Mountain gorillas are noted to be the descendants of the ancestral monkeys which are known to have lived in Africa and Arabia at the beginning of the Oligocene epoch about 34 – 24 million years ago.
Despite the poor record of their evolutionary history, it is believed that the primate group which evolved into gorillas separated from the common ancestor along with the chimpanzees and humans about nine (9) million years ago and the initial relative of mountain gorillas is known as Proconsul Africanus.
The mountain gorillas are known to have separated from the Eastern lowland gorillas about 400,000 years ago while the two are believed to have separated from the western lowland gorillas about 2 million years ago.
Gorilla Safari in Congo and Uganda in Africa present remarkable gorilla trekking safaris in Virunga – Mgahinga and Bwindi Forest National Parks, a journey to the natural richness and breadth of biodiversity that includes the world’s second largest rain forest and the largest on the African continent.
The intense wilderness encounter is intercepted by warm and very welcoming local people showing their fascinating genuine excitement to the foreign visitors. This is one of the great off the beaten adventures that world travelers can think of in this modern era.
In Democratic Republic of Congo, the famous Mountain Gorillas thrive in Virunga National Park which was declared a world heritage site by United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and lies to the East of the country sharing borders with Uganda and Rwanda.
Covering 7800km2, Virunga National Park is home to over 200 Mountain Gorillas and is part of the greater Virunga Massif straddling across Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda where 480 Mountain Gorillas more than a half of their world population thrive.
Due to its position, the travelers interested in Mountain Gorilla Safaris in Congo to Virunga National Park can easily access it from Kigali via Gisenyi and Goma. It is only 3 hours’ drive from Kigali.
For those connecting in from Uganda, the border post at Bunagana can serve the due purpose. The Congo Visa can be purchased at the border.
Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Democratic Republic of Congo requires one to be in possession of a gorilla trekking permit which is given out at $400. In the low season months of April, May, October and November presents a challenging trek due to heavy rains but offer discounted permits at $350.
Congo’s gorilla permit stands as the cheapest in the region if compared to Uganda gorilla safari permit of $600 during the normal season and $450 in the low season and Rwanda gorilla safari permit that stands at $1500 throughout the year.
Mountain Gorilla safaris in Uganda, are an unforgettable life-time memory experience. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is an amazing captivating search involving long walks following gorilla trails in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park majorly or Mgahinga National Park.
Travel to Africa and enjoy gorilla safaris in Uganda deep in the heart of Africa’s most spectacular rain forests. A mountain gorilla trek trip in Bwindi can take anything from 15 minutes to 8 hours, depending on where the Uganda Gorillas are located.
At the end of each Gorilla search in Uganda`s thick forested mountains, you will stay for only one hour photographing, admiring, learning and interacting with these great mountains Gorillas or apes.
Uganda gorilla safaris require one to have gorilla permits that are bought in advance to allow one track gorillas because only a maximum of Eight people are allowed to search each gorilla group in Bwindi, and Mgahinga.
Uganda has 12 mountain gorilla groups open to tourists and one spends only one hour observing these beautiful mountain Gorillas and taking photos. Below are the top gorilla safari treks that we offer.
Gorilla groups in Uganda Bwindi include; Mubare, Habinyanja, Rushegura in Buhoma sector in the north, Ruhija sector in the east has Oruzogo, Bitukura, and Kyaguriro.
In the southern sector in Rushaga has Nkuringo, Nshongi, Kahungye and Mishaya and one group Nyakagezi in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
