African secrets/ gorillas in volcanoes park

  VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK

Volcanoes national park is Rwanda’s most prominent national park. This park was first gazetted in 1925, as a small area bounded by Karisimbi, Visoke and Mikeno Mountains intended to protect the gorillas from poachers. It was the very first National Park to be created in Africa. Volcanoes National Park lies in northwestern Rwanda and borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. This national park is known as a haven for the mountain gorilla. It is home to five of the eight volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains (Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo), which are covered in rainforest and bamboo.

This park was the base for the American naturalist and zoologist Dian Fossey to carry out her research into the gorillas. She arrived in 1967 and set up the Karisoke Research Centre between Karisimbi and Visoke. From then on she spent most of her time in the park, and is widely credited with saving the gorillas from extinction by bringing their plight to the attention of the international community. She was murdered by unknown assailants at her home in 1985, a crime often attributed to the poachers she had spent her life fighting against. Fossey’s life later was portrayed on the big screen in the film Gorillas in the Mist, named after her autobiography. She is buried in the park in a grave close to the research center, and amongst the gorillas which became her life.

The Volcanoes national park Vegetation varies considerably due to the large altitudinal range within the park. There is some lower montane forest. Between 2400 and 2500 m, there is Neoboutonia forest. From 2500 to 3200 m Arundinaria alpina (bamboo) forest occurs, covering about 30% of the park area. From 2600 to 3600 m, mainly on the more humid slopes in the south and west, is Hagenia-Hypericum forest, which covers about 30% of the park. This is one of the largest forests of Hagenia abyssinica. The vegetation from 3500 to 4200 m is characterised by Lobelia wollastonii, L. lanurensis, and Senecio erici-rosenii and covers about 25% of the park. From 4300 to 4500 m grassland occurs. Secondary thicket, meadows, marshes, swamps and small lakes also occur, but their total area is relatively small.

Though the park is best known for the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei), there are various other mammals that cohabit this park which include: golden monkey, buffalo, spotted hyena and bushbuck. There are also reported to be some elephants in the park, though these are now very rare. There are 178 recorded bird species with at least 13 species and 16 subspecies endemic to the Virunga and Ruwenzori Mountains.

How to get to VNP

Volcanoes National Park is located in a small village called Musanze previously well-known as Ruhengeri, which is very accessible by public transport from Gisenyi or Kigali or from the airport and as well as the Uganda-Rwanda border of Kyanika . The drive to Volcanoes national park is 2 hrs and hence one can do gorilla tracking on the same day and drive back to Kigali after the trek. You will be required to arrive at the headquarters of ORTPN in Kinigi, at the park entrance, by 7:00 am, therefore, if you hope to trek gorillas for one day, you have to wake up very early for your journey so that you are on time. However, there isn’t any public transport from Musanze to the headquarters of the park at Kinigi thus one must atleast organize a private transport to ferry her to the park headquarters.

The weather of VNP

We’re often asked ‘when is the best time to go to Rwanda?’, and the answer is usually complex. It will depend on many things including your interests, where you want to visit and why you’re travelling. One person’s best time is another’s worst!

However, often a concern about the weather underlies the question of ‘the best time to go’.

So here we’ve put together a very rough guide to the climate in Rwanda. Remember that this comes from records and our experience, not from a crystal ball, and that Africa’s weather patterns are becoming increasingly unpredictable – probably due to global warming.

In the heart of Africa, fractionally south of the equator, Rwanda is relatively on high altitude which provides it with a remarkably pleasant tropical highland climate, albeit also with plenty of rain. Temperatures vary considerably between locations depending on their altitude but very little from month to month in the same place. In the capital, Kigali, the average daily temperature is about 21°C.

Rwanda’s long rainy season lasts from about March to May, when the rain is heavy and persistent. Then from June to mid-September is the long dry season; this is generally the best time to visit if you have the choice.

October to November is a shorter rainy season and it’s followed by a short dry season from December to February.

During both of Rwanda’s dry seasons, there is often light cloud cover. This helps to moderate the temperatures, but also occasionally brings light rain showers.

Colobus trekking monkeys in Africa-Nyungwe forest national park

The rain forests of Africa are a home to a number of   five species of black-and-white Colobus monkeys and nine species of red Colobus monkey they are all found in the African tropical rain forest.

The two species of black and white Colobus monkeys are found in Kenya, those that inhabit coastal forests and those in inland high-country areas.

Despite the fact that they lack opposable bendable and useful thumbs on their hands, Colobus monkeys spend most of their time in the rain forest canopy jumping and playing on top of the tree branches, among the colobus unlike their counter part the bonobos, colobus always its the females that leads the group and in case theres any mis understandings, these are always solved by sex within the members , where they frequently and acrobatically leap from tree to tree.

Colobus trekking in africa has been opened up to public trekking especially within the Nyungwe forest park the same as in Kibale forest national park in uganda

They live in groups that are led by a dominant male. Red Colobus monkeys are known for being the favorite prey animal of male chimpanzees on the hunt.

The IUCN lists five of the nine red Colobus species as either “endangered” or “critically endangered.”

The name “Colobus” means “mutilated” in Greek, unlike other primates, they are lacking thumbs .Black-and-white Colobus monkeys are among the most frequently spotted species in Uganda 

The troops of 5-10 individuals are easily seen in the branches as a result of their striking coloring – black with long white hair running from the shoulders to rump, and white tufts at the ends of their long tails. Infants are born pure white.

These are easily spotted on Uganda safari trips in different forested destinations including Kibale forest in Western Uganda and Mabira forest on Jinja road, Semuliki National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park among others.

Nyungwe Forest National Park has the largest troop of Black and White Colobus Monkeys in Africa with over 400 individuals and it is very fascinating to explore during the Colobus monkey tracking activity on a safari trip to Rwanda.

The Ugandan red Colobus had previously been considered a subspecies of P. badius, and later a subspecies of P. foal because it has a rust-red cap with a dark grey to black face, although infants are born with completely black faces.

There is more variation amongst the coat colors of the Ugandan red Colobus with back colour ranging from black to dark grey through to a reddish brown. The sides of the body and the arms and legs are a light grey.

WHAT NEXT FOR MOUNTAIN GORILLAS AFTER 2017!

Gorillas are one of the very few wonders and most interesting primates to watch , gorillas are only found in few places like Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo, these comprise of both Low land and mountain gorillas there number of rules that we follow in order to ensure Eco friendly and sustainability of mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

In Uganda, gorillas are found within Bwindi impenetrable forest, the forest is spread in 4 major gorilla trekking locations, namely; Buhoma, Ruhijja, Nkuringo and Rushaga, each of those trekking spots have a number of gorilla families, all have uniform binding trekking rules that govern this exercise in order to ensure there’s sustainability of these apes in their natural habitat. In all countries, trekkers are given a maximum of one hour with the gorillas viewing and photographing mountain gorillas except if one is going for exclusive gorilla habituation that allows one to stay longer with mountain gorillas for 4 hours.

It’s advisable for clients to book their accommodation in relation to the location of their gorilla permits. Please consult your booking agency the name of the gorilla permit location to avoid last minute disappointment. Some groups start their trek from the park headquarters, while others will have to drive to a starting point into the forest. you will know the gorilla group you are going to track after a short briefing in the morning at the respective park headquarters in that place.

However, it should be noted that, meeting and looking into the eyes of a gorilla is unforgettable and life time event.So, one hour is worth the amount paid for the Gorilla trekking permit. Finding the gorillas can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours (sometimes much longer than expected). These are wild animals not a zoo and the trackers have to locate where the gorillas have gone each day in advance before clients move into the jungle in search of these apes just to make sure the trekkers and rangers are on the same page . Please note that there’s no refund given back unless one has a genuine reason for not going into the forest, a refund can only be processed if one falls sick before going for registration and paper work has to be presented.

In Uganda, Rwanda and DRC Congo , gorilla trekking is a year round activity and permits are issued every day by the respective park authorities, Congo permits go for $400, Uganda $600 all year around, Rwanda $1500.

A number of reasons have been raised ( when is the best time to go gorilla trekking?) there’s no clear answer on this since permits are issued on daily basis, so it depends on when one has time for holiday. However most people prefer to go during the dry season since they want to combine wildlife and primates at the same time, others choose to go in the wet season when there is plenty of food in the jungle and gorillas don’t move a lot.

Ultimate Gorilla Trek Clothing!

The best trekking clothes is determined by number of reasons as some people prefer to travel light while others prefer to have more packed suit cases therefore I would recommend a number of things to make the trekking more fun and enjoyable like, waterproof trousers or convertible safari pants (quick dry) but they are fairly thin,wear gaitors so as to protect yourself from stinging nettles, its good to have garden gloves though the guides are good at clearing the path and pointing out the stinging nettles. where possible you may carry your rain jacket.

All by ACTIVE AFRICAN VACATIONS. ( http://www.vacation-safaris.com

Gorilla Trekking Africa

Gorilla trekking in africa, Gorilla are ranked no1 on every ones bucket list of the things “must see”in the world, gorillas are among the 4 major subspecies of primates that almost move close to Orangtons in Indonesia,Bonobos in Drc congo, and both mountain gorillas and low land gorillas in Uganda Rwanda and DRC congo

gorillas in Africa

Gorillas are one of the very few wonders and most interesting primates to watch , gorillas are only found in few places like Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo, these comprise of both Low land and mountain gorillas there number of rules that we follow in order to ensure Eco friendly and sustainability of mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. In Uganda, gorillas are found within Bwindi impenetrable forest, the forest is spread in 4 major gorilla trekking locations, namely; Buhoma, Ruhijja, Nkuringo and Rushaga, each of those trekking spots have a number of gorilla families, all have uniform binding trekking rules that govern this exercise in order to ensure there’s sustainability of these apes in their natural habitat. In all countries, trekkers are given a maximum of one hour with the gorillas viewing and photographing mountain gorillas except if one is going for exclusive gorilla habituation that allows one to stay longer with mountain gorillas for 4 hours. It’s advisable for clients to book their accommodation in relation to the location of their gorilla permits. Please consult your booking agency the name of the gorilla permit location to avoid last minute disappointment. Some groups start their trek from the park headquarters, while others will have to drive to a starting point into the forest. you will know the gorilla group you are going to track after a short briefing in the morning at the respective park headquarters in that place. However, it should be noted that, meeting and looking into the eyes of a gorilla is unforgettable and life time event.So, one hour is worth the amount paid for the Gorilla trekking permit. Finding the gorillas can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours (sometimes much longer than expected). These are wild animals not a zoo and the trackers have to locate where the gorillas have gone each day in advance before clients move into the jungle in search of these apes just to make sure the trekkers and rangers are on the same page . Please note that there’s no refund given back unless one has a genuine reason for not going into the forest, a refund can only be processed if one falls sick before going for registration and paper work has to be presented. In Uganda, Rwanda and DRC Congo , gorilla trekking is a year round activity and permits are issued every day by the respective park authorities, Congo permits go for $400, Uganda $600 all year around, Rwanda $1500. A number of reasons have been raised ( when is the best time to go gorilla trekking?) there’s no clear answer on this since permits are issued on daily basis, so it depends on when one has time for holiday. However most people prefer to go during the dry season since they want to combine wildlife and primates at the same time, others choose to go in the wet season when there is plenty of food in the jungle and gorillas don’t move a lot. Ultimate Gorilla Trek Clothing! The best trekking clothes is determined by number of reasons as some people prefer to travel light while others prefer to have more packed suit cases therefore I would recommend a number of things to make the trekking more fun and enjoyable like, waterproof trousers or convertible safari pants (quick dry) but they are fairly thin,wear gaitors so as to protect yourself from stinging nettles, its good to have garden gloves though the guides are good at clearing the path and pointing out the stinging nettles. where possible you may carry your rain jacket. All by ACTIVE AFRICAN VACATIONS. ( http://www.vacation-safaris.com

Boatcruise Down The Mighty River Nile

The mighty river Nile is the longest river in Africa and in the whole world that covers almost 8 countries, The River Nile takes its name from the Greek word ‘Nelios’ meaning River Valley being the longest. River in the world it covers 6,853 km (4,258 miles) although many people consider it an Egyptian river, it actually flows through many countries and is the primary water source for both Egypt and Sudan this makes it to be called the Nile basin and all these 9 countries are called the Nile basin countries,

There are many attractions that are found along side this magnificent river including national parks and safari concessions that stake their claim along this famous river creating a magnificent wildlife destination.

The mighty river Nile cuts through, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt, Tanzania Sudan, and Zaire on its way to the Indian Ocean. The base of river Nile or its source is still un clear as most people say, according to the British explorer Levison woods, he says that the Nile  forms its source from kibira forest close to Nyungwe forest national falls, while the Rwanda’s also say that river Nile has its source from Nyungwe forest where the water flows down to join river nyabalongo to the great river Akagera that flows towards lake Victoria  while the Ugandans say that, the source of river nine is in jinja at the point where the river babels comes out towards the rocky areas around this place in the middle of no where the river gets its first name as “Victoria Nile”.

There are many  activities that takes place a long side this this magical river among which is the Rafting on river Nile, rafting on the Nile is done in Jinja where a number of companies participate in this activity , rafting is divided into half day rafting grade 4 farting  $125 and full day rafting $145 ,  this takes you to this magical experience to explore the Nile with companies like, Nalubale rafting club, adrift, rafting on the Nile, rafters etc al these have daily departures from Kampala at no extra cost.

There are several national parks and safari concessions that stake their claim along this famous river creating a magnificent wildlife territory

Boat cruise on this magical river is done in Murchison falls national park, at uniform fee of $30 per person for foreign non residents and locals pay  UGx 20,000 .There are 2 session of the ride in this area, one being the famous boar ride to the bottom of the falls, this is arranged so that one gets a chance to view the Nile from the bottom of the falls having done the walk to the top of the falls, normally this 30 minutes walk is charged a fee of $15 and its accompanied by the park ranger guide whom you met at the starting point of the hike, various animals can be spotted on such ride these include, elephants, Buffalos, Antelopes, crocs and lions on river banks esp during the dry spell.

The second boat ride would be the ride to delta, this boat ride to the delta is arranged for those who target to see the rare African bird known as the “Shoe bill”shoe bill are called African rare birds because of its uniqueness beak and it being capable to stay in one place for more than an hour , can only be spotted in mabamba swamp, Murchison falls park and at the delta before the Nile joins lake Albert to form the Albert Nile.

The river has made many people to earn a living due to its presence in the area.

Re: What did you wish you’d known before arriving in Rwanda or Uganda for your Prime African safari?

This puts in place a number circumstances and unforeseeable situations that might happen or that are needed to make your holiday pleasant in any if these destinations.

As you do your packing list, please don’t forget your yellow fever vaccination card.

• Valid visa for, its much easier to have an east African  tourist visa that runs for 3 month at $100
• -As long as you have an unlocked phone you can buy a local sim for $2 and then buy time – pay as you go. Its more expensive at the airport. Its advisable to buy this from local shops along the way or You can buy it anywhere. You just need to show your passport and proof of where you are staying in order to buy the sim card.-Don’t  look too much like a tourist walking around with a huge camera, a back pack etc. Look more like a local and don’t leave your handbag or cell phone lying around as strangers might go away with it, its also better to have changed money and in small bills as some local transport operators finds it hard to give change.

XXX On my recent visit to USA things that come to mind first were: I wish I’d arranged ALL my transportation needs ahead of time for 7 days vacation  with either a reputable taxi company or a tour guide. I  got stuck in a difficult situation where  I didn’t know where to go as all streets looked the same and it was very stressful. And second, I wish I’d made certain my cell phone and data service worked correctly before leaving the airport. These seem like minor logistical issues, but I discovered that confirm-ubber  taxi cub  transportation and cell phone availability is very important.

Don’t be surprised no one might  mentioned that  adapter plug are needed too  as some areas you find that they are different  Yes, some hotels and lodges will lend them to you, but it’s better to get it pre-trip, I think. Also – take me  seriously if i describe the weather. People going out on early morning  game drives the will need a rainy jacket or going for gorilla trekking

-The petrol stations have  people who will fill up your car (no self filling)  as I saw this in USA among some states  like New York and at the same time pump attendant  wash your windscreen. It is all part of the service but be mindful that compared with tourists the people are relatively not doing so well financially,so a few tip is appreciated though not mandatory .

-Wherever you park, day or night, in a supermarket, outside restaurants, in town , by the beaches, you will find young men offering to ‘mind your car’. Some are officially employed by the venue and some seem to be young unemployed just trying to earn a living. As well as giving a tip on returning to the car a please get use of them and promise to give them some thing upon your return , I promise you they will take good care of your car and belongings, please never live valuables in the car like laptops

-Here at Active African vacations have always advised our clients t keep  camera equipment, cell phones, GPS ,keep out of view and ensure you park in open places.ont leave GPs in the cars or un attended too , If possible while going away , Also keep windows shut in towns if have it out, this mostly urban areas , please avoid drawing attention to it opportunistic crimes that are on the way look at them as missed calls or ignore

-.Always drive with the car doors locked, don’t be surprised to see beggars on the streets specially in big cities like kigali and kampala which are the main capital cities  but just ignore and say “No thank you” Also baboons and  velvet monkeys  will try & get in the car in search of food so another reason to keep doors locked. This is common in national parks like Murchison falls park, Akagera national park, karuma falls on the way to Murchison falls close to Chobe lodge , in kibale forest national park, Areas of Busitema forest reserve from Malaba boarder, Be cautious at ATMS especially during night hours if you love  Jewellery I would  say leave them  at home. This way you will be much safer

By any chance try to avoid Town ships unless riley there’s something that you need there, like Kampala is crazy with its traffic jam, for those going on the western roop from Entebbe, you can take the ferry at Nakiwogo that will take you to kasenge where you will proceed to Mpigi, while those going to Murchison falls, national park, now you can take the Entebbe express high way . this will solve all your problems. And a good connectivity.

if you take these advise into your consideration, you will make your best African safari a safari of life time

 

 

 

Primates in Uganda.. chimpanzee territory

Uganda is located in the western  arm of the great rift valley within  East Africa, it’s a land locked country with plenty of diverse attraction. Uganda is endowed with primates in different parts of the country nationwide.For those looking to get a true taste of this fascinating countryuganda.

Budongo  forest is located within  Murchison falls park , in Budongo ecoforest, these chimpanzees in this area are  open for public viewing  with both morning chimpanze  trekking and afternoon trekking. The permits can be secured on arrival at the lodge entrances with the prices goes to $90 a permit. This area can be accessed via Masindi or via middle of Murchison falls area at redchili area.

Bunsingiro:

This is also part of budongo forest , this is an extension of  Murchison falls park which was created as combination of bugungu wildlife reserve and karuma wildlife reserve.

These  areas  can be accesed via  Bisso town and Masindi .chimps in this place can be wild but if you have time , still you can be able  to enjoy the diversity of bird watching and Butterflys. This journey is enjoyable on the normal self /private guided tour  much as there’s contradictions between the local communities and the sugar cane growers. These chimps are still under Uganda forestry authority (NFA ) and payment to track these chimps can be done on ground.

Semuliki wildlife reserve & semuliki national park.

This park lies between fortportal and Rwenzsori national park on the journey towards Gongo.  semuliki park is believed to have a number of wildlife ranging from antelopes,  elephants, birds and  great place where you can see both the male and Female hotsprings.

Entrance to these will be $15 for normal nature walks and the entry fee of $40as park entry fee . This area has a number of Non habituated chimpanzees  these are left deliberately  in the wilderness for conservation purposes. This park is  unique in its own way as its the  only place in Uganda where you do the night game drive with chances to spot some of the nocturnal primates and great night adventure experience.

Pygmies are the indigenous people who used to live in the ituri forest and as modernization came, there has been a world wide sensitization of the Batwa people that brought them out of the forest as to make the primates to stay in harmony with nature in their ecosystem . now days the pygmies  live on the edge of the forest  they also perform various entertainments to tourists who pay a visit to them .In case you have some clothes that are not is use, you can bring them  over and donate to them

Kyambura gorge.

This gorge lies on the Edge of Queen Elizabeth park , from the begining , there were no chimpanzees in this gorge but laiter alone they were introduced , purposely for conservation purposes ,since they were  being confiscated by wildlife traffickers  who used to keep primates as domestic pets .

So they were taken to this section of the gorge to save the chimpanzee how ever from 1990s when the project beganthere has been an increament in the number of chimpanzes in the gorge. Now these apes are open for morning trekking and afternoon  chimpanze trekking, apermit goes for $50 on top of the daily park entry fees. Tickets can be bought at Uganda wildlife authority .

Kalinzu forest.

This is a subsection of malamagambo forest with an extention of kitabu mountains. This part of the forest is part of kigezi wildlife reserve  but still under NFA/ national forest authority . this park has a number of chimpanzes  being open up through the Jane goodale research institute of ecology its open for morning session and afternoon session but trekking permit goes for 100,000 ugx which is equivalent to $30

These chimpanzees don’t require advance booking  , you only have to show up on time , then you can secure the permit when you show up at the park office

access to this park can be via mbarara- -kasese road or  from queen Elizabeth park.

Ngamba chimpanzee sanctuary.

This oasis is located in the middle of lake Victoria on the white sand beach . its believed to have more than 30 chimpanzees and trekking these chimpanzee takes more than one hour and  thirty minutes from the pier landing site to get to this area. Payments to access this area , one is required this make advance booking and payment to Jane goodale offices in Entebbe  theres an entry fee of $80 on top of the $40 of transport fees.

by Nab Jalia

How gorilla trekking can be a good conservation strategy for Uganda…Rwanda &Congo

Long time ago and up to now, its well known that mountain gorillas in the wild can only be found in the there countries, Uganda, Rwanda and DRC congo the former Zaire , but because of their signs that these apes might come to extinct , some international bodies like WWF, gorilla doctors, GCIP, CTPH and many more, have come up to set up rules and regulations to save the endangered mountain gorillas.these organisations are Non profit making or business oriented firms but rather depends on donations  to pursue its conservation process

Gorilla trekking, means taking / tracking , this is defined differently  into the eyes of many  scientists or adventure travelers, but in simple terms, it means walking on foot for an anticipated distance following the gorillas in their natural habitat  many a traveler the most exciting and memorable part of a safari is seeing Africa’s animals in the wild and getting up-close to mountain gorilla this is the primarily reason why most tourist prefer to go to Bwindi national park in Uganda, volcanoes park in Rwanda and Virunga park in congo.. When it comes to animal encounters (getting up-close) and interactions theres are , often controversial and  ethical questions  that raised but in reality,  its true to set up rules governing the exercise.

Gorilla tracking  has created awareness to the whole world that in reality there are mountain gorillas  remaining on the small part of the world in Africa , by doing so the money raised from the sale of the gorilla permit is used in the conservation process to save mountain gorillas.

Not only that but gorilla trekking has provided local communities employments to work as porters, and these porters were the primarily threat to gorillas as some of them were poachers so by emplying them directly as porters, this has played a big role towards conservation of mountain gorillas in their natural habit

Gorilla trekking as an exercise has called upon international big organization like gorilla doctors, who have at the end taken part in treating  the mountain gorillas and taking good care of them  as some times gorillas fall off from tree branches due to over weight but gorilla doctors treat the wounded and bring them back to life , thus saving them and top of that they also work in conjunction with CTPH this organization gives medical care the domestic animals that lives in areas next to the protected areas thus reducing the threats to mountain gorillas by doing this already it’s a conservation process.

The truth is that  setting  up maxim daily number to 8 individuals per day per group , has  saved to save  mountain gorillas , this has limited the number of people visiting the gorillas and this would have affected the breading patterns  of mountain gorillas as observation from the daily visitors would affect gorillas and the eco system of the natural forest habitat  towards animal encounters are, unfortunately, not always good for the animals or for conservation, which means that you can be selective to who  can see gorillas in a day, this price fix  and number regulation works as conservation measures towards saving mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

Above all there has been a symbiotic relationship between gorilla trekking and gorilla conservation as one helps the other to be in place with the help of man as the key player towards saving the lives on mountain gorillas.

Organizations behind Gorilla conservation:

Gorillas are becomingly widely known in the world  not only in Africa but all over the Globe.

These ave provided a joint role towards saving the gorillas in their natural habitat as well having in harmony with nature.

.IGCP (INTERNATIONAL GORRILLA CONCERVATTION  PROGRAMME)

This is the major body that  is responsible for all the fundraising that are used in  currying out conservation programmes within the region  especially in Uganda, rwanda and DRC congo

.the body also sets rules governing gorilla activities and tracking policies like setting the daily currying capacity .

ITFC( institute of Tropical forest conservation)this body facilitates the rangers in the process of currying out gorilla habituation  exercise in the great lakes region of Uganda, Rwanda congo.

Not only that they also pray a role in logistic supplies like GPS suplys,back packers and other field gears.

It does research on gorillas and plants in the field /forest with the best way to ensure sustainable conservation in the region

CTPH.(conservation through public health)

This body provides conservation education programmes in the region to ensure public health awareness

It also serves the best role of eliminating the spread of domestic animals diseases so that such diseases are not spread to the protected areas as this might affect gorillas and other animaals that live in such areas of Bwindi impenetrable forest, Mgahinga park, Volcanoes park and Virunga park.

BMCTLbwindi Mgahinga Conservation trust) this body is partly responsible in providing clean and safest water  to the communities around the protected areas as one way of community benefit sharing .it hass provided resettlement programmes to the communities that formelly lived in the forest like the pygmies known as the Batwa tribe by acquiring land for them in the neighbor hood commuuties .

Challenges faced in conservation programmes

The biggest challenge is that gorillas gorillas move away  yet it takes more than 3 years to habituate a group.

Black backs when they become silverback  this creates divisions in the group thus reducing the number of gorilla family individuals in the same group  as the way of them being chessed away from the group.

Natural death is also another strong factor, gorillas live between 45-50 years  so one gorilla dies its a big loss to the gorilla family.

Accidents of gorillas falling off from tree branches, a clear example is that on 18^th /01/2017 Bitukula gorilla familyin Bwindi impenetrable forest  lost one of its Silver back .

Another issue is problem animals like elephants and baboons these break off and eat crops of the communities around thus making communites have complaints

Fire out breaks within the protected areas , these are narmal threats that cause issues to the communities.

IS gorilla trekking worth the price $750 Rwanda Vs $600 Uganda

In reality gorillas are found in Rwanda ,Uganda  and Congo but the price of seeing these gorillas have been  always increased , depending on the difficulties incurred while saving these mountain gorillas the price was increased  from $500 -$600 on uganda side while in Rwanda the price was hiked from $500-$750 recently, the price of gorilla permit seem steep but after one goes gorilla trekking in either of the above region you can feeling that  it’s worth paying because it’s obvious that a lot of work has been put in on research, protection, maintenance , as well as converting the villagers, poachers to the protection and sustainable development of the animals think who ever takes part in the conservation process to save these endangered apes deserves a thumb.

There are several groups in both volcanoes park and Bwindi impenetrable forest and it’s important to select one based on fitness. The choice is very open and all people have equal chances, no body has the right to monopolies this activity as you all pay the same amount unless one books the whole gorilla family on my recent trek our gorilla group was one of furthest ( Ssusa group)requiring 3 hours up to 3000m over muddy rocky steep incline. Half of group struggled and had to stop every 10 mins for refreshments that’s why its mandatory to have enough drinking water if you don’t have enough energy please you better to have a porter its one way to support the community. It didn’t help that during dry season rwanda gorillas move higher up to forage for food.

The one hour with gorillas in the wild was lifetime experience better to be well prepared , set your camera ready  so that the 1 hour is well utilized – you feel  very safe with the numerous park rangers watching over us and the gorillas .

Gorillas a always very  playful and Curious often watching you , some come close especially the juveniles and the babies.

The key is to stay calm, Never run, make sudden movements and follow the rangers Instructions all these precautions makes you be very perfect to have enough time and memories with these ggorillas.

It’s also great to know The porters were ex poachers given an alternative to earn a living by carrying items for the Trekkers. They are  polite, friendly and very helpful feel free to give them atip it makes them feel part of the product onwership.

For optional gorilla  trek experience ensure

Ensure decent fitness to enjoy the trek and don’t over stretch yourself , always ask a group that corresponds with your health , why go for long trek yet you have health complications? No body else know yourself more you yourself. Be friendly on the trek and cooperate with other members in the group irrespective of your nationality.

Wear proper footwear and attire – some came in party clothes and causal shoes – meaning more work for porters having to drag them over difficult terrain

Prepare for rain  better to have arain jacket with you if possible have gloves, for sting nettles,Carry sufficient water and food as you may never know what time you will be back.

Its good to Tip at the end – these folks work very very hard before during after the trek in looking out for the clients like us and the gorilla trekking totally mind-blowing experience. Yes, its 750 USD for non-Rwandan residents and $600 non ugandan but it is an exceptional experience

By Ssali Billy