Gorilla Trekking in Virunga National Park : Gorilla trekking within Virunga National Park is one of the major tourist activities that have sold Congo’s tourism industry to the world. Virunga National Park in Congo harbors the endangered mountain gorilla species. Many tourists who come to Congo come with the aim of doing gorilla trekking in the Virunga national park to see the gentle giants where they spend 2 to 6 hours trekking and searching through the thick forest.
Mountain gorillas are an endangered species according to ICCN with an estimate of 1000 gorillas only left in the world. Therefore, booking a gorilla trekking safari is worth it and Congo is among the 3 countries that have these endangered species.
The Virunga national park is blessed with another type of gorilla species which is known as the eastern lowland gorillas that are found further in the south of the country.
Mountain gorillas in the Virunga National Park are big in number and about 44 gorillas can be seen at once while on your gorilla trekking safari within the park. A gorilla trekking permit within Virunga National Park goes for 400 USD which is the cheapest compared to Uganda’s permit that is 700 USD and Rwanda’s permit goes for 1500 USD.
Virunga national park is a home to about 200 mountain gorillas densely populated in the southern region despite the drop in their numbers due to past wars that have befallen the country.
The wars have made the gorillas to be poached for food or be harmed by the warriors during fights but however the population is steadily growing back with efforts of the park authorities. Virunga national park is managed by the institute congolais pour la conservation de la Nature [ICCN].
Gorilla trekking within Virunga National Park in Congo is one of the most amazing experiences as it is more available for those interested in the full Congo experience. These gorillas are as well believed to be friendly, smart and welcoming to a group of visitors as they have been fully habituated for a while.
All gorilla trekking’s within the Virunga start from Bukima Ranger post where you are given a briefing by the ranger guides and porters. Then after the briefing, you can set off into the forest in search of mountain gorillas for about 1 to 7 hours hiking both sides depending on the gorilla group you are trekking and difficulty of the trail you are taking.
You are allocated gorilla groups according to your strength, age and level of fitness. The standard time you spend with the gorillas is 1 hour where the trekkers enjoy taking photos, videos and studying their relations in the family and their characteristics. It should be noted that, although the gorillas are habituated and used to human presence, they are still wild animals so always listen to the instructions and guidelines given by your ranger guide. On many occasions, the first gorilla that you encounter is a silverback so that it can accept you to enjoy the company of other gorillas. You should try as much as possible not to look a mountain gorilla straight into their eyes as it intimidates them and they could charge and harm you.
Gorilla trekking within the park can last for half a day, so in case one feels energetic, you can have an evening walk as you visit the community around the park. One can as well explore the Rumangabo nature trails as its rich in birds, visit the gorilla orphans at the senkwekwe Gorilla Orphanage center or even pay a visit to the Congo-hounds but that is if you booked at the Mikeno lodge or Bukima Tented camp. These are all optional as you can decide to spend the evening at leisure relaxing at your lodge as you appreciate the cool breeze that part of Congo has to offer.
