Gorilla tracking History In Bwindi National Park.

Gorilla tracking History In Bwindi National Park.

Gorilla tracking as a special African tour can only be done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. This magnificent park is engulfed by the thick Bwindi Forest and placed between ridges in the Albertine rift. After the 2011 gorilla census, about 320 gorillas were recorded to exist with in this park. This is about half the number of the world mountain gorilla population. For sure during the gorilla tracking expedition, one has a chance of spotting more primates like the black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, grey checked mangabey, l’hoest, blue monkeys, red tailed monkeys and so much more. This is also the only mountain gorilla habitat in the world were chimpanzees co-exist with the gorillas but these are wild. Bwindi is a raven for bird watching in Uganda and in Africa were over 320 species of birds nest including the albertine endemics.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park Historical Facts

Bwindi Impenetrable National park which covers about 321sq km was gazetted as a forest reserve in 1932. Later in 1942, the southern and northern reserves were combined in 1962 to form an Impenetrable Central Forest Reserve. In 1964 this reserve was designated as an animal sanctuary in order to protect the endangered mountain gorillas. Close by reserves were added to the conservation block of this animal sanctuary in 1966 and by this time, the Batwa Pygmies were sharing the forest with the mountain gorillas. After the eviction of the pygmies in 1991, this forest was renamed Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi is a local Lukiga word meaning Impenetrable and undoubtedly this name suitable for this park.

 How is the Gorilla Trekking experience in Bwindi?

Gorilla trekking safaris in Bwindi start with briefing at the ranger station. In the company of a ranger guide, you walk into the forest to search for the gorillas. The topography of Bwindi is rugged and located at the ridge of the western arm of the rift valley. A number of rivers network within the narrow valleys so making the way soggy and boggy.

You need to pack tracking boots, carry a walking stick for extra support, a rain coat, garden gloves as some of your tracking gears. Ask your guide about what so ever is strange to you or what you would like to know about the forest but you need to follow the provided gorilla trekking rules.

Mountain Gorillas are very sensitive to strangers in there vicinity so you need to be careful. At times, they send a spy who warns the rest of the group about the presence of strangers. They may tease you to establish your intension of visit but it is must not scare you. All you need to do is follow the ranger guide’s instructions.

While in there presence, you are advised to stand at a distance of about 7 meters to reduce on the chances of spreading any communicable disease.

Which families can be trekked in Bwindi national Park?

Bwindi is divided into the Northern sector and the southern Sector whose accessibility by road differs. For this reason, it is absolutely not advisable to spend one night in one sector and track gorillas the following day on the other side.

The nother sector comprises of gorilla families like Rushegura gorilla family, Habinyanja gorilla family, Mubare gorilla family, Oruzogo gorilla family, Bitukura gorilla family in Ruhijah. This sector has accommodations like Gorilla forest lodge, Mahogany springs, Buhoma Loge, silverback lodge, engage lodge, Gorilla Nest Lodge and several others.

The southern sector of Bwindi is composed of Nkuringo gorilla group, in Rushaga subsector is Nshongi gorilla family, Kahungye gorilla group, Mishaya, Bweza gorilla family. Possible accommodations in this sector include Clouds lodge, Nkuringo camp site, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Traveller’s rest to mention but a few.