Before things fell apart in Rwanda in 1994, turning the country into a killing field, trekking up the volcanic Virunga Mountains to see the country’s mountain gorillas was the highlight of any African trip.
The endangered mountain gorillas — there are only about 320 left — are found only in Central Africa in the region where the borders of Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda meet. Unfortunately, the region’s political situation is unstable.
Several thousand Rwandan rebel Hutu militiamen, remnants of the force that led the 1994 Rwandan genocide, have set up bases in the Congo from which they attack Rwanda.
They also attack gorillas, killing two for bush meat in June, 2001. And in August 2001 a gorilla silverback was killed in Rwanda’s Virunga National Park when he was caught in a crossfire between the army and the rebels.
In relatively peaceful Uganda, armed men thought to be Hutu rebels, killed nine foreign tourists en route to the gorillas in Bwindi forest in March 1999, causing a significant drop-off in the number of tourists going to see the gorillas.
And in the Congo, civil war broke out in 1998. Although a fragile peace agreement has recently been reached, the conflict has still not ended.
Despite the region’s insecurity, the number of inquisitive travelers trekking to see the gorillas is on the increase. But most travelers and tour group operators avoid Rwanda and the Congo in favor of Uganda’s Bwindi forest.
The gorillas
Mountain gorillas are social animals, living in groups ranging from around a dozen to as many as 30. A silverback — a male whose fur on his back has turned gray — heads the group. The silverback can weigh about 400 pounds (180 kilograms). Females will be about half his size. A group may have other males, but they remain only at the discretion of the silverback.
Their main activity during the day is looking for food. Although the mountains grow more than 100 types of edible plants, the gorillas eat only 29 of them. They do not drink water, relying on the plants for their fluids.
The gorillas will move in a group on their food search, covering about a half mile (about 1 kilometer) in a day.
Except for humans, mountain gorillas have no enemies.
The experience
Since the gorillas move their location daily looking for food, finding them involves a trek of several hours or more.
Gorilla tracking is strenuous. To reach the animals, you’ll set out about 8 a.m., traveling in a group on foot with an experienced tracker and armed guards. You’ll climb through dense forest often under wet conditions. So you need to be physically fit.
Most visitors go with a tour company, either an international tour operator or a local firm. It is possible, though, to travel independently.
The number of visitors is restricted, and children under 15 years of age are not permitted.
When you reach a gorilla group, touching them is prohibited — to protect the gorillas from communicable diseases to which they are very susceptible. Your guide will not let you get closer to them than 15 feet (5 meters).
After spending an hour or so observing the gorillas, you set out back down the mountain for your base camp.
Where to see the mountain gorillas
In view of the insecurity in the Rwanda and Congo areas of the Virungas, visiting the gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi forest is the favored location. Bwindi serves as home for almost half the world’s mountain gorilla population.
Bwindi has two gorilla groups that have been habituated to small groups of human visitors. The Mubare group consists of 16 gorillas, including one silverback. The Habinyanja group has 23 gorillas with two silverbacks.
When to go
The rainy season generally runs March through May and October through November. However, tours at that time are not a problem.
Waiting lists may be long during the European and American summer vacation period — June to September. Make your reservation at least three months in advance.
