How to protect Mountain Gorillas? Well, visiting mountain gorillas’ families and get to learn about the unique life of the gorillas is one away of contributing to the ongoing efforts of saving these endangered mountain gorillas. The revenue received from gorilla trekking tours has supported a lot the gorilla conservation. Most importantly is to maintain strict rules and regulation such as avoid visiting gorillas when you are ill.
Through making a donation to the gorilla conservation organization like Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. Also supporting local communities around the park by buying their handcrafts or hiring porter during you gorilla trek so that they realize the benefits of gorillas and protect them.
Go for gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo;
The revenue got from Gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo supports a lot the conservation effort of these great, glorious, fur-coated apes and our closest relatives said to have 98% of the genes to human. The truth is that, without gorilla tourism gorillas can easily go extinct.
Since mountain gorilla parks are surrounded by dense human populations and most of them are farmers and the land is very important as far as their livelihoods is concerned.
Although, the governmental authorities in charge of mountain gorillas Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have kept gorilla habits off limits to agriculture in order to protect these endangered apes. Due to the fact that, the revenue has gained from gorilla tourism far exceeds the value of using the national park land for other purposes.
Gorilla permits cost USD700, USD400 in Democratic Republic of Congo and USD1500 in Rwanda per person, to spend one hour with these giants after encountering them.
Buying a permit, you will not only buy to experience a once in a lifetime wildlife encounter with these charismatic apes. You will be supporting the economic incentive for the gorilla’s protection.
Follow gorilla trekking rules;
Visitors are strongly advised to follow gorilla trekking rules and regulations set up by the park authorities for example;
Do not visit gorillas if you’re sick; Take not gorillas shares 98% DNA to human genetic material. They are susceptible number of infectious diseases that affect humans. Most common infection is respiratory disease, ranging from mild colds to severe pneumonia.
Keep a distance of 10 meters away from the gorillas;
This is one of the better ways to reduce the risk of disease transmission in order to avoid the disturbing the gorilla’s natural behavior. The national authorities have established the rule of staying 10 meters way from the gorillas at all times.
When it comes to the youngsters, they don’t know the rules and may approach humans, but visitors should make the effort to back away and avoid touching the animals if possible.
Other gorilla trekking rules includes;
Burring human waste at least 30cm deep while on trek
Gorilla trekking is limited to 8 people per visited gorilla group.
Avoid eating, drinking, smoking on near gorillas.
Covering your face and turn away from gorillas, if you’re sneezing.
Make a donation to conservation organizations working to protect these endangered mountain gorillas;
The most effective aways to protect or save gorillas is by donating money to conservation organizations working on the ground to conserve the species such as;
The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
International Gorilla Conservation Program
African Wildlife Foundation
World Wide Fund for Nature
Fauna and Flora International. These organization have spent years finding effective method for protecting gorillas.
Do other activities when visiting the gorilla parks in addition to gorilla trekking;
The national parks in the entire world to go for gorilla trekking are; Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo.
The revenue obtained from these activities further the incentivizes the governments and local people to save the gorillas and their habitat. Activities done in these national parks include;
Visiting the Batwa trail in Mgahinga National Park to learn about the Batwa hunter gatherer tribe the first people of the forest.
Hiking mount Nyiragongo in Virunga National Park; Is one of the world’s most active volcanoes, that stuns with the world’s largest lava lake on the top.
Hiking extinct volcanoes like
Karisimbi, Muhavura, Bisoke, Sabyinyo, Bisoke and Gahinga in Uganda and Rwanda.
Do golden monkey tracking which are highly endangered primate in Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Hike to Dian Fossey Grave in Volcanoes National Park to pay tribute to the great work of the legendary Dian Fossey of protecting these primates.
Dian Fossey is famously known as a prominent primatologist who did a great work of building up a research Centre to cater about mountain gorillas and this has impacted a lot on Rwanda’s Tourism Industry.
Support local community projects and businesses around the park;
Supporting the local people around the park help in preserving gorilla habitats and conservation.
Visitors can support them by buying locally made handcrafts, contribute to the community projects around park for example; Visiting the Ibyi’wachu cultural Village near Volcanoes National Park Rwanda, which employs former poachers as cultural performers.
You can visit the Nkuringo Community Conservation and Development Foundation near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Uganda. The NCCDF supports local artisans and the local Batwa community through its crafts shops. They help to train orphans who performs at a nearby lodge and can make some arrangements for visitors to sponsor the project.
Don’t purchase products made with wild animal parts
This is because as poachers set traps and snares to catch animals like bush pigs, duikers.
Spread the word about mountain gorilla conservation;
Through visiting our unique mountain gorillas you’re contributing to the conservation.
Remember that mountain gorillas are endangered, their conservation story is a positive one. They are the only species of non-human ape growing in number.
Fortunately, fewer than 250 individuals were counted in the mid -80s when Dian Fossey was researching the gorillas but today the population has increased to 1063 individuals.
