Trekking The Virunga Mountain Gorillas

Volcanoes National Park is home to a couple of hundred mountain gorillas. There are only around 900 remaining in the world and about 200 of them reside here, deep within the Virunga Mountains, a range that runs through the intersection of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The only other place where mountain gorillas exist is in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed them as critically endangered.

Why are there so few mountain gorillas remaining?

War and political instability in the three countries that share the Virunga Mountains have had a negative impact on the gorillas for some time. They also face increasing loss of habitat due to local communities encroaching into parkland to expand their farmland and villages. This is evident during the first half of our walk to Volcanoes National Park, which follows a steep path that passes through crops and local homes with children running out screaming an emphatic ‘hello!’ It takes a full hour to reach a stone wall that separates the park from the village – a wall that is fundamental in preventing the local community from extending further into the park.

Top 5 tips for seeing the mountain gorillas in Rwanda

1. Make sure you wear pants, a long sleeve shirt and sturdy walking boots. There is stinging nettle in the jungle and it’s hard to spot so let it sting your clothes rather than your skin. Some people opt to wear gloves too. The path can get a little muddy so don’t go wearing your sandals.
2. Take lots of small notes for tipping. You’ll get assigned a porter, a ranger or two and there are a small group of trackers who find your gorilla family before you enter the jungle, all of whom you should show your gratitude to by tipping.
3. Take a good camera because the photo opportunities are incredible. But don’t forget to let your camera hang loose at times; otherwise you’ll experience the entire thing through a lens.
4. Never make an attempt to touch a gorilla, but if they choose to touch you just let them – most of the time they are just curious and will cause no harm.
5. Depending on where the gorilla family that has been assigned to you is, it could take quite a few hours to reach them. Be prepared for a long trek and be pleasantly surprised if it’s not. The mountains are high so you may experience the effects of altitude – mainly just shortness of breath and a fast beating heart!