Gorilla tracking is a safe activity for one to be part of. Mountain Gorillas are not dangerous primates despite being huge, with dark fur that covers the entire body. From a far, mountain gorillas seem frightening but when you get closer you will be astonished to find out that they are shy and serene. The life of a mountain gorillas normally depends on the family with the silverback as top leader. Whose succession normally comes after winning a fight over the aged silverback. Most families normally break after the death of a silverback especially those with numerous adult male mountain gorillas.
As recommended by Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers during briefing, try to control your adrenaline while in the presence of the mountain gorillas. In case you loose control and show that you are scared, the gorillas may retreat into the dense parts of the forest to hide. Keeping the forest in its natural state is another way of protecting the animals from eating unhealthy items. We all can participate in preserving this historical natural environment that feeds the mountain gorillas.
What Do Mountain Gorillas Eat
Mountain Gorillas are feed on foliage but bamboo tops there menu, fruits, leaves, soft tree stems, ants, and to mention but a few as provided by the forest. In the past, the mountain gorillas and Batwa pygmies shared the forest causing them to compete for forest supplies. In the past the Batwa pygmies also depended on the forest for survival by collection fruits, honeys, wild yams, medicines and others life supporting item. After 1991, the forest was gazette as a national park and the pygmies were seen as dangerous to the existence of the mountain gorillas since they were few in number and about to run into extinction.
The Mountain gorillas have no capacity to feed on flesh and so this should not scare anyone that they will scavenge on you while in the forest.
Gorilla trekking is so safe. After briefing, you are escorted by an armed ranger guide who has the responsibility to protect you from straying wild animals. You are also required to stay together with the rest of the group as you trek so that you are not lost in the thick jungle.
Before the start of your gorilla trekking safari, the preparations you do assist you to enjoy this incredible African safari. Ensure you pack a pair of trekking boots that will protect your feet from piercing sticks, garden gloves to hold onto something when you slide because the ground is always wet and quite boggy resulting from regular rainfall, little sun-ray penetration and the falling leaves that rote. The safety of your head is also important therefore you need to pack a large hut to protect your hair, pack insect repellant and so much more. This is relevant to protect yourself from the jungle rough surfaces.
What is the guarantee of Seeing The Mountain Gorillas
As you make payments for your gorilla trekking safari package, there are about 99 % ninety nine percent chances of viewing the gorillas in the wilderness. Even if they are mobile animals, there bulky bodies cannot move so fast and besides they need to keep picking food along the way. The gorilla trekking time may be between 30 minutes to about three quarters of the day. The conditions in the forest are one of the determinant factors of the time to take to meet the mountain gorillas.
The Bwindi forest is endowed with incredible and enchanting primates that regularly roam in the forest like the black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangebay, blue monkeys to mention but a few. Bwindi forest is rich with incredible birdlife that is exclusively wonderful including about 23 species of the 24 species of albertine endemics.
Additional safari sites to visit after gorilla trekking may include a game drive in Queen Elizabeth National park the home of the tree climbing lion, chimpanzees, elephants, buffaloes, hippos, crocodiles the list is endless. A road trip from Bwindi Forest National park to Queen Elizabeth National park is about 4 to five hours.
Kibale forest National park the renowned home of the chimpanzees and numerous other primates. The drive from Bwindi forest to Kibale forest National Park is about five to 6 hours on the road.
Visit the Lake Mburo National park which is almost like the pivot center of all western Uganda safaris. You may enjoy a stopover in this park which is home to zebras, elands, giraffes, impalas, elephants, warthogs to mention but a few.
Murchison Falls National park can also be accessed after gorilla trekking but the best means of transport would be Air transport as the drive is quite long from Bwindi forest National Park to Murchison Falls. There is also the chance of taking a stopover along the way but this is dependent on the number of days that you have for your holiday in Africa.