Gorilla Tracking Rules And Regulations

Gorilla Tracking Rules And Regulations: The norms and restrictions pertaining to gorilla trekking are explicitly stated by the Wildlife Authorities and Conservation agencies in the Virungas and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. These organizations are tasked with the sustainable protection and conservation of wildlife. The protocols have made it possible for mountain gorillas to thrive and for tourists to see them in their natural environment.

The mountain gorillas would have joined Darwin’s evolutionary history and boarded the extinction bus in the absence of gorilla tourists. On the other hand, there are currently only approximately 1070 mountain gorillas remaining in the wild as a result of these laws, regulations, and the money that tourists pay.

Understanding the guidelines for gorilla trekking will help you respect conservation laws while having the best possible gorilla experience if you’re organizing a gorilla trekking safari.

Prior to leaving on your gorilla tracking adventure, please note that UWA only permits a maximum of 8 guests to hike with a single group of habituated mountain gorillas in a single day. As a result, it reduces the gorillas’ behavioral disruption and the chance that they will come into contact with diseases spread by humans.

If you have any signs of a cold or other contagious disease, you won’t be permitted to embark on a gorilla trekking experience.

As long as they are over 15 years old and have a gorilla trekking permission from the Wildlife Authority, anyone can embark on a gorilla trek.

The main guide at the trailhead will inform visitors about gorilla trekking and its rules and regulations before they begin the activity. Briefing messages and the display of Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials must include COVID-19 preventive measures.

Visitors are required to wash their hands, put on a facemask, and observe social distance before to, during, and following the trailhead briefing.

To reduce the need for porters while they track, the tourists will only bring minimal gear.

Traveling to see the gorillas
While you hike through the forest, please always keep your voice down and pay attention to the instructions and information provided by the guide. Along with the amazing birdlife, you will see a variety of plant species and other woodland creatures.

Visitors must take numerous intervals during the trip to allow themselves time to breathe fresh air, as wearing masks for extended periods of time and at high elevations has been linked to adverse consequences. Social distance will be carefully enforced throughout these breaks.

Never dispose of trash in the park. You should take anything you bring into the forest with you when you leave.

Rangers headed out ahead of the gorilla trekkers in the hopes of finding the mountain gorillas where they left them the night before and spending the entire day with them, as the primates make their nests at sunset and spend the night there. When your gang locates them as instructed by these rangers, you will be notified ahead of time so you may prepare for their arrival.

Once you locate the gorilla family, your guide will ask you to leave your electronics and backpack approximately 50 meters away from the group, allowing you to quietly approach the gorillas with just your phone or camera.

When you are with the gorillas
The gorillas must be kept at least 10 meters (32 feet) away from the tourists. The tourist should at least attempt to avoid touch, even though the gorillas might not follow this guideline. The group will be more laid back the further back you are.

It will be required of you to put on your face mask before seeing the gorillas and to keep it on the entire time you are there. You will need to put on a new facemask at this point, so make sure you have two with you.

Silence your voice whenever possible. When you see the gorillas, you are welcome to ask the guides questions and heed their advice.

Avoid eating, drinking, or smoking when you are close to the gorillas. Eating or drinking will unavoidably raise the chance of food fragments or liquid droplets falling, which could raise the possibility of disease transmission.

The gorillas occasionally charge. As you would if you were a guide, squat down gently, avoid staring the gorillas in the eyes when they are upset, and wait for the animals to pass. Running away will make it more likely that the gorilla will tackle you, so avoid trying to do so.

It is not allowed to take flash photos! Be cautious and move slowly when shooting photos.

Stay away from the gorillas. Being untamed creatures, they are unable to comprehend your contemporary devices, instruments, and language. So, stay away from contact at all costs.

You are only allowed to spend an hour at a time with the gorillas. The guide might, however, terminate the visit early if the gorillas grow irritated or uneasy.

Once you have left the gorillas, don’t talk until you are three hundred meters away.

General guidelines for health
Keep in mind that diseases that affect humans might affect mountain gorillas severely. The following guidelines are meant to reduce any potential risk that your visit may cause them.

Both guests and employees must wash their hands or sanitize their hands and have their body temperatures taken at the briefing stations. Masks are required for all visitors, employees, and trackers. Everyone in the group will sanitize their hands once again before the mountain gorilla watching begins.

Eight (08) visitors will be divided into small groups for the purpose of briefing and debriefing after being assigned to gorilla families for tracking.

Observe the daily restrictions on the number of visitors permitted to see the gorillas. By doing this, the group’s stress and the chance of disease transmission are reduced. When tracking, the designated UWA guides must make sure that visitors maintain a social distance of two meters, whenever possible.

Please remain at your boarding facility if you are feeling under the weather or if you have a contagious ailment. We will schedule a different visit for you, or you can request a refund through your safari manager. Any visitors, employees, or porters who appear sick during the briefing will not be permitted to track. These include people who appear to be sick with the flu and those who report experiencing stomachaches, diarrhea, or malaria, among other symptoms.

Please turn your head away and cover your mouth and nose if you feel the need to cough or sneeze while you are close to the gorillas to prevent the transfer of bacteria or illnesses.

Keep a constant distance of 10 meters (32 feet) from the gorillas. It keeps them safe from contracting human illnesses.

Food wrappers and other trash shouldn’t be left in parks as they may contain toxins or viruses.

Please ask the guide to dig you a hole with his panga if you need to use the restroom while you are in the forest. When you’re done, fill in the hole, making sure it is 30 cm deep.

If a visitor or team members who are traveling with them have a medical emergency, UWA personnel will follow the protocols for first aid and evacuation to remove the affected person from the field.

Items for your Gorilla Safari
Pack two facemasks, ideally medical disposable masks. One is necessary for tracking, and you’ll need a new one while around gorillas. Put on hiking boots that are cozy and appropriate for muddy, steep climbs. If the sounds of the forest bother you, put on some earplugs. Bring a packed lunch, some energy bars, and plenty of water to drink. Due t uncertain, always carry rain gear, sunscreen lotion, a hat, and bug repellant.
The uneven terrain of the rainforest makes a walking stick or staff indispensable for maintaining your erect posture. At the trailhead, you can pick up a free locally crafted stick or bring your own.

Organizing a gorilla safari
To provide the greatest gorilla trekking safari experience in Rwanda and Uganda, Budget Gorilla Trekking employs local guides and experts. Please contact us for more information about tracking laws and regulations.

Our advisors are happy to assist you in organizing your gorilla safari. Without making you worry about organizing every detail of your trip, we can tailor your itinerary to fit your preferences for experiences and price range. We handle booking your hotel, transfers, gorilla permits—possibly the most difficult process—and everything else. You have us to save you the trouble of having to arrange a safari in a foreign nation.

Get in touch with us immediately!