Where to see gorillas in Africa
Where to see gorillas in Africa, Gorillas are arguably the most fascinating apes in the natural wilderness. They are large, powerful, but very gentle, and organized creatures. Gorillas are special apes that behave like humans and share 97% of human DNA.
Gorillas are endemic to Africa mainly in the East, central, and sub-Saharan African forests. There are two main gorilla species, the western gorillas and the eastern gorillas. The western gorillas are further divided into the Cross-river gorillas and the Western lowland gorillas. The eastern gorillas are divided into the Eastern lowland gorillas and the mountain gorillas.
Gorillas are herbivores and mainly feed on vegetation. They mainly feed on bamboo shoots, tree stems/bark, fruits, and rarely on termites. Gorillas live in small groups known as families. Each family comprises the dominant Silverback as the leader, females, and their siblings. The main role of the dominant silverback is to watch over, protect his family, and determine where to feed and rest.
The overall population of gorillas has reduced significantly in the last few decades. Most of the species of gorillas are listed as critically endangered or threatened due to hunting, diseases, war/instability, animal trafficking, and habitat loss (due to mineral exploitation). Protecting these great apes from extinction should be a collaborative effort involving governments and wildlife conservation Agencies from countries where these animals find refuge. Protecting the primates enhanced through stopping the illegal trade of baby gorillas, stopping forest encroachment, and doing away with poaching. The local community should also be involved in the conservation efforts through collective awareness for the best environmental protection.
Best places to see gorillas in Africa
Mountain gorillas always spend most of their lifetime in high altitudinal areas of 2200- 4300 meters above sea level. Their natural habitats are Uganda, Rwanda, and The Democratic Republic of Congo. DRC has both mountain and eastern lowland gorillas.
The cross-river gorillas and western gorillas can be found in countries like Angola, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Central African Republic, and Congo Brazzaville. Though most travelers visit Uganda Rwanda, and DRC, West Africa has more amazing adventures if one can bear with the discomfort and traveling longer distances. Guided gorilla treks to any of the above countries are equally rewarding and worth the cost.
Where to see gorillas in Uganda.
Uganda is one of the best places to see mountain gorillas. Half of the overall population of mountain gorillas are found in Uganda and in two national parks –Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is found in the southwestern part of Uganda, about 9-10 hours’ drive from Entebbe or Kampala and 3-4 hours’ drive from Kigali in Rwanda. This park was established in 1991 and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. It covers 160 sq. km and is largely composed of lush tropical rainforest.
In comparison to other gorilla destinations, Bwindi is home to the largest number of gorilla population in Africa with approximately 500 mountain gorillas. Tracking mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is conducted in any of the four sectors that is; Ruhija in the East, Buhoma in the North, Nkuringo, and Rushaga in the South. All these sectors have different gorilla families but whichever region you choose for tracking, the experience is equally rewarding. This park has a total of 21 habituated gorilla families which provides travellers a choice to carry out their expedition. Buhoma region is comprised Habinyanja, Katwe, Mubare, Binyindo, and Rushegura; Ruhija region consists of Mukiza, Oruzogo, Bitukura, Kyaguriro Nkuringo region has Christmas, Nkuringo, Bushaho and Posho family; Rushaga region features gorilla families such as Bweza, Bikingi, Mucunguzi, Kahungye, Nshongi, Kutu, Busingye and Mishaya.
Uganda is the only country where one can participate in the gorilla habituation experience that provides an opportunity to observe the primates for 4 hours compared to standard gorilla trekking where tourists are only allowed one hour with a gorilla group. The chances of seeing mountain gorillas in Uganda are very high that’s why many tourists even prefer tracking in Uganda but travelling from Rwanda and the permit cost is only $800 which is affordable by even budget travellers.
Mgahinga National Park
This is the second-best place to trek mountain gorillas in Uganda. This park is such a remarkable destination to visit especially if you are interested in less crowds because it has one habituated gorilla family (Nyakagezi). Mgahinga National Park too lies in the southwestern part of Uganda and is part if the Virunga ranges that are shared by Uganda, Rwanda and DRC. It was founded in 1991 and covers 33 square kilometers.
Visitors to Mgahinga National Park begin their treks from Ntebeko Visitor Center after an early morning briefing and later start on the challenging but interesting hike to meet the gentle giant apes in their natural habitat.
Where to see gorillas in Rwanda
Rwanda is thought to be the most convenient place to track mountain gorillas in Africa. Rwanda well-developed tourism infrastructure as compared to her neighbours that offer the same services. Mountain gorillas in Rwanda are found in Volcanoes National Park.
Volcanoes National Park is one of the legendary parks in Africa that was established in the 1960s and is home to over 30% of the remaining mountain gorillas in the world. This is the place where the famous primatologist Dian Fossey established abase and put all her efforts on preservation and protection of mountain gorillas and their habitat.
The Parc National des Volcans (PNV) is part of the Virunga Conservation Area and is home of five Virunga volcanoes: Sabinyo (3.674 m), Gahinga (3.474 m), Bisoke (3711 m), Muhabura (4.127 m), and the Karisimbi, the highest volcano with an altitude of 4.507 m.
This park comprises 12 habituated gorilla families including, Kurira, Igisha, Amahoro, Umubano, Karisimbi, Sabinyo, Kwitonda, Hirwa, Agasha, Isimbi, Muhoza, and Titus gorilla families. All these families are open for daily tracking , trekkers are free to request for an easy, medium, or hard trek depending on the level of their physical fitness.
Rwanda offers an unequalled level of convenience and luxury in all the different activities one is willing to participate in. Gorilla trekking permits cost $1500 which is a bit expensive compared to Uganda and DRC Congo, but the experience is worth the cost. Budget travelers to Rwanda can opt for other interesting activities like Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park, adventurous game drives in Akagera National Park, enjoying the bustling city- Kigali on a city tour, Lake Kivu and many other memorable places in the country. Get the best adventures in Rwanda with Active African Vacations.
Where to see gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC)
The Democratic Republic of Congo is a venturous and cost-effective tourism destination especially those willing to participate in the gorilla trekking expedition in Africa. Despite the ongoing civil unrest, the country the country remains a unique provider of several adventures for those interested in privately established treasures.
DRC is the only African country that houses three gorilla sub-species that is mountain gorillas, Eastern lowland gorillas, and western lowland gorillas. This uniqueness calls for a range of gorilla trekking experiences per preference. The different gorilla species are spotted in these parks;
Virunga National Park
This is a favourite travel destination in DRC with an eye for wandering in the lush vegetation to explore and discover the beauty in the wilderness. This park is part of the Virunga massif that extends to Uganda and Rwanda. This park is home to both mountain and eastern lowland mountain gorillas. The park has eight gorilla families open for tourism including Bageni, Kabirizi, Humba, Rugendo, Mapuwa, Lulengo, Munyaga, and Nyakamwe gorilla families.
Kahuzi Biega National Park
This is home to the eastern lowland gorillas which are commonly known as the Grauer’s gorillas.
These gentle apes live in the dense forests and swamps in the southwestern part of the Virunga volcanoes.
These two parks are also open for chimpanzee and golden monkey tracking. A gorilla tracking permit in DRC is $400 per person, a price that is affordable to low-budget adventure lovers.
Where to see gorillas in West Africa
The Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville)
This country is another important place to spot the western lowland gorillas. Tracking Gorillas in this country is done in the Odzala Kondoua National Park. this park has three habituated gorilla families 2hich can be spotted when you remain in hidden spots as you wait for them to come to the open clear places known as Bai. It’s these open clear places where they have been studied and habituated to make them used to human presence.
Gorillas can also be spotted as they feed in the swamps and shrubs with other animals in the same residence as elephants, buffalos, and antelopes. More gorillas are also found in the Le‘fini reserve. As you travel to Congo Brazzaville for your gorilla trekking adventure, expect to witness a vast, untouched thick vegetation cover and dense tropical rainforest reserves that provide a memorable journey in the heart of the African wilderness.
The cost of a gorilla permit in Congo Brazzaville depends on the season, it costs between $350 – $450 in the peak season and $200 in the low season.
Cameroon
When you choose a gorilla safari to West Africa, Cameroon is the best country to see the cross-river gorillas which are sub-species of the western lowland gorillas.
While on your safari, the best place to find these gentle apes is the Mefou Primate Sanctuary, a home to 25 rescued orphaned gorillas.
Mefou National Park is different from the sanctuary. It is located in Yaounde this park has four habitual gorilla groups that live along with monkeys, chimpanzees, and several bird species in the same habitat.
Another park with gorillas is Lobeke National Park which is found in the southern part of the country. This park is protected, and the gorillas here, always dwell in the dense forests of the Congo River basin. A gorilla permit in Cameroon is $1000 per person.
Central African Republic ( CAR)
The Central African Republic offers one of the best places for tracking western lowland gorillas. The Wild Wildlife Fund (WWF) has set up a gorilla research and habituation program that has so far succeeded in habituating two gorilla groups at the Dzanga-Sangha Reserve. The reserve is also home to the forest elephants and the elusive bongo antelope. In the Central African Republic, only three tourists are allowed to visit the gorilla group per day the minimum age for trekking is 16 years and a trekking permit costs $450 per person per trek.
There are high chances of spotting the gorillas, but photography is a challenge because of the dense forest canopy that allows little light to reach the ground.
Gabon
Gabon is a great destination for wildlife enthusiasts. Despite having several national parks, Gabon has not yet fully established Gorilla tracking as a major activity. The country’s wilderness harbors the largest number of the western lowland gorillas in Africa. Gorilla tracking has been established in Loango National Park and so far, it has one habituated gorilla family, only 4 people are allowed to visit a particular gorilla family, and the activity is only done on 4 days in a week.
Other parks with gorillas in Gabon include Moukalaba Doudou National Park and Lope National Park the tracking permit costs $900 per person per trek.
Visiting Gabon offers a combination of forest and marine life on the Atlantic Ocean allowing tourists to spot dolphins, whales, and hippos along the ocean shores or walk into the forest to see chimpanzees, forest elephants along other wildlife creatures.
Nigeria
Though Nigeria is one of the African countries with a highly established tourism industry, tracking the cross-river gorillas that are found in this country is not yet a success because there are few individuals more so scattered in different parts of the country thus making the habituation process difficult. The gorillas are less than 300 individuals in the whole country and are found in different parks distant from each other, that is; the Cross River National Park, Mbe Mountain, and Afi Mountain.
If you are to track gorillas in Nigeria, expect to walk longer distances while on the search, or visit Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary. the cost poof gorilla permit in Nigeria costs $400 per person.
Equatorial Guinea
This is another West African country that accommodates the western lowland mountain gorillas. Though gorilla trekking is not fully established, few trained locals make daily visits through the dense forests to gather more information about the gorillas as a way of habituating them. If you are a researcher, you can contact the locals for some information or request to join them as they move to the jungles on several occasions.
There is also limited tourism in Monte Alen National Park where visitors are guided on a nature walk to meet the gorillas in their natural habitat.
Angola
This is another country with the western lowland gorillas. Gorillas are usually spotted in the northern part of the country in the Cabinda enclave near river Congo. Gorilla tourism is not well established thus lowering the chances of seeing the gorillas.
Best time to track gorillas in Africa.
All the above countries with gorilla homes have varying climatic zones and receive rainfall in different months of the year. Therefore, as you prepare for your gorilla tracking expedition, do research about the weather conditions of the country you wish to travel to.
Travelers are advised to travel during the dry season because the tracking trails are dry and passable. However, you should not forget that most gorilla parks have dense rainforests where rain is expected at any time of the day. Endeavor to carry waterproof jackets, good hiking boots, long-sleeved shirts, trousers, and other body-protecting equipment.
Whenever it comes to gorilla trekking, it’s always good to first do thorough research on which type of gorillas you want to see, find the African country of their residence, specify the park then set a clear budget for your safari. When decided on where to go or can’t find the best gorilla trekking destination, contact Active African Vacations a tour operator with a renowned reputation to help you tailor your gorilla safari to Africa.
