How Difficult and Easy A Gorilla Trek Can Be?
Gorilla trekking is one of the most popular wildlife activities in Africa apart from people coming to watch the majestic primates in their natural setting these primates are also special in a way that they are critically endangered and its why they are so special only 1,000 still remain on planet earth. In other parts of Africa, you can get to see the low-land gorillas but the ones in central Africa are mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking can be very easy and at the same time really difficult and challenging especially to those who are not used to walking for long distances and for that reason gorilla trekking requires a moderate level of fitness but that should not discourage you from trekking because healthy individuals should be more up to the challenge because the hike is really very physically demanding and difficult terrain at quite a fast pace.
Mountain gorillas are endemic to four game parks and these are in the East African region, these creatures that look and behave like humans are found in Volcanoes national park in the land of a thousand hills, Bwindi, Maghinga both are found in Uganda and Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and this is the oldest national park among them all. As earlier said trekking involves hiking through dense and thick forests to get a closer glimpse at the largest living primates, Uganda has the biggest population of mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park with about 50% out of the actual population of the whole gorillas remaining on this planet earth they as well offer something interesting and its famously renown as the gorilla habituation experience which gives you four hours with the creatures instead of the two as per the trek is concerned.
Before paying a hefty amount of the gorilla trekking permit one must know a little about the trekking experience ahead of you. The chances of a tourist seeing the gorillas are 99.9% but one must be prepared for the experience both physically and mentally because despite the difficulties it’s no doubt highly rewarding.
The rangers always know where to find the gorillas , an advanced team of trackers is sent early in the morning before the sun rises to know exactly where the primates are located and the apes are used to relocating everyday and so a new nest is set up in a new location literally everyday and this movement is caused by the search of food, the trekking distance is only determined basing on the gorilla family you are allocated to trek.
Gorilla trekking starts the moment you book for a gorilla permit in any of the earlier mentioned countries and it could also be purchased online but this is really difficult so booking through your tour agent would make the process simpler hence the actual trek starts at any of the park head quarters where you are given a brief explanation of what you are going to do as well as breaking down the rules of the trek followed by allocating each of the individuals to a gorilla family to trek and here a lot is considered for example the youth and those energetic are allocated to far gorilla families since they are able to move for a longer distance and the ones with old age as well as the ones with healthy problems shall be given closer gorilla families to trek so both are given equal chances to see the primates but this is all conducted after a short meeting of your guides with the rangers for your registration so this lasts as little as 15 minutes and as soon as talking is done you will head in your car to the trekking ground with your ranger and you should not forget to pack some snacks and the porters are also very helpful in the experience. The ranger will then lead a group of not more than 6 people through people’s gardens and later to steep slopes and finally to the gorillas.
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