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Mountain
Gorilla Facts |
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| Swahili Name
: Sokwe |
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| Scientific
Name : Gorilla berengei berengei |
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| Size : Up
to 6 feet tall |
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| Weight : 300
to 425 pounds |
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| Lifespan
: 40 years |
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| Habitat : Dense
forest, Rain forest |
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| Diet : Vegetarian |
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| Gestation
: About 8 1/2 months |
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| Predators
: Humans |
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Gorilla Tracking
The mountain gorilla is the rarest of all the apes, and there are only about
600 left in the mountainous region that straddles Uganda, Rwanda
and the DRC in East Africa. This is the last fragile environment in which
they are able to survive; they’ve never been reared successfully in
captivity and there are none in zoos. There’s only one mountain gorilla
for every ten million people on earth. Only a few have been habituated for
humans to visit, which makes tracking these elusive apes both a privilege
and an exhilarating adventure. Be prepared to hike through some rugged country:
steep hills, thorny trees and tangled vines. Discovering that you are sitting
only five metres from a gorilla in the undergrowth is a spine tingling experience.
Your first glimpse of a gorilla might be a baby up a tree, a female quietly
munching on a branch, even a silverback pounding his chest. You can go gorilla
tracking in two of Uganda
’s national parks: Mgahinga
on the Ugandan side of the Virunga Volcanoes, and Bwindi,
a nearby tract of impenetrable forest, or you can see them in the Virunga
Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Permits to view gorillas must be
obtained in advance. These allow a one hour audience with the gentle apes.
Looking into the soft brown eyes of a gorilla in its natural
habitat is without doubt one of Africa’s greatest wildlife encounters. Find out about our Gorilla Travel and tours
• Bwindi
• Mgahinga
• Virunga Volcanoes
Please note: a gorilla permit does not guarantee a sighting of the
gorillas, and once they are found you are only permitted to spend one hour
with them as overexposure to human contact is harmful for the apes. If the
gorillas become agitated or nervous the guide will end the visit early.
Remember, no one forces the gorillas to stay there for the allotted hour
- they can fade into the forest whenever they want. |
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