Mountain Gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo

Mountain Gorillas in Uganda Rwanda and Congo

Mountain gorillas in Uganda Rwanda and Congo in the area well known as the Virunga Massif of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Mgahinga Gorilla Park, Volcanoes national park and the great Virunga of Congo.

Mega Wild Safaris specialized in organizing Uganda Gorilla safari trips to the most visited Uganda Gorilla safari destinations which are Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Rwanda gorilla tours to Volcanoes National Park and Congo Gorilla Safaris to Virunga National park and Kahuzi Biega National Park.

We tailor safari packages and trips which cover Uganda Gorilla safaris, Rwanda Safaris, Congo Safaris, Kenya Safaris, and Tanzania Safaris, game viewing trips, cultural encounters and community interactions, nature walks, wildlife safaris among others. Uganda alone has over 400 mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla Park.

How do Mountain Gorillas Look? – Uganda Gorilla Safari

Usually the Male mountain gorillas are two times the size of the female ones, they usually grow to 6 ft tall and even weigh 350 -500 pounds. Male Mountain Gorillas are very strong, with long arms and muscular.

The male mountain gorillas are referred to as the silverback because as they mature the hair on their back turns somewhat silver, hence the name Silverbacks.

The strength of the males is ten times stronger compared to the strongest boxer in the world, even taking steroids. The arms of silverbacks can stretch to 7 feet.

Mountain Gorillas possess longer plus darker hair compared to their lowland counterparts because they stay in colder climates and higher altitudes. Their life span is between 40 and 50 years. The mountain gorillas mainly stay on the ground although they will climb a tree occasionally given that it can support them, however just like children, their young play in the trees. A fascinating fact is that Gorillas plus Humans are share 98% of their genetic composition.

Are Mountain Gorillas Dangerous Species? Will the hurt me during the trek?

Visitors into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest frequently inquire if mountain gorillas are dangerous? Although dominant and very strong, these are gentle as well as shy, and in addition the mountain gorillas which visitors see within Uganda have been habituated. In other words they are habituated to people, which process that takes close to 2 years.

Dian Fossey actually was against the idea of visiting mountain gorillas which is done today, however it’s the money collected that survival of this endangered species, and seen their number increase over the recent years.

While mountain gorillas are threatened they do attack so as to protect their very own. When different Mountain Gorilla groups meet, there is a fight between the leader Silverbacks to death.

Recently 2 Silverbacks fought within Democratic Republic of Congo and the rangers had to intervene. Mountain gorillas exist in groups which differ in size from 2 – 30 or 40, however commonly in groups of 10.

There is no specific mating season while babies are born through the year. The Males begin breeding at around 15 years while the females start giving birth between 10 and 12 years. Females can give birth after every 2 to 3 years giving birth to 4 – 6 offspring through their lifetime.

Males leave their group at about 11 years of age, while a little over half of the females will leave their group. Mountain gorillas communicate through sounds like roars, grunts and shouts, and 25 sounds currently have been documented by researchers

Where Can I See Mountain Gorillas in Uganda Rwanda and Congo (Africa)?

You can see mountain gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. However, Gorillas are mainly divided into two categories that’s the mountain gorillas and lowland gorillas with a couple of other sub-species in that.

Uganda has 18 mountain gorilla families which are found in bwindi impenetrable park and one family habituated in Mgahinga Gorilla Park. In case you are thinking about the distinction between lowland gorillas and the mountain gorillas you can check out their pictures.

Generally, the lowland gorillas are smaller and have brownish-gray far coats and a distinct brow ridge, whereas the mountain gorillas are larger with darker black coats.

The Mountain gorillas are the most uncommon primates in the entire world with less than 800 surviving in the African wilderness. on the contrary there are more than 100,000 lowland gorillas just in the Republic of Congo.