Virunga Gorilla Forest-Uganda, Rwanda and DRC

Gorillas are an interestingly special type of primates, owing to their humanlike bodily gesticulations. They constitute the largest class of Apes, with a relatively short but very sturdy body and coarse dark hair. This awesome species of primates is native to the Central region of Africa, which offers them a highly comfortable and natural resident of a flourishing thick forest. With only approximately 880 mountain gorillas left in the world, beholding the opportunity to sight these fascinating creatures in their natural habitat is truly not an everyday occurrence. About 480 mountain gorillas dwell in an extinct volcanic region known as the Virunga; a territory shared by the countries of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Therefore, each of these three countries has its share of this stretch of land that is inhabited by mountain gorillas. The remaining 400 mountain gorillas dwell in the thick rainforest in the nearby area of Bwindi, in Uganda.

For Uganda, there are two thriving parks where one can engage in gorilla sighting. They comprise the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The Mgahinga National Park is located on the extreme south-west section of Uganda, on the slopes of the Virunga Mountains; in the area of Uganda’s border with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This interesting park encompasses a total surface area of 73km² (28ml²). Apart from gorillas, other animals that can be spotted in the park include leopard, buffalo, bushbuck, golden money, birds etc.

The Bwindi National Park is located in South-West Uganda; and is inhabited by about 400 mountain gorillas. The park stretches across 518km² (200 ml²) of an extremely dense forest; and has been granted World Heritage Site status by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Also present in this park are chimpanzees, various bird species etc. To view mountain gorillas in Uganda, visitors are required to obtain a permit from the headquarters of the Ugandan Wildlife Authority (UWA), located in Kampala, the political capital city of Uganda. It is strongly advisable to book a permit well ahead of one’s scheduled gorilla-viewing expedition. If obtaining permits from the UWA proves somewhat problematic, one may want to consider purchasing an all-inclusive gorilla tracking tour from a professional and credible safari operator; such as Gorilla Trekking or Volcanoes Safaris.

Rwanda’s share of the gorilla tracking zone is situated in the north of the country. This is the Virunga National Park or the Parc National des Volcan (PNV), which covers an area of 119km² (46ml²), and encompasses six volcanoes.  Tracking gorillas in PNV is relatively more favourable than in the Bwindi Park, because gorillas there are comparatively less mobile; and the forest relatively less dense.

In Rwanda, one can obtain gorilla tracking permits from the Rwanda Tourism Board’s offices in Kigali, the political capital of Rwanda, or in Ruhengeri, close to Virunga National Park. It’s generally advisable to obtain a permit through a professional and credible gorilla tracking tour operator. In numerous instances, permits may be sold out well in advance. It’s thus strongly advisable to secure permits well ahead of one’s intended visit to this gorilla sanctuary.

Democratic Republic of Congo’s share of the Virunga Gorilla Sanctuary is known as Parc National des Virunga. The park is situated 32km (20ml) from Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. For the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), it’s most appropriate to arrange for permit acquisition through a safari operator such as Amohoro Tours.  

Gorillas can be tracked throughout the year, but the trails are generally less convenient for navigating during the rainy seasons; from March to April; and again from October to November.