The Mountain Gorilla

For every one Gorilla there are 10,000,000 human beings.

The Mountain Gorilla Gorilla gorilla beringei is the rarest of all the apes. It was first discovered in 1902, when Oscar von Beringe shot two in the Virunga Mountains in Uganda's southwest. Since this time, the population of Mountain Gorillas in the Virungas and in what is now known as Bwindi National Park has suffered a dramatic decline. T his decline is due to hunting for meat, collectors and artifacts for tourist, habitat loss, and habitat fragmentation.

 

It wasn't until Gorge Schaller in the 1950's and 60's, and later Dianne Fossey, that myth of the aggressive, man killing mountain gorilla was challenged. The portrayal of the mountain gorilla, as highlighted in the film "KING KONG", betrays their true man fearing, gentle, vegetarian way of life. Thanks to their work the true disastrous plight of the Mountain Gorilla was brought to the world's attention.

Todathe Mountain Gorilla is faring only slightly better. The world population, only 650 individuals, is fully protected but lives in just two tiny pockets in East Africa. This area totals just 800km2 at the Bwindi National Park of Uganda and the Virunga complex of National Parks in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are 650 individual mountain gorillas in two small islands surrounded by a sea of humanity.

Gorillas spend 70% of their time feeding and resting, therefore, they spend a lot of their time in a relatively small area. This behaviour and their non-aggressive attitude makes them an ideal species to habituate. All in all there are 11 groups of Mountain gorillas habituated for tourism purposes: five groups in Uganda and six in Rwanda.

Habituation is the process whereby wild animals become used to the presence of humans by the animal being constantly exposed to humans with no harm being done to the animal. The end result is that the animals undergo their normal day to day activities without altering their behaviour in the presence of humans.

Tracking wild Mountain Gorillas is A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE.

The whole experience can take up to eight hours, but more often it is an adventure of 4 to 5 hours. After walking for several hours up steep hills and through dense tropical rainforest, to stand just metres away from the Silver-back and his family spread around you, need I say more...

Walks start at 8 in the morning and you are part of a group of six people partaking in the day. If you wish, exclusive gorilla tracking can be arranged.

WHEN TO GO

The best time of year to visit the mountain Gorillas is the dry season. In Uganda and Rwanda, there are two dry seasons that usually stretch from June to September and December to March.

WHAT TO BRING

Every body attempting to track the mountain gorillas needs to be aware that it can be a strenuous activity. Bearing this in mind, below are some recommended items to bring along to help make the trip a success,

* Strong, sturdy, and, preferably, water proof    walking shoes

* Water proof jacket

* Gardening gloves

* Sunscreen, insect repellent, and a hat

* Camera and film that is good for shooting in low light, ie. 400-800 asa

* Binoculars