Review of Gorilla Tracking

Gorilla with her baby

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There is only one mountain gorilla for every 10 million people on Earth. So seeing them from a distance of 7 metres in their natural habitat was the most amazing experience! There are three families of mountain gorillas in Bwindi National Park which have been gotten used to humans and can be visited by a group of no more than 6 people each day. You are led by trackers who take you to where the gorrilas were the day before and then track them to find where they are now by seeing where they have slept and what they have been eating. It can take up to 5 hours to find them but we were lucky and we only had to walk for 1.5 hours although it was a very difficult walk up and down many steep hills and it was quite wet and slippery. [We found that golf shoes were the best way to keep a good grip without slipping.] When we got there we got to stand and watch the gorillas go about their business for 1 hour. It really was incredible. They just sat around and basically ignored us. There were mothers with babies and a few adolescents who jumped around and banged their fists on their chests and swung on the vines in the trees and there was one big silverback who sat down, crossed his arms, and kept a good eye on us. You can take photos but no flash which meant that not many came out very well because you are in the jungle and it's quite dark. So it's best not to waste your time taking photos and really take in the experience first hand because it really is an unforgettable one.