Very many people do come to this “black continent “for various reasons ranging from business, tourism and investments.However,it has been proved beyond reasonable doubt that most of this influx of people to this continent come purposely to view the natural endowments in this continent. The most driving factor as far as tourism is concerned is the availability of primates in this continent. Such kind of primates include; chimpanzees, gorillas and the baboons. So under this chapter, we strive to look at how does one behave when going for primates trekking in Africa.
Even the most obnoxious been-there-done-that adventurer will admit there is no thrill like standing just a few feet from a 400-pound wild mountain gorilla in his turf looking right into his incredibly human eyes. With fewer than 1000 mountain gorillas left in the wild, gorilla trekking is not just an extraordinary, life-changing adventure, it’s a valuable economic lifeline for these endangered gentle giants. If traveling abroad brings you anywhere near the last remaining habitat of mountain gorillas, do not pass up the opportunity to go gorilla trekking in Africa.
Gorilla trekking involves hiking deep into the mountain jungles of Uganda, Rwanda, or the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to observe a gorilla family in the wild. On a gorilla safari, you go with guides, national park rangers who monitor the gorillas for conservation record keeping, and help protect them from poachers. They can determine the general area where a gorilla family will be, and are skilled in tracking them.
The length of the trek is entirely up to the gorillas. Sometimes the guides can track them down in less than two hours, other times it can take much longer. Mountain gorillas are nomadic, traveling the jungle in families and camping out just long enough to clear a wide area of all its fruit, have a nice sleep on nests of leaves, and move on. They don’t follow a clear path, either — so if you’re tracking them, you realize pretty quickly that these big suckers like to meander.
At times it takes over six hours tramping through dense jungle, on a mat of vines that cling to your feet, to find the gorillas. Sometimes, there are no trails and the onus is on your guides to clear ways with machetes for you to pass and at times you can use passages made by the gorillas themselves. Your trail can switch back and forth, uphill and down, at least once up a sheer cliff face that you have to scale, your heart pounding, clinging to thick jungle vines.
The first gorillas to be viewed most of the times are mothers holding their babies, with juvenile gorillas playing around them a sight you would see in any playground in the United States or wherever you are coming from except that these were gorillas instead of people. When you approach, the mamas climb up some tall trees with their babies and generally stay high up.
The younger ones do come barreling over to you, stop just a few feet away and start pounding their chests and hooting. Your guide will obviously tell you that they want you to play with them, and even though they are smaller gorillas, it is still intimidating. That feeling grows tenfold when a 500-pound silverback gorilla come galloping between you and them not threatening, but definitely letting you know that he is keeping an eye on the situation. The younger gorillas will automatically give up trying to play with you and just play with each other — rolling, wrestling, swinging on vines, and pounding their chests, just like in the movies.
This is always a big family of about 35 gorillas and at time more or less than that and you only have an hour in their presence (wearing surgical masks to prevent any diseases being passed back and forth between our species). As you watch them, your guide will be explaining the gorillas’ behavior — which humans can easily interpret as menacing and you will come to realize that they are not threatening at all, and just as curious about you as you are with them. The rangers are always familiar to them. By the time the hour is up, most of the intimidation that you were harboring will be gone and by this time you will be highly equipped with your best photos and videos.
So if at all you want to go gorilla trekking, there are various steps and requirements that one must fulfill before going on this life time experience and we can highly digest them as below;
Purchase Your Gorilla Trekking Permit. Permits are sold through national park services, and this income helps the parks in their mission to protect the gorillas from poachers and environmental destruction. Many licensed eco-tourism companies in Rwanda, Uganda, and the DRC will help you buy your permit and arrange transportation to and from the start of your jungle trek. Because the parks restrict human interaction with mountain gorillas (for their health and safety), gorilla trekking permits are limited, and sell fast. Buy your permit well in advance, and build your trip around it.
Get ready for Africa! Get the recommended immunizations and required visas for whatever country or countries you’ll be visiting. The mountain gorillas’ habitat is right at the intersections of Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC, making it easy to travel a bit around central Africa before or after the trek.
Welcome to the Jungle. Having the right equipment is essential for gorilla trekking. The jungle hike can be arduous and take hours. You will need sturdy trekking shoes, wool or moisture-wicking socks, comfortable hiking clothes, rain gear, a first aid kit, and lightweight sports backpack that can carry plenty of water and snacks. A waterproof camera is highly recommended, since nothing ruins a good camera like a jungle downpour.
