Gorilla Trekking In Africa

Have you ever cuddled a gorilla? Well, David Attenborough did, in 1979. You may have seen the clip from his TV programme Life on Earth, where his magical encounter with mountain gorillas seemed too dangerous for ordinary mortals ever to contemplate. Our understanding of mountain gorillas has progressed so much since then that we now know they are extremely rarely aggressive. These are gentle, laid-back giants who live in troops of between 10 and about 30 in the charge of a male up to 200kg, who rarely stirs himself or uses his enormous strength in anger. He generally leaves the care of youngsters to their mothers, and even tolerates the odd onslaught from exuberant toddlers. Sadly, these gorillas are an extremely endangered species, who live in highly protected forest areas in the national parks of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Their numbers are now on the increase, but they are still sought by poachers, and can catch serious illness from too close an encounter with a human cold virus. For this reason you will not be able to visit them if you have a cold, but, after the gradually increasing excitement as you draw near to them, you will finally see the amazing site of a family group, with the male leader, mothers with babies and youngsters, sisters, aunts and bouncing adolescents who may even approach you if you are very lucky. It is truly the most wonderful, amazing experience.

To get really close to these wonderful but endangered animals you have to be ready for a mountain trek involving steep climbs, muddy terrain and tangled undergrowth. Treks can take two or three days, and vary in length and difficulty, but are generally slightly easier in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park than in next door Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You can hire a porter to go with you if you would like him to help with all your gear, cameras, etc. You can trek at any time of the year, though the rainy season from March to May is likely to provide the most challenging conditions. Treks in DRC are generally thought to be rather tougher, and though some trekkers may relish the challenge, security concerns rule it out for all but the most intrepid.

You will need a guide and the appropriate permits, you will need to understand the National Park rules, and you will not be able to wander off by yourself – it is considered too dangerous, you may encounter and disturb rangers who are tracking poachers, and you may miss seeing the gorillas at all! A trek of this kind needs careful planning, and only the experts can sort all the paperwork, plan your stops at the best hotels and lodges, and ensure that you will be in the hands of an experienced park ranger who will supervise the trek. Information from rangers throughout the park as to where troops of gorillas are situated is radioed to park headquarters every day so that you would be extremely unlucky not to get good sightings.

When you leave the troop to return home you will know that you have had an experience you will never forget. To be so near these wonderful animals, to see the intelligence in their eyes, to recognise their closeness to us in the animal kingdom, is a privileged experience of extraordinary intensity.

Uganda offers other wildlife safaris and you can see some big game in the Queen Elizabeth National Park and chimps in Kibale Forest. In Rwanda’s capital Kigali – which demonstrates how far Rwanda has come since the genocide of 1994 – there is a new convention centre, several good restaurants and hotels, and music filled cafes. A couple of hours spent at the colourful Caplaki Craft Village will show you stalls selling traditional handicrafts, wood carvings, beaded jewellery, pottery woven baskets and even the local drums.

Whilst in this part of the world, it’s an easy hop to Kenya or Tanzania for the world’s best safari experience. Often called the Greatest Show on Earth, Africa’s wild migration is yet another extraordinary sight to see. Every year about 2 million wildebeest and 20,000 plains game make the journey from Tanzania to Kenya to search for water and grazing pastures. Again, best to trust the experts to plan.