DISCOVER TRUE AFRICA'S WILDERNESS WITH SARANIA ADVENTURE SAFARIS
Wide knowledge of the gorilla trekking rules and regulations is a requirement for anyone booking gorilla tours in Uganda and Rwanda. The endangered mountain gorillas are jaw-dropping creatures that captivate the imaginations of primate enthusiasts Worldwide. Their huge bodies, strength, friendly nature, and 98.2% relatedness to mankind make them one of the most coveted wildlife species to observe in their natural habitat. With the growing prevalence of gorilla trekking tours and gorilla tourism, these adventures must be conducted responsibly and ethically. Our article discusses the important rules and regulations of gorilla trekking to ensure both your safety and the well-being of the Giant Apes. It is essential for visitors to strictly adhere to these gorilla trekking rules and regulations while embarking on this life-changing journey.
Understanding and respecting mountain gorilla boundaries and natural instincts are important for harmonious coexistence in their natural habitat, hence ensuring a truly enriching and safe gorilla trekking experience.
Dos and Donts of Gorilla Trekking
Wash your hands before embarking on gorilla treks.
Before heading out, ensure that your hands are washed with clean water and soap to reduce the risk of passing germs to the Mountain gorillas. It might interest you to know that these Giant Apes share 98.2% DNA with humans, hence susceptible to many human communicable diseases.
Maintain a secure distance from the endangered mountain gorillas.
While it may be fascinating to get as close as possible to the endangered mountain gorillas for a better view of a photo shoot, it is important to prioritize the Giant Apes’ welfare over personal desires. The recommended viewing distance is 7 meters, and a too-close approach might induce tension as well as anxiety in the mountain gorillas, leading to potentially aggressive or defensive behavior. By maintaining the minimum distance, these creatures are allowed to engage in their natural behaviors (of foraging, playing, resting, grooming each other, and mating) without interference.
Avoid harsh sounds and sudden movements.
It is essential to avoid making harsh sounds and sudden movements while viewing mountain gorillas to avoid disturbing or agitating these Giant Apes. Remember that although the mountain gorillas you visit are fully habituated, they are highly sensitive to their natural surroundings and thus, any unwarranted disturbances might disturb their day-to-day routines and behavior patterns, or even compel them to become aggressive or affect their health.
Avoid littering mountain gorilla natural habitats.
To minimize the negative effects on mountain gorillas and their natural habitat, littering should be rigorously avoided. It is always advisable to carry your own trash and appropriately dispose of it in the designated dumping areas. Litter doesn’t just create an awful-looking environment, but also poses a threat to these Giant Apes if mountain gorillas or other wildlife species unintentionally ingest or become entangled in trash. It is always important to maintain the purity and integrity of the mountain gorilla’s natural habitat if proper waste management is practiced.
Avoid crowding the mountain gorillas.
Gorilla trekking tours must avoid overcrowding to guarantee the health of these endangered Giant Apes and their natural habitat. For this reason, maintain the maximum number of 8 people allowed to visit a habituated gorilla family and 4 people allowed to visit a semi-habituated gorilla family during the “Gorilla Habituation Experience”. Going beyond the limit not only negatively impacts the mountain gorillas and the delicate balance of their ecosystem. This important guideline should be observed at all times to limit the number of visitors as a way of fostering responsible tourism.
It will interest you to know that it is crucial to regulate and control the number of visitors (8 visitors during standard gorilla treks and 4 visitors during the Habituation Experience) who visit these Giant Apes, as huge visitor numbers can cause tension and alter mountain gorilla behavior by overwhelming them.
Stick to the one hour provided to watch and take photos of them.
Another rule and regulation that should be observed during gorilla trekking is limiting the duration of the visit to a habituated gorilla family to one hour, as provided by the relevant Authorities. Limiting the length of stay to one hour is another way of fostering responsible tourism. Spending a long time in close proximity to mountain gorillas can disrupt their natural behavior and generate a sense of intrusion into their natural habitat, as well as disrupting their routines. When these Giant Apes become too adapted to human interactions, they might develop a dependence on humans, which may result in changed behaviors as well as potential conflicts.
No flash photography
Avoid using flash photography during gorilla trekking, especially when taking photos of these Giant Apes. The jungles might not always provide perfect lighting conditions for gorilla photography, but using flash (even in low-light conditions) is totally prohibited. Generally, flash doesn’t do justice to the natural beauty of the forest, and it is advisable not to use it. Additionally, a sudden flash can agitate the mountain gorillas, hence affecting their natural behavior and potentially impacting your viewing experience. To respect the mountain gorillas and their natural environment, it is advisable to avoid flash photography at all times, but rather adjust camera settings for the most unforgettable shots.
Avoid feeding or touching the mountain gorillas.
Another important gorilla trekking guideline is avoiding feeding of these Giant Apes, as doing so can lead to human imprinting, changing their natural behavior in the long run, as well as impacting their survival. By feeding them, you can introduce diseases and alter their natural reproduction patterns by reducing the time they spend looking for food resources.
It might also interest you to know that feeding mountain gorillas can cause unnatural population growth. Similarly, touching the mountain gorillas is another harmful practice that should be avoided at all times. Not only does touching increase the risk of diseases, but it is also harmful, as mountain gorillas can become aggressive.
Stick to your group
One of the primary concerns for your safety during gorilla trekking is to strictly stick to the rule of remaining within your group. In all mountain gorilla National Parks, joining another gorilla family is strictly prohibited, and this restriction is in place to ensure you don’t go beyond the limit of 8 visitors and ensuring your safety. Going astray from your group (which is ordinarily guarded by armed Ranger guides) puts you at a significant risk, as you might encounter stray animals within the jungle that could cause injury.
Silence is Golden
While you might not believe this, mountain gorillas and other wildlife are actually more scared by human voices than by other predators in their natural habitats. For this reason, it is advisable to keep silent or reduce voices while trekking or spending time with the Giant Apes if you wish to enjoy unforgettable sightings. Additionally, staying silent or reducing voices will help the Ranger guide to listen to the jungle sounds very well, hence helping him/her find the best for you (birds, primates, and others).
