Gorilla Tracking Guidelines 2024
Gorilla Tracking Guidelines 2024 : Guideline while tracking gorilla; These are officially guided rules and regulations utilized to protect the mountain gorillas’ health and safety. Rules are extremely given because gorillas are susceptible to human diseases and infections and become stressed if too many visitors approach too closely. Remember that they are wild individuals and very protective of their young.
To remain healthy and survive these apes need to be undisturbed by visitors and allowed to eat, rest and socialize with their own species. Here are rules explained below;
If a tourist is ill, the park staff has the right to refuse a visit to gorillas;
To protect the great Apes from contracting an illness or disease.
Visitors are only allowed one visit per day and the number of tourists is limited to eight per group;
All is done to minimize behavioral disturbance, stress and possible risk of infection.
Visitors to engage in trekking gorillas must be at fifteen ‘’15’’ years old;
To minimize risk of exposing gorillas to childhood diseases for example, Mumps, chickenpox measles and cold or flu viruses.
The time spent with great mountain gorillas is limited to an hour;
To minimize behavioral disturbance, stress and possible risk of infection to human diseases.
Flash photographic is not allowed; Reason being, flash discs can upset gorillas or provoke an aggressive reactions or charge.
All visitors must keep a distance of at least seven to nine meters away from Gorillas at times. If these rare great apes approach to two or three meters ‘’as curious juveniles sometimes do’’, then visitors should slowly retreat back to five meters. If this is not possible, then the tourists will be asked to remain where they are;
Reason: To minimize disease transmission, stress and behavioral disturbance, to reduce the chance of possible future aggression towards visitors. Also to prevent the gorillas becoming too habituated to humans.
Rule 7: Visitors should remain in a tight group, without spreading out or surrounding the great mountain gorillas.
Reason: This allows gorillas to have enough room to move where they want to, without feeling threatened.
Rule 8: Where possible, visitors should crouch whilst watching the gorillas.
Reason: This is because can be threatening the Gorillas, if you stand taller than they are and stare. Standing biped ally is part of the aggressive displays.
Rule 9: Body language is very important and visitors should not raise hands or arms nor stare at them.
Reason: To gorillas are behavior signs of threat.
Rule 10; Visitors shouldn’t clear vegetation close to gorillas so that they get a better view.
Reason: This can frighten the gorillas. The guides will clear away vegetation, if it is necessary.
Rule11: If a silverback gorilla beats its chest or charges at you, do not run away. Trackers are avoiding not move or run by the park guide.
Reason: Therefore, a charge may be frightening, but the safest way to do it is to remain quietly where you are.
Rule12: Eating, drinking and smoking are not allowed near the Gorillas or within 200 meters of them;
Reason: This can cause problems, if they approach out of curiosity. Food and other remains can be a source of infection.
Rule 13: Be as quiet as possible, and whisper. In case you bitten by safari ants, do not scream.
Reason: To minimize behavioral disturbance and avoid threatening gorillas. The newly habituated gorillas may be afraid to come anywhere near noisy visitors, and if gorillas are already present, they may leave.
Rule 14: If you feel sneezing or cough, turn away from the great apes and try to cover your nose and mouth.
Reason: This is because to minimize the spread of airborne viruses that you might unknowingly be carrying.
Rule 15: All faucal material must be buried. A machete may be borrowed from guides, a thirty centimeter hole dug and then the hole filled.
Reason: Fasces can be highly infectious to these rare mountain gorillas and other animals.
Rules 16: All rubbish must not be littered in the park, and visitors are asked to be particularly careful not to liter small items like film boxes, tissues or handkerchiefs.
Reason: Besides that, rubbish can cause problems of swallowed and can be a source of disease transmission.
Note; Tourists are allowed to spend one hour with the gorilla and it is permitted to eat or smoke in their presence.
What to wear on Gorilla trekking safaris?
Carry waterproof daypack
Carry poncho or raincoat
Sunglasses
Enough emerging snacks
Camera fully charged
A pair of binoculars
Hiking shoes
Best time to go for gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda;
Gorilla trekking tour is best done all year around but the best time without any destruction is during dry season when the trails are easy to hike which tend to happen from June to Mid -September and December to February.
