Why Rwanda for Gorilla trekking in Africa

Rwanda is located in East Africa bordered by Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania and DR Congo. It is one of the fastest African developing countries since the 1994 genocide which left more than 800,000 people dead. With few natural resources especially minerals, Rwanda placed high value on its mountain gorillas through gorilla tourism which became a highlight of any safari in Rwanda.   

Rwanda has transformed as Africa’s politically safe country with modern infrastructure such as the modern Kigali airport, Kigali the cleanest city in Africa with international hotels and tarmac road that ease accessibility to the gorillas. This small nation is simply a no ordinary destination where conservation, unique traditional culture and adventure meet to fulfill any kind of tourist needs from the eco travelers, the cultural tourist, luxury and business travelers to the backpackers.

Unlike other wildlife in Africa, mountain gorilla’s profile is ranked very high because they number up to 880 individuals only living in Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo. This makes the gorilla trekking experience very strict and expensive for the sake of protecting and conserving gorillas. Rwanda share a third of the gorilla population with 200 estimated to be living in Volcanoes National Park which is part of the virunga massifs.

Seeing Mountain Gorillas comes at a cost

In Rwanda, mountain gorillas are found in Volcanoes National park located in Musanze district northern province. The park’s moderate altitude volcanoes (between 2500- 4500 meters above sea level) covered by woodlands, rainforests, large bamboo and afro-alpine vegetation provide home to about 200 gorillas. At least 10 gorilla families have been habituated making them easy to see by tourists than the wild ones.

The park’s quick accessibility from the main capital Kigali within two hours make it the most preferred gorilla trekking destination for the time bound tourists, it’s possible to trek gorillas and make a return flight late in the evening. However, those looking for an inclusive African safari, Uganda offer the best of gorilla trekking combined with big five mammal safaris.

From Kigali city to the north in Volcanoes National Park, the roads take visitors through breathtaking views of green tea plantations and many terraced rolling hills.  You will realize why the country was nicknamed the land of a thousand hills.

For one to trek gorillas in Rwanda, a gorilla permit is a mandatory requirement for each trekker. Gorilla permits are very few due to high demand hence you must book and pay for your permit at $750 per person in advance of 2-3 months. You need to contact a local tour operator or the Rwandan Development Board for permit booking details. After getting your permit you are guaranteed to see gorillas in their natural habitat with expert guides and trackers.

Guided treks are the only means tourists get to see habituated gorillas in their natural habitat. Gorilla trekking starts from Kinigi the main tourist center where all trekkers gather early morning to attend to guides for a short gorilla trekking briefing etiquette. Guides allocate tourists to gorilla families depending on their trekking capacity and also arrange hiking gears.

Trekking through rainforests is characterized by hiking over steep and slippery slopes which requires body fitness because gorillas move freely in their habitat range and locating them might take 1-8 hours a day. Hence trekkers are advised to hire porters at an extra cost to help and carry backpacks with packed lunch and drinking water.

Gorilla trekking is limited to a maximum number of only 8 tourists who can visit one gorilla family for one hour per day. Treks start early in the morning, led by guides and accompanied by armed rangers for security.

While trekking you get to view mammals such as forest elephants, antelopes, bush pigs, birds and see flowers, plants and primates which live in the forest. Once the gorillas are found, viewing and photographing gorillas must be done at a 7 meter distance. For one hour you will get away with clear pictures/video due to bamboo vegetation which is not thick and tangled, you return back to your lodge with life time memories.

While most tourists are obsessed with gorilla safaris, there is much more adventures to do while in Volcanoes national park. The three volcanic mountains of Mt. Karisimbi, Mt. Muhabura and Mt. Bisoke are impressively beautiful landscapes for breathtaking while hiking. In addition to other wildlife that dwells in the park such as golden monkeys hence golden monkey tracking is another famous tourist activity in the park.

Conservation of mountain gorillas in Rwanda is synonymous with Dian Fossey who pioneered gorilla conservation and her legacy can be explored while in Volcanoes national park.  A hike to the Dian Fossey’s grave site and Karisoke research center give tourists a chance to follow the footsteps of gorillas in the mist and pay tribute to the legend.

However gorilla conservation in Rwanda has also been a joint effort of the government, private partners, gorilla conservation organizations and local communities. Revenues generated from gorilla tourism partly fund various community development projects improving the livelihoods of people.

Like never before gorillas co-exist with people due alternatives resources put for the locals such as bee keeping, pig and goat rearing, clean water, vegetable growing and community owned but government supported lodges and hotels. As a result, poaching as well as habitat encroachment has reduced among local communities.

Tourist experience has also been increased besides gorillas; visits to the communities around the park are very fascinating with Rwandan cultural encounters coming live at the famous Iby’Iwacu cultural village. Right there, tourists get to see how gorillas are helping locals; local people own craft shops packed with quality souvenirs. There are traditional huts for tourists to say in while participate various activities such as local food preparation, traditional intore dances and banana beer brewing with the Batwa pygmies.

“Gorillas in the mist”

One interesting thing about gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National park Rwanda is that the park was a former research base ground of late Dian Fossey. Dian Fossey was an American primatologist who dedicated all her entire life to conserve gorillas through introducing anti-poaching campaigns and habituating gorillas.

Although died in 1985, the legends never die her work to save gorillas is still alive and doing practical work in monitoring gorillas, working with rangers and funding conservation activities in volcanoes national park through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International at Karisoke research center.

After a gorilla trek, tourists usually hike to the Dian Fossey tomb between Mt. Karisimbi and Mt. Bisoke to pay tribute. Also the movie, “gorillas in the mist” which was a tribute to her work features members of Bwenge one of the habituated gorilla families.

Gorilla Trekking Vs Chimpanzee Tracking - Rwanda Primates Safari

For decades, Rwanda has been known as the land of a thousand  hills due to the gentle slopping hills all  over the area, the country has been also known for gorilla trekking as the major attraction taking visitors to see gorilla in Rwanda Volcanoes national park part of the virunga conservation area shared across the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic republic of Congo, however, the chimpanzees in the Nyungwe national park a  tropical rain forest in the south western  part of the  country has become another interesting adventure which can be an add on to a complete Rwandan safari adventure. Both being apes and almost with the same features, many people wonder the differences between these two intriguing apes, which adventure to choose over the other. Lets look at their differences below

Trekking for gorillas in Volcanoes NP

Mountain gorillas are found in the volcanoes national park, which is only 2 hour drive from the international airport of Kigali, the rare endangered mountain gorillas are the major attraction in the national park, the park is one of the four national parks in the whole world where the rare mountain gorillas are found. The other national parks are Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park in Uganda and in the virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Trekking mountain gorillas requires advance preparations and the physical fitness of an individual, it’s a real jungle experience hiking through the thick dense rain forest before meeting these intriguing animal species taking   arrange of time between 45 minutes to 7 hours depending on the location of the mountain gorillas.

A gorilla permit in Rwanda is sold at 750usd for per person for non-nationals, 375 usd for foreign residents and 30,000 Frw for Rwandan citizens.

 Travellers can secure and buy their gorilla permits through a Rwandan based tour operator or book and pay online with the Rwanda Development Board(RDB)  http://www.rwandatourism.com/things-to-do/gorilla-tracking. Its very much advisable to book your gorilla permit at least 6 months in advance as gorilla permits are on demand and sold out at first come first serve basis.  

Visitors going on gorilla safari in rwanda are allocated gorilla families of their choice during briefing on the trekking day and here trekkers aged 45 years and above are normally allocated the nearby gorilla family.

Presently, there are only 10 gorilla families in the volcanoes national park available for trekking each family headed by a silver back who defends and protects the entire family from external attacks, a maximum of 8 people is allowed to interact with one gorilla family for a maximum of one hour keeping in mind the caution of keeping a distance of seven meters from the endangered species, this distance is due to the close relationship between human beings and the mountain gorillas that make them so susceptible to human diseases.

Trekking mountain gorillas is a real jungle as trekkers enter a thick forest of bamboo, hiking over the deep puddles of viscous mud that can block the path and passing the deep imprint of a just-missed elephant and other animal species, it is tiresome as trekkers break into real sweating, puffing and panting, however, a mere setting of one’s eyes on these magnificent mountain gorillas is a great experience one can never forget.

Chimpanzees Tracking in Nyungwe NP Rwanda

Still in Rwanda another opportunity available is the chimpanzee trekking which is so much interesting carried out in the Nyungwe forest national park in the southern area of Rwanda. The national park is the tropical rain forest in the south western part of the country which is ever green; it is a home to over 400 chimpanzees with two wild chimp communities which are the cyamdungo and the other community found around uwinka. Chimpanzee trekking is the most tourism activity carried out in the park.

For all travelers interested in trekking chimpanzees in the Nyungwe forest national park, a chimpanzee permit is sold at 100usd, only people at the 15 and above years are the only ones allowed to trek, the chimps, trekkers are reminded to keep a distance of 8 meters, switch off all the flashed cameras, avoid provoking the chimps, no feeding the rare chimpanzees and trekkers with sicknesses such as flue and cough are not allowed to trek the chimpanzees.

Note: Rwanda is a destination with more opportunities for the travelers, gorilla trekking in the volcanoes national park and chimpanzee trekking in the Nyungwe forest national park. The trekking experiences is not so different but it would be good to trek in both national parks,  chimps are trekked in the tropical rain forest of Nyungwe national park, the experience is different for the one who trekkers in the bamboo vegetation of the volcanoes national park (mountain gorillas).

Volcanoes National Park Rwanda’s oldest Silverback Cantsbee ; monitored by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund facing succession Leadership challenges

Mountain gorillas live in groups headed by a dominant male Silverback, a name derived from the silver lining that develops at the back with old age. There are many gorilla families in the mountain gorilla world which are divided across Virunga Mountain ranges and in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in Uganda. The gorillas in Virunga Mountain ranges live in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga national park in Democratic republic of Congo and Mgahinga national Park in Uganda.

There are less than 800 mountain gorillas remaining in the world, half of which live in Bwindi impenetrable national park and the rest in Virunga mountain ranges.

Volcanoes National park in Rwanda currently has 10 habituated gorilla families for gorilla trekking in Rwanda and a number of other gorilla families still under research. On the other hand, Virunga national park has five habituated gorilla families with the rest of the groups still under research.

Research about the mountain gorillas behavior was started by American Primatologist Dian Fossey in 1967 who studied the behavior of the mountain gorillas, how they live, mate, behave in their natural wild.

Studies show that the gorillas share 98% DNA with human beings which makes them closer cousins to human beings and behave almost in the same manner as human beings.

With death of Dian Fossey in 1985, her work was carried through by the fund called Dian Fossey gorilla Fund that has continued to monitor and conserve the mountain gorillas in Virunga mountain ranges.

The dominant male gorilla called silverback will always head the group each day on where to move, and take general charge of the discipline of all the gorillas in the group. In case there is a rising conflict by another silverback, there will be a rebellion, which always lead to splitting of gorilla family with the silverback leading away the supportive gorillas to start another family.

The other way the silverback loses leadership is when there is death of the silverback or serious illness that he can no longer perform his leadership duties to steer the family. The second active silverback will take over from leadership of the group. For over the years of gorilla research and observation, that has been the way the gorilla families are led and formed up.

However, the currently, there has been a new observation on the largest group of mountain gorillas monitored by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund which has been led by a 37 year old Silverback named Cantsbee, a name given to him by Dian Fossey when he was born in 1978.

This group has 30 members now and originated from a group of 65 members which was led by Pablo before it split into two.

With Cantsbee reaching an elderly status but still healthy and strong, his leadership has come under serious challenge coming from his son Gicurasi.

This challenge has one up and down over the years as has been observed by Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

For the large part of this year, Gicurasi who is still young and energetic has taken active role in protecting the family and also performing mating duties but without official recognition from the rest of the family members.

Gicurasi has been observed crossing in front of the leader and trying to head the group. This has in several cases led to serious fights between Gicurasi and Cantsbee, the group leader and most fights have been won by Gicurasi.

Another Silverback in the group name “Kureba” who has always taken clear stance supporting Cantsbee in his leadership role has since stopped intervening in the fights between Cantsbee and Gicurasi.

Often times, Cantsbee has been seen fighting Gucurasi not to move in front of him and forcing him to the ground.

However, Gucurasi has been observed to now be supported by many group members who support him in the movements and with Cantsbee aging, he may soon give up to Gucurasi and start benefiting from subordinate position with Gicurasi being accountable for the group protection and movements.

With over 50 years of observing the behavior of the mountain gorillas, this will be the first kind of succession observed with the younger silver back taking over leadership from an existing and still active dominant silver back.