Gorilla Tracking

Located right in the southwestern corner of Uganda lies the small Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, which is part of the larger Virunga Conservation area that spreads over three countries. The area is home to a large variety of wildlife, but specifically half the world’s critically-endangered mountain gorillas, for which the park was created. They live in families that comprise of several individuals and each family is led by the strongest male mountain gorillas called a silverback. He is in charge of protecting the family against any intrusion and usually determines the daily routine searching for fresh plant leaves and new places for building nests for the night. Currently there is only one habituated gorilla group that can be visited by the tourists in Mgahinga, called the Nyakagezi Gorilla Group.

Tracking gorillas can be strenuous and time-consuming, but the hour that you get to spend with them makes it worth your effort. The hour time period is in order to ensure that they are not exposed for too long a period to humans with the possibility of contracting our diseases, as well as reducing the chances of behavioural change among the mountain gorillas.