Why spend only an hour with the mountain gorillas? : Mountain gorilla trekking is one of the most popular safari activities done in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic republic of Congo. Gorilla trekking is Gorilla trekking is an out-door activity where tourists are allowed to see mountain gorillas for one hour after purchasing a gorilla permit
Actually, in tourism circles these three countries are synonymous with mountain gorillas; that’s where a combined total of about 20,000 people visits these countries all year round to see these great and rare apes that live in the mountainous forests in that different region.
If you have been to a mountain trekking experience, you know these trekking experiences can go for hours but the most important hour is the hour you spend with the mountain gorillas. This is not to say that the trekking activities are not exciting, they actually top notch exciting but they are not the main goal. The main goal of a mountain gorilla trekking experience is to see the mountain gorillas. And the good news is you get to see the mountain gorillas, only that you are only allowed to see them for one hour after that one hour you will have to leave their presence. So why do you spend only an hour with the mountain gorillas?
The reasons are more towards conserving the mountain gorillas than any other thing though it also involves protecting you from the mountain gorillas. And here are the explanations below:-
- The one hour is short enough for the mountain gorillas not to get irritated at your presence. When the gorillas get irritated by your presence they will start to groan at you and may eventually attack you. So the one hour of you being in their space won’t affect them.
- The one hour also allows the gorillas to go on with their day activities without being affected by your presence. Meaning after the one hour of you being in the presence of the gorillas, when you leave they can go on with their normal gorilla business with you being their way whatsoever.
- Also since its only one hour, it’s assumed there’s little spread of human habits and diseases to the gorillas. Because gorillas have as similar DNA with humans, they can easily copy the human habits and when this happens it takes away from their uniqueness as gorillas. Also for the diseases, we all know if you’re in the presence of a person with a communicable disease, chances are high you will have the disease also, same thing applies to the gorillas.
- For the trekkers – consideration for the trekking time. As stated earlier that on a mountain gorilla trekking activity you spend more time on the trek, so the one hour in the presence of the mountain gorillas helps you to spend the rest of the time trekking up and down the mountain.
So those are the reasons why you spend only one hour in the presence of the gorillas, the different wildlife authorities and primatologists may have more so you can also read some wildlife journals or research to have more answers. But still the major reason remains conservation of the mountain gorillas.
You can trek mountain gorillas any time of the year in Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga National Park all found in south western Uganda.
In Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in the Democratic republic of Congo.
The mountain gorilla trekking permits for each country cost USD 700 for Uganda, USD 400 for the Democratic republic of Congo and USD 1500 in Rwanda
