GORILLA TRACKING UGANDA

Mountain gorillas are the big attraction. They are very special animals - rare, gently, like us yet so different.  Tracking gorillas is a unique experience - it leads you into a strange land to meet unusual creatures on their own terms.  This can be humbling and thrilling at the same time.

It must be stressed that, while you have a very good chance of seeing gorillas, success is NOT guaranteed!  They are wild creatures with no fixed routines.

The guides and trackers have helped to habituate the gorilla groups and know them intimately.  They will take you to the areas where they left the gorillas the day before.  Before leaving, they will be able to suggest how long the hike might take. While walking, please ask your guides to slow down if they are going too fast and if you need a rest. feel free to stop and look at the birds or flowers, etc.

The guide will ensure that they do not leave you behind. Watch out for safari ants on the trail - they bite and hang on, and if you step in them and get covered, the only solution is to strip. The actual trail you will follow will depend on where the trackers left the group and what signs they find to indicate where the group has gone.

They will be looking for crushed vegetation, broken plants that the gorillas might have been eating and also fresh dung and footmarks.  If you find the place where the group slept the night before, you will see the gorilla's nests, which they make afresh each day before they sleep.

When you find the gorillas, there is no guarantee that you will be able to photograph them.  They often range in broken forest where vegetation is dense. 

What to bring
Gorilla tracking can be a long and challenging walk, so come prepared: