water bottle - bottled water and a packed lunch is provided by the lodge

DON’T TREK GORILLAS if you know you have an illness that is contagious. You might pass the disease on to the gorillas with disastrous results. If you suspect that you have such an illness, report it to our head office or to 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 you will not get a refund. Illnesses include colds, coughs, diarrhoea and influenza.

It is important that all gorilla trekking participants 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 in such a way that the dominant male of the group can see you at all times.
• Noise levels must be kept to a minimum so as 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, it is very important that you do not move backwards 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 difficult terrain.
• At this time, all gorilla visits are limited to a maximum of 8 persons per gorilla family for a maximum length of one hour.
• Eating and/or drinking near the gorillas are not permitted.
• No smoking on the trek.
• It is prohibited to destroy any vegetation unnecessarily. All visitors must carry their own litter out of the park, leaving NOTHING behind.
• If you need to cough or sneeze when you are near the gorillas, please turn your head away and cover your nose and mouth to minimise the spread of bacteria or viruses.

Adult males develop a silver spray of hair across their back and hips, hence earning the name “silverback”. This occurs at about 12 to 15 years of age. The lifespan of gorillas are 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 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 in their legs (the opposite is true for humans).
• They have 32 teeth - the same number as humans with two full sets of teeth during their lifetime, similar to humans. Their first set of teeth (similar to human’s baby teeth) is replaced by their permanent set as adults.
• Unlike monkeys, they do not have tails. 

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 to survive in colder temperatures.

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

Eastern Lowland Gorillas (G. beringei grauri)

The Eastern Lowland Gorilla can be found in Kahuzi-Biega National Park in DR Congo. They are the largest of the gorilla subspecies and 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 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, have short hair, a wider 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 up to 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 the lowland montane forests and rainforests of Cameroon and Nigeria. 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.