"The world's Great Ape", What you Need to Know About the Mountain Gorilla.

As you plan your travels after the covid-19 global pandemic and period, this is what you have to know about the Mountain Gorilla. It is one of the wildlife species to lookout for post the global crisis of the Corona virus.

Gorillas are of two species; The Western and Eastern Gorillas, each divided into two subspecies. The Western Lowland and Cross River Gorillas are a subspecies of the western Gorillas while the Eastern Lowland and Mountain Gorillas being a subspecies of the Eastern Gorillas.

If you are planning where to go after the covid-19 global crisis, Africa is the absolute answer, and if you are wondering which activities to do, it is definitely Gorilla trekking in Uganda, a flawless adventure on the bucket-list of African holiday makers.

General Information about the Gorilla types- the Greatest of the World's Primates and Apes. 

The Western species is found in Western Africa and part of Central Africa. The Western lowland subspecies can be found in wildlife sanctuaries (zoos) whereas the Cross River subspecies are found / seen in Cameroon and Nigeria.

The Eastern species is found in the eastern part of Africa and Central Africa. The Eastern Lowland Gorilla subspecies inhabit the Eastern Congolese tropical forests whereas their counterparts the Mountain Gorillas live in high altitude Afro-montane forests of two areas that is; the group found in the Virunga massif; a geographical feature spreading across Democratic Republic of Congo in Virunga National Park, Rwanda Volcanos National Park and Uganda in Mgahinga National Park.

The second group of the Mountain Gorillas is found in Bwindi Impenetrable national park, in the Southwestern part of Uganda with almost half of the remaining individuals.

Population 

Gorillas are some of the world's endangered species. The Western Lowland has the biggest population of the subspecies estimated to be over 100'000 and the Cross River being the least with not more than 300 individuals. The Mountain Gorillas are at a total of 1'063 individuals according to the Dec. 2019 census results. The Virunga protect 604 individuals while Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable forest shelters, 459 Gorillas, making it a great Gorilla tracking location. 

The Mountain Gorillas

Mountain Gorillas and their counterparts fall under Primates and are the world's largest of the primates. They are members of the Great Apes with others being the Chimpanzees and the Orangutans. The Mountain Gorillas live in structured groups with defined home ranges, groups range from 8-35 individuals composed of  Silverbacks, young males (Black-backs), adult females and their offspring. The group is led by the dominant silverback, they are called so because of a silver-like patch/ stripe that develops on their backs as they mature (at around the age of 12). The Silverback plays a great role in the group such as; determining the family's movements, feeding times and trips, resting/ nesting times and places and most importantly protecting its members and they can fight to death to ensure safety of their family. These Gorillas spend most of their time on the ground looking for food and feeding, nesting and playing in their home range/territory unlike other primate that spend most time in trees.

Conservation of the Mountain Gorillas

With more than 1000 Mountain Gorillas remaining in the wilds, this number indicates a steady increase in the number of these endangered creatures and positive conservation efforts, thanks to Dian Fossey  who lit the candle of this noble cause and made gorilla conservation popular through her movie, "Gorillas in the Mist:.

Mountain Gorilla live in habituated groups. Gorilla habituation is a process that is aimed at making these primates used to human presence without altering their natural environment and behavior. Visitors to Gorilla parks have an opportunity to participate in the Gorilla Habituation Experience that allows them more time to see and study the behavior of these Great Apes, this activity usually takes a full day where visitors follow researchers and habituators. 

On a normal/ usual Gorilla trekking safari, visitors are only allowed one hour in the presence of the Gorillas once the come across them.

Since these primates are highly sensitive and threatened by human borne diseases, while in presence of the gorillas, visitors are requested to leave a reasonable 7 meter (21ft) from them to reduce the risk of contracting human diseases, regulations and guidelines are in place to track them, to ensure sustainable conservation efforts. Whoever purchases a gorilla permit, is part of the conservation efforts as proceedings from your permit are directed to this cause. Meeting with this member of the world's great Ape is one of the most humbling experience you can ever have on your African holiday or safari especially if you are looking for where go go after covid-19 global crisis.

Mountain Gorilla families in Uganda and Rwanda

There are a number of Mountain Gorilla families that you will be able to track on one of your Gorilla safari in either Uganda or Rwanda.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to 13 Gorilla families available in the 4 sectors. Nkuringo sector has two groups that is, Nkuringo family with 19 members including 12 Silverbacks as well as Bushaho which is available for habituation experiences. Ruhija sector has three families; Bitukura with 14 members including, 4 Silverbacks, Oruzogo has 25 including 2 Silverbacks and Kyaguriro with 14 members and it's for research. Rushaga sector has five groups; Bweza with 12 members including 2 Silverbacks, Nshongi has 36 members with 5 silverbacks, Busingye has 7 including 1 silverback, Kahungye with 13 individuals, Mishaya has 12 members with 1 silverback as well as Bikingi group which is also available for the Gorilla habituation experiences for visitors.

Buhoma sector has three families; Rushegura with 18 members including 1 silverback, Habinyanja has 15 individuals with 2 silverbacks and Mubare group has 9 members with 1 silverback.

Mgahinga Gorilla national park, has one habituated trans-boundary Gorilla group; the Nyakagezi with 10 members including 3 silverbacks, this group crosses to Rwanda's Volcanos National Park (PNV) and this therefore makes tracking the gorilla in Mgahinga challenging. The group originated from Democratic Republic of Congo in Virunga National Park due to logging and deforestation activities in their habitat.

Rwanda's Parc National des Volcans (PNV), is home to 10 habituated Gorilla families available for tracking and one group only for scientific research purposes. The families include Susa (susa A) has 33 members with 2 silverbacks, Karisimbi (susa B) with 16 members including 2 silverbacks, Amahoro has 18 members including 2 silverbacks, Umubano has 13 individuals including 2 silverbacks, Sabinyo - 13 members with 1 silverack, Kwitonda has 23 individuals with 4 silverbacks, Agashya with 27 group members including 1 silverback, Hirwa has 16 with 1 silverback, Ugenda- 11 members with 2 silverbacks, Bwenge- 11 memebers with 1 silverback.

This description gives you a picture of the Gorilla families in Uganda and Rwanda's gorilla reserves. But remember, they're wild animals and therefore the group structure, composition and numbers keep on changing due to a number of factors such as breakaway of members to join other groups, fights breakout between silverbacks for group dominance which most time forces defeated ones to flee and form their own families, among other factors.

So to plan your ideal gorilla tracking safari package, ATW Holidays Africa will craft for you a remarkable safari to witness these Great Apes. Reach out to our destination travel planner to customize your package.  Email atwholidaysafrica@gmail.com or Whats App: +256702443584