Dzanga Sangha Gorilla Tracking Safari
Track endangered western lowland gorillas, observe forest elephants, bongos, and mangabey monkeys, and join the local Ba'Aka tribe on a net hunt in the dense rainforests of the Dzanga Sangha reserve.
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Mountain Gorilla Trekking
wildlife
Mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) are the largest of all great apes, instantly recognisable for their powerful build and long, thick black coats — an adaptation to the cool, misty climate of their high-altitude forest homes. Adult males, known as silverbacks, can weigh up to 200 kilograms and stand nearly two metres tall when upright. Females are roughly half that size, averaging around 100 kilograms and 1.5 metres in height.
With just over 1,000 individuals remaining in the wild, these critically endangered apes survive only in a small pocket of equatorial Africa. Once pushed to the brink of extinction by poaching and habitat loss, their populations have rebounded through conservation efforts in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Encountering one of these families in the wild is a once-in-a-lifetime experience — powerful, intimate, and profoundly moving.
How Do Mountain Gorillas Live?
Predominantly ground-dwelling, mountain gorillas thrive in open-canopy montane forests where sunlight filters to the forest floor. Their diet is primarily vegetarian — bamboo, roots, leaves, and vines — and they spend much of their day feeding, grooming, and resting within small, well-defined home ranges.
Troops typically include 5–30 individuals led by a dominant silverback, whose role is to protect and guide the family. Communication includes hoots, chest-beating, grunts, and barks, each expressing different emotions. Movement is mostly on all fours through knuckle-walking, though they sometimes stand upright to observe or feed.
Females actively choose their mates, and the close bonds between mothers and young are remarkably human-like. Observing these interactions in the wild offers a rare window into one of the planet’s most intelligent and emotional species.
How Do Mountain Gorillas Live?
Mountain gorillas are found in only two regions: the Virunga Mountains and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
The Virunga Mountains
This volcanic range of nine peaks spans Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, forming one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. In Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda), visitors trek through mist-draped bamboo forests to meet habituated gorilla families — one of the most accessible and rewarding gorilla encounters in Africa.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
In southwest Uganda, Bwindi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to almost half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Its dense, ancient rainforest and steep terrain make treks challenging but deeply rewarding. Encounters here are close and emotional, often just metres from a feeding or resting family.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Uganda’s smallest park, Mgahinga, offers an off-the-beaten-track experience. Its single habituated family sometimes crosses borders between Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo, adding a sense of true wilderness adventure.
