Category: Information

In Uganda, mountain gorillas are found in both Bwindi impenetrable forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National park. Bwindi Forest alone hosts 420 of the 900 mountain gorillas left in the whole world.

Gorilla tourism is a great winner to the development of tourism and conservation of the endangered mountain gorillas. Today Bwindi is a great place to track the endangered mountain gorillas – there are 14 habituated gorilla groups in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and these include Mishaya, Bweza, Nshongi, Nkuringo, Habinyanja group, Rushegura group, Mubare, Oruzogo, Bitukura, Kahunje, Bushaya and the newly habituated groups known as Bihingi and Rushaho.

On the other hand, Mgahinga Gorilla National park protects only one gorilla group known as Nyakagezi however, it is a mobile group which sometimes cross to Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Within Africa, in the 1970s, many conservation projects were failed by the local communities; national parks, forest reserves were encroached upon and many acres of land were lost! This scenario was the same with Uganda! Degradation of natural resources was witnessed – animals hunted, locals settled on forest land and more.  Though this happened in many areas, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Park are one of the few places that have faced less resistance from the local communities and this is largely due to gorilla tourism which was developed basing on the guidelines of ecotourism.

The local communities around Bwindi and Mgahinga national park are dominated by the Batwa, Bafumbira, Bakiga and some few Bakonjo among others.

These people have contributed both positively and negatively in promoting Gorilla tourism in Uganda;

Conservation Activities;

Some residents are participating in conservation activities that have helped in protecting the gorillas. There are several community based organizations that have been started. The locals participate in activities such as reafforestation programmes. The locals have also helped in reporting sick gorillas, reporting poachers and so on.

Tourism Programme;

Some locals have been employed in guiding tourists taking tours within and outside the parks. All gorilla tours are guided by locals given that they have vast knowledge about the area. These locals were first trained by the Uganda Wildlife Authority so that they can be in position to guide international tourists.

Residents do entertain tourists in terms of music, dance and drama. After gorilla trekking in the morning, tourists relax with afternoon music performed by the Batwa people.

Residents  make art and craft materials from local materials. Such crafts are sold to tourists.

Residents plant food stuffs that feed visitors in Bwindi impenetrable forest and Mgahinga forest.

Some local residents work in lodges as cleaners, guards, cooks among others.

Residents in Bwindi and Kisoro do accommodate tourists outside the parks. Some Lodges outside the parks are owned by local residents.

It has been reported that after the local communities realising benefits from gorilla tourism, poaching activities have greatly reduced in Bwindi Forest and Mgahinga National Park. Local communities share the profits from gorilla tourism in form of services like clean water, health centres, and schools among others.

On the other hand, residents near the parks have also contributed negatively to the development of Gorilla tourism in Uganda; some part of Bwindi forest is settled by the Batwa which has interrupted the well-being of Gorillas. The batwa set fire when cooking, cut trees for firewood and they clear some bushes to get space for settlement. The encroachment of Bwata in the forest has forced gorillas to extend in far areas inside the forest which makes trekking complicated.

Residents near the parks sometimes set snares/ traps while hunting but unfortunately, some gorilla are also trapped leading to death of some gorillas.

There are still a few instances where some local residents deliberately kill gorillas claiming that, gorillas are a threat to their lives of people.

Residents around the park collect fire wood from Bwindi and Mghinga forest which interrupt with the natural habitat of Gorillas.

Some residents do hunt animals from the forest.

Residents around the parks depend on the fruits from the forest. Such fruits would have been eaten by Gorillas for their survival.

 

Among the world primates mountain gorillas are the largest, unique and adorable which make them more attractive in the many primate species across the world and even the national parks where they are sited. In Africa, one can see these primates in only Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. These great apes are only found in four national parks Bwindi Impenetrable forest and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in Congo. Because of mountain gorillas, there is a high demand for gorilla tracking holidays each day despite the expensive gorilla permit prices. Being amazing creatures a lot can be noticed and learnt from their lifestyle and daily life as they chill and enjoy the wild surrounding. Interesting, there are two types of gorillas in the wild and the world.

The Eastern gorillas are the most tracked and most desired because of their size and nature. They are huge and sited in Rwanda at Volcanoes National park and Uganda in both Bwindi and Mgahinga national park.They include the mountain gorillas and lowland gorillas. However the second type of the western gorillas is smaller in size and less in number but look similar like the other.

Feeding
No one can live without food accepts the devoted believers and still at some point they break their fast with food and drinks.Same applies to gorillas they love  eating leaves, shoots, roots, vines, berries ,grass, and fruits while in the wild though some people think that assume that they can’t lack strong teeth to chew meat which is the opposite. Small insects spicy up their meal sometimes though often. Eating is one of their daily main activities in the wild because they have large stomach which demand so much in order to get filled up. The funny bit with these animals is that despite the plenty of food around them, still they will always move to other places in search for more .There movements irritate some unfit gorilla tracking tourists but its rewarding experience to fit travelers who visit  different Africa countries for gorilla tracking tours. After knowing the gorilla favorite dishes, gorilla tracking travelers can now start looking at gorillas and new friends in the wild unlike the thinking that they can eat fresh. But always remember to respect all the park gorilla tracking rules and regulations because the gorillas are wild animals that can harm humans in one way or the other. When its food time the primates are right to search for new and fresh leaves a thing which changes diet and keep them health all through.

Gestation period
Gorillas spend 8.5 months in the gestation period which is approximately around 257 days less that for humans’ 265.this period allows the fetus to mature and infant are born helpless as real babies. Its takes a while for them to crawl and walk. Mother gorillas care and nurse their babies for about three year, 2 months to crawl, 8-9 months to walk and the other to adapt to being independent. Normally gorillas give birth to single babies but rare twin birth occurs in them once in a while. Twin birth to gorillas is tough because mothers always find difficulty in raising the two infants. Lot of monitoring has to be done by gorilla doctors and conservation rangers to see that the two infants grow up together and health. Movements of baby gorillas is too minimal that can only be moved from one place to other by the mother gorilla a hassle she faces if they are born two. Wish human travelers could volunteer to mother gorillas as nuns in the wild to change diapers and also feed the infants on bottle milk. However, there are some interesting reflexes in young gorillas which are common in human newborn babies like natural searching for the nipple and the tight fitting reflex. Same characters grow as months pass by and babies cling more to their mothers without help.

Intelligence
When comparing primates’ intelligence, gorillas come first close to humans. Gorillas are peaceful, tolerant and reserved evidenced by the large number of tourists who visit them in the wild daily. Also there has been an increase of gorilla habituated families ready for trackers each day in all the gorilla parks since 1970 a good sign of gorilla intelligence. If intelligence was judged according to size of brain, gorillas would come last because they have the smallest weighing approximately 500g. Chimpanzees have a close look like the gorillas but have completely different characters and level of intelligence. Scientists say that gorillas can recognize themselves unlike other animals and their intelligence delevep according to the environment where they live. Gorillas live in families and usually form groups headed by one silver back male together with several females and infants. However, in mountain gorillas about 40% of groups contain several adult males who are closely related. According to researchers the wild gorilla forest has many roaming male gorillas who count on the gorilla population though the silver backs dominate the group until death. After his death the group dissolves or gets a new silverback but normally the son of the dead leader. The silver back intelligence is just like for a caring father in a home. The silverback makes the decisions on when his group wakes up, eats, moves and rests for the night because protects his family at all times.

Gorillas also have the most fun and interesting time of their life when they play , wrestling, hug, hold each other, and even smile for themselves in the loudest voice ever a thing which keeps them young and health though they are said to live up to 50 years of age. Gorillas also laugh, grumble especially the young ones as the silver back and female gorillas watch over them. The game starts with littles but it ends with adults as well. Even Gorilla conservation doctors say that when gorillas play between themselves, it helps the young ones to be familiar with all the other family members as well as being accepted by others hence a way of biding up together as a family. Above all gorillas are known as unique beautiful creatures in the wild but have you ever wondered why the silver back is too outstanding and attractive?. Their body is mass with striking and fearful face though in the real sense it’s a friendly animal. Looking into their eyes makes you feel feverish if not strong and being close to it is a miracle. The mixed up color hairy body makes tourists admire what nature presents and give thanks to the park conservationist who  keep an eye on the apes and even care for them like their own children.Be one of those to meet the Silverback this year in wild by booking a Rwanda or Uganda gorilla tracking holiday any time of the year.