Gorilla Safari’s in Uganda and Rwanda
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by: Janie Harmsen
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Keywords: gorilla , safari , luxury , holiday ,
Winston Churchill described Uganda as ‘the pearl of Africa’. Not only was he referring to its abundance of natural resources but also the friendly, hospitable nature and culture of the people, the wildlife and vegetation that awaits visitors to this lesser travelled African destination.
Uganda lies on the Northern shores of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest fresh water lake and the source of the River Nile. It is home to half of the worlds remaining gorilla populations and therefore one of the only countries where you can reliably see mountain gorillas. Tourism is still being established in the country and you won’t find the crowds of tourists that you come across in other parts of Africa, making it the ideal destination for those looking for an authentic special interest African safari.
Uganda is situated astride the equator and has a tropical climate having sunshine for most of the year. The main factor that will affect you when choosing to travel is the rainfall patterns. In the southern part of the country, April is the rainiest month with rains falling in May as well followed by another wet season in October and November.
Rwanda borders Uganda to the North and Tanzania to the East and is easily accessible from Kenya and Uganda. Rwanda is known as the land of a thousand hills and is rich in fauna and flora with breathtaking green savannah. Visitors can expect a warm and friendly welcome from the Rwandan people who have undergone a remarkable transformation by putting their troubled past behind them – a testimony to the power of forgiveness.
One population of mountain gorillas inhabits the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. A census in 2003 recorded 340 gorillas here. The second population of mountain gorillas is found in a mountainous region referred to as the Virungas, which includes Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (Uganda), Parc des National Volcanos (Rwanda – the setting for Diane Fossey’s Research) and Virunga. Approximately 380 gorillas are found in the Virungas.
A gorilla visit can entail anything from a 1 to 4 hour trek through the forest, led by experienced trackers who have spent their entire lives living in or close to the forest. The trek is well worth it as you will get to spend an hour studying the Virunga gorillas. These highly sociable creatures live in groups containing between 5 and 30 individuals. The silverback male acts as their leader with several adult females and up to 10 juveniles and infants. The groups are generally cohesive with females generally showing no signs of dominance. There is, however, much competition for females amongst the mature males and once a male becomes a silverback (at about the age of 11 years) he may be forced to leave the group and live a solitary life until he forms his own group by luring females away from other groups.
After having spent time observing the mountain gorillas you will realise what motivated Dian Fossey to spend 18 years of her life living in the forest studying and protecting these magnificent creatures who are so close to humans sharing 98 % of our DNA, and although these gentle, shy giants may be genetically similar to us, they possess very little of the destructive side of our nature.
If you are planning a gorilla safari, you will need to plan well in advance as the permits are limted.
About the Author
Janie Harmsen is a dedicated specialist in luxury african safari travel (Gorilla Safari).
Source: www.isnare.com
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