How Safe is Gorilla Trekking? Gorilla trekking Is very safe. The manner in which gorilla trekking is conducted makes it one of the safest adventure travel experiences for both the young and fairly aged and unfit travellers.
Mountain Gorilla Trekking In Africa takes place in three (03) countries; Rwanda, Uganda and DR. Congo. Realm Africa Safaris™ only recommends Rwanda and Uganda for Safe Gorilla Trekking.
Related: Why Is DR Congo Considered not a safe place to track Gorillas.
In Uganda, Gorilla Trekking takes place in two (02) National Parks; Bwindi & Mgahinga both located in the southern part of Uganda bordering with Rwanda.
As for Rwanda, Gorilla trekking is done at Volcanoes National Park located ±2 hours from Kigali in the north of Rwanda.
DR Congo is off the radar for us. We don’t operate any tours into Congo for the reason of safety. It is not yet safe for us to take you there.
How Safe is Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda and Uganda?
Both Uganda and Rwanda are considered the safest places to see gorillas in Africa.
In both Rwanda and Uganda, gorilla trekking is a fully escorted adventure. Tourists are escorted by a team of Uganda Tourism Police (dressed in Black) and Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers dressed in (green camouflage) both armed with AK47 machine guns. The guns are a precautionary measure in the unlikely event that you meet a group of untamed elephants, chimpanzees and or poachers that roam the forest.
Has there been an event where tourists run into Poachers in Bwindi while trekking gorillas?
The answer is No. All the ranger encounters with poachers that have involved fire exchange were after gorilla trekking hours. Poachers are very careful to avoid having any direct confrontations with rangers – they prefer to carry out the poaching in the evenings after 06:00 pm a time when no tourist is in the park(s).
Read more about: Poacher shot dead in Bwindi Forest National Park.
Do I have to worry about being attacked by a gorilla while On the Trek?
The answer is NO. You don’t have to worry at all. The team of UWA rangers that accompanies tourists on a gorilla trek is very experienced at ensuring that all tourists are safe during gorilla trekking.
Its also important to understand that prior to officially declaring a gorilla family open for gorilla trekking, the gorillas undergo Habituation – a process that lasts 2-3 years. Habituation is the process of familiarising a group of wild gorillas to human visits. All gorilla trekking In Uganda and Rwanda is governed by a set of Gorilla trekking Rules & regulations designed to safeguard both tourists and gorillas. Kindly follow all the rules and regulations as instructed – its only for 01-hour.
I hope we have answered all your concerns on How safe is gorilla Trekking. Feel free to contact us about starting to plan your gorilla safari to Uganda.
Further Reading:
- Price of a Gorilla Permit.
- What to pack for Gorilla Trekking.
- Best Place to Go gorilla trekking ( Uganda or Rwanda?)
