Mountain Gorilla Tracking In Rwanda
There are twelve gorilla families living in the Volcanoes National Park, which are fully habituated, with a few others habituated solely for scientific research. Each group is made up of at least one silverback along with several females and youngsters.
Eight tracking permits are issued per group per day, meaning the encounter is as intimate and as unobtrusive as possible. With only 96 permits available each day, it is highly recommended to book in advance, either online or via a reputable tour operator.
The Mountain Gorilla Starting Point
Visitors gather at the Volcanoes National Park headquarters in Kinigi at 7 am and are allocated a family group on the day with a consideration of the visitor’s level of fitness, as well as being briefed on rules to follow when visiting the gorillas.
The Mountain gorilla families in Volcanoes national park are; Amahoro, Susa, Igisha, Umubano, Karisimbi, Sabyinyo, Agashya, Kwitonda, Hirwa, Bwenge, Ugyenda, and Muhoza.
10% of the revenue from the permits is channeled towards local communities, to build schools and health centers, as well as roads. There is a compensation fund for local farmers should any gorillas damage their crops, which helps to ensure peaceful co-existence.
Gorilla tracking also provides employment for many locals, from rangers and trackers to porters, drivers, and staff at tourist lodges.
Are you interested in following the footsteps of Dian Fossey, her tomb is a 30-minute drive from Volcanoes national park headquarters and then a two- or three-hour hike through the forest, to heights above 3,000m altitude.
The annual Kwita Izina gorilla-naming ceremony is a special time to visit the Volcanoes National Park, with guided tours leading up to the main event providing an opportunity to meet park staff and conservationists, attend cultural evenings, and have a celebration in Musanze.
At the naming ceremony itself, there’s music, dancing, and discussion about Rwanda’s great strides in gorilla conservation, and the great challenges that remain.
Mountain Gorilla Conservation
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, The Gorilla Organisation, International Gorilla Conservation Organisation, Gorilla Doctors, and Wildlife Conservation Society are some of the Conservation organizations currently working in Rwanda.
Book Your Gorilla Tracking Experience
What to Wear when tracking gorillas
Solid walking shoes with gaiters and sturdy clothing to protect against stinging nettles are essential. Gardening or leather gloves are useful and remember to carry a lightweight waterproof jacket in case of rain.
We recommend you book in advance, which can be done through the booking form here. Booking a gorilla tracking permit with us will always attract a surcharge of $25 per permit as the handling fee.
What are gorillas?
Gorillas are ground-dwelling apes found in the forests and mountains of East and Central Africa.
There are two species of gorillas – the western and Eastern gorillas. The Eastern gorillas are further divided into the Eastern lowland gorilla and the mountain gorilla.
Western gorillas are divided into two subspecies – The Western lowland gorilla and the Eastern lowland gorilla. Lowland gorillas are found in the equatorial forests of central Africa and DR Congo in particular.
Eastern Lowland gorillas are smaller with brown-grey coats and are commonly seen in zoos around the world. They are herbivorous and mainly feed on juicy plants, wild berries, and leaves.
The Kahuzi Biega National Park and Odzala-Kokoua National Park in DR Congo are famous for Eastern Lowland gorilla tracking.
Note: Whereas there are over 350,000 western lowland gorillas surviving in the wild, only about 1000 mountain gorillas remain. Mountain gorillas are an endangered species and have as such, attracted greater attention and interest from conservationists and tourists.
Mountain Gorillas: Mountain gorillas are found in the mountainous borders between Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo.
Mountain gorillas are huge apes in appearance, they have a black coat complexion and live in a group that is often referred to as a family. The group of mountain gorillas is led by a dominant male called a silverback.
Why called the Silverback? As the male mountain gorilla grows in age, the back hair on its back turns white giving it a silver appearance thus the name “silverback”
Mountain gorillas live at high altitudes in lush dense jungles and mainly feed on foliage, and they are seen to continuously feed at all times of the day. They constantly move to new feeding grounds before they build nests where they will spend the night in the evening
Despite their large size, Mountain gorillas are more peaceful and calmer than lowland gorillas.
Why gorilla tracking? Mountain gorillas are not found in zoos due to their low survival rate in captivity it is because of this that you need to dread the local jungle to East Africa in addition to trekking the Jungles in search of them.
The Western world first came to know of mountain gorillas when German explorer Von Berenge spotted a group of mountain gorillas in 1902 while hiking Rwanda’s Mount Sabinyo.
After further analysis, it was discovered that mountain gorillas were a different and larger specie than the already-known western lowland gorilla.
Dian Fossey later studied mountain gorillas extensively between 1967 and 1985 at her Karisoke Research Site located between Mount Bisoke and Karimbi.
She is credited with initiating gorilla conservation and protection activities in East Africa.
Mountain gorillas are only found in the three countries of Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo. In Uganda, they are found at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Mountain gorillas are also found in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and DR Congo’s Virunga National Park. According to World Wildlife, half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas live in Uganda.
Facts About Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda
Mountain gorillas weigh more than we humans – About 500 pounds for the largest silverbacks. Male gorillas are called silverbacks because their back hair changes to silver as they grow older.
A fully grown male silverback is ten times stronger than the largest male person you can find.
The chance to track mountain gorillas is the ultimate wildlife experience.
Whereas a safari to view the big 5 is great, nothing beats watching mountain gorillas in their natural habitat – Gorillas are our relatives.
It is estimated that only about 1000 mountain gorillas now survive in the world. Half of these are found in Uganda and the other half is shared by Rwanda and DR Congo.
Only about 20 percent of mountain gorillas are habituated – A two-year process of allowing time for a particular group to get used to humans in their midst.
Non-habituated mountain gorillas are unpredictable and visitors are not allowed near them. Mountain Gorilla tracking involves passing through dense forests, steep hills, and mud-filled pathways.
Depending on the gorilla family you choose, the activity may take anywhere between half an hour to 8 hours. The best time for gorilla tracking is usually just after the rains have stopped and the parks are still very green but less muddy.
We recommend that you prepare yourself physically and psychologically for your adventure. You will find the article on facts about mountain gorillas interesting.
Guide to gorilla tracking in Rwanda
We have taken time to compile information that we feel will be useful and make your gorilla safari in Rwanda more exciting. This information will help you answer questions related to all aspects of gorilla trekking – including the cost of gorilla tours:-