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Gorilla discovery is a safari tour and travel company based in Uganda, fully licensed to conduct safaris within Uganda and Rwanda. We offer several tours and safaris in Uganda including Gorilla Tours, wildlife adventures, mountaineering trips

African country with highest mountain gorillas and the reason why is this so?

African country with highest mountain gorillas and the reason why is this so?

African country with highest mountain gorillas and the reason why is this so?

African country with highest mountain gorillas and the reason why is this so? Mountain gorillas in the whole world are found in the continent of Africa in tropical, and sub-tropical rainforests as well as the bamboo type of vegetation. Mountain gorillas are not the only primates in Africa but also chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, golden monkeys, olive baboons, blue monkeys, Demidoff Galago, grey checked mangabeys, L’Hoests monkeys, patas monkeys, Uganda red colobus, and pottos. Mountain gorillas are herbivores animals that feed mainly on roots, fruits, shoots, tree bark, pulp, wild celery, and sometimes insects, ants, and termites.

Mountain gorillas live in groups of 5-30 and each group is led by a silverback which heads and instructs all the group activities and is also responsible for mating all the females in the group. Mountain gorillas were almost getting extinct in the 1960s due to civil wars, hunting, diseases, and habitat loss. Different personnel came up to protect the lives of these mountain gorillas and made sure that they were not getting to extinction among which include Jane Goodall and the famous Dian Fossey. Dian Fossey played a big role in protecting mountain gorillas by teaching surrounding communities about the benefits of mountain gorillas, chasing away poachers, and opening up a research center.

Countries to find mountain gorillas in Africa

Mountain gorillas are not found everywhere in Africa but in the East African countries of Rwanda and Uganda as well as DR Congo in the central. The mountain gorillas live in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park because the park is comprised of tropical and subtropical rain forests where mountain gorillas can find food, Mgahinga national park, Virunga national park, and volcanoes national park are full of the bamboo type of vegetation which acts as food for the mountain gorillas.

Endangered mountain gorilla National Parks

Mountain gorillas are found in three countries in Africa that are Rwanda, DR Congo, and Uganda. Its 4 national parks in Africa where mountain gorillas and are Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla park in southwestern Uganda, Virunga national park in the eastern part of DR Congo, and lastly volcanoes national park in the northwestern part of Rwanda. The national parks are found in the same position and Mgahinga national park, volcanoes national park, and Virunga national park are part of the Virunga conservation area.

What is the population of mountain gorillas left in the world?

There are now over 1070 mountain gorillas in Africa that are left surviving in the wild. This shows a great increase in population from 620 that were recorded in 1989. The increase in the population of mountain gorillas is a result of different conservation efforts that have been put up by people and governments. Bwindi impenetrable forest national park alone has more than a half of the mountain gorilla population in its tropical and subtropical forests while the rest is shared by the other national parks. There are 19 habituated gorilla families in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, 1 in Mgahinga gorilla national park, 8 in Virunga national park, and 10 in volcanoes national park.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park has the highest number of mountain gorillas in the world

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park that is located in the southwestern part of Uganda has the highest individual gorillas according to the last carried out survey. Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is a home to more than half of the mountain gorilla population in the world followed by volcanoes national park then Virunga national park and Mgahinga national park with the least population.

Which national park has the highest number of habituated mountain gorilla families in the world?

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park has the highest number of habituated mountain gorillas living in the dense tropical and sub-tropical forests of the park. Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is home to 19 habituated mountain gorilla families that are spread in the 4 sectors of the park namely – Rushaga, Nkuringo, Buhoma, and Ruhija. All the habituated gorilla families are open for trekking at any time of the year and there are other two in Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors that are open for habituation.

Safest countries for mountain gorilla habituation in Africa

The fact that mountain gorillas live in thick types of vegetation this means that their homes can act as hiding places for rebel hence making the places unsafe for mountain gorilla trekking. The safest places to do mountain gorillas in Africa are Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga national park of Uganda as well as volcanoes national park. These national parks have good security and there are no civil wars in Uganda or Rwanda unlike Virunga national park in Rwanda which is always insecure because of rival and insecure rebels in the eastern part of DR Congo. The rebels can harm the trekkers while in the jungle trekking mountain gorillas that’s why tourists to DR Congo are escorted by military people during the activities.

Uganda is one of the Affordable countries for gorilla trekking

Africa has three countries where mountain gorilla trekking can be done and these are Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo all located in the East and Central part of Africa. the cheapest gorilla trekking permit is that of Virunga national park that comes at a cost of $450 in the dry season and $200 in the wet season. The other affordable country is Uganda with a gorilla trekking permit going for $700 foreign non-residents, $600 foreign residents, and shs250,000 East African citizens. All the gorilla trekking permits are sold to children above the age of 15 years and the permit allows a trekker to be around mountain gorillas for a maximum of 1 hour as they learn about their habits and take photos.

Rwanda is the most expensive country for gorilla trekking

Without a doubt, Rwanda is the most expensive country when it comes to mountain gorilla trekking. The mountain gorillas in Rwanda are found in volcanoes national parks and a permit goes for $1500 per person per trek which makes it the most expensive country to trek mountain gorillas. not only the trekking permits but also the accommodation facilities in this park are also expensive. A single gorilla permit for Rwanda can buy 2 Uganda gorilla permits and 3 gorilla permits for DR Congo.

Uganda the only country with the gorilla habituation experience in Africa

Gorilla habituation is the process of making mountain gorillas get used to human beings around them and this is done for 2-3 years with trackers, conservationists, and trekkers being around mountain gorillas for about 4 hours every day as they make them used to human presence. Mountain gorilla habituation in Africa can only be done in Uganda in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. There are only 2 mountain gorilla families that are undergoing habituation in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and these are Bikingi and Bushaho gorilla families in the southern sector of the park.

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