The Gorilla trekking experience is the
highlight of your safari on your Ugandan safari and when you visit Bwindi Impenetrable National park
in the south Western part of the country.
You will be required to visit the park headquarters at the Uganda
Wildlife Authority as early as 7:45 from where you will be allocated a guide
before heading into the Impenetrable forest for the activity. Do not forget a
walk stick which will be offered to you at the head quarters thus you should
take this very useful because it will help you in slippery conditions. Porters
to help you with your luggage are available at the park head quarters and these
are very helpful during the rainy season.
If you are involved in the gorilla habituation
group, it will take you a minimum of two years with daily visits which allow
the gorilla group to tolerate your presence. It should be noted however that it
is only when gorillas are happy with the presence of human beings that visitors are allowed to share the daily
hour of contact with them and
only a maximum of eight people are allowed to
track each habituated
gorillas and the walk to find these
gorillas may be as short as two hours.
While tracking the gorillas, the park
rangers and guides will clear the way and will assist you through the forest
thus you will need very good fitness to make this walk a success though the
walk may be slippery. Spending time, sitting with the mountain gorillas is one
of the most amazing wildlife experiences one will ever have and dominant male
silver back can weigh over 200 kilograms. You are required to come with the
following during tracking;
For you to enjoy gorilla tracking
expedition, you should come along with;
A minimum of two litres of water
Packed lunch
Some money
A gorilla permit and passport which will be
asked at the check in
Long parts are required to be worn by you
while walking in the bush
Walking boots and hiking socks are
recommended to be worn
Layers are best as conditions in the
tropical rain forest can change from hot to wet and cold in an instant. At the
end of the track, you will have to be given tracking certificate
Gorilla families habituated in Bwindi
Impenetrable national park
Currently, there 12 gorilla families which
are habituated for viewing and these
include; Mubare Gorilla family which is the oldest habituated gorilla group in
Uganda. Habinyanja Gorilla family and visitors tracking this family need about
3-8 hours. Other gorilla families
include Reshegura gorilla family, Nkuringo, Nshongi, Mishaya, Kahungye, Bweza,
Busingye, Nyakagezi and Kyaguriro Gorilla family.
The Mubare group was the very first group
to be habituated for tourist in 1993 and was named after the stunning of Mubare
Hills in which the group was discovered. The Habinyanja group was habituated in
1997 for tracking and received the first visitors in 1999. Rushegura group was
habituated in 2000 and started receiving tourists in 2002. The Bitukura group
found in the Ruhija region while the Mishaya is found in the Rushaga region.
The Nshongi group is currently the biggest habituated gorilla family with over
25 members
The
Nkuringo Region of Bwindi Forest is one
the most physically challenging regions although it is very rewarding in the
forest for the enjoyment of Gorilla tracking The accommodation facilities in
Nkuringo offer a very good environment to view the Nkuringo gorilla family and
this group comprises of 19 members and most people who have tracked gorillas in
Bwindi say, it is a favorite to track this gorilla group
No comments:
Post a Comment