Difference Between Gorilla Trekking and Gorilla Tracking? Many people use the terms “gorilla trekking” and “gorilla tracking” interchangeably, believing them to mean the same thing.
In reality, they refer to two different activities, although both are related to gorillas.
Below are explanations of the two activities:
Gorilla Tracking
Gorilla tracking is the process of locating specific gorilla families based on their last known location, where the gorillas spent the night, and their feeding area.
Expert rangers, guides, park staff, and researchers track the gorillas for various purposes, such as research, conducting a census, and more.
Rangers also track the gorillas to ensure that visitors can find and see them. As a result, the chances of finding a gorilla family are 99%, even though the gorillas are constantly moving within the park.
The gorilla tracking process is similar across all gorilla tracking parks, including Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Gorilla Trekking
Gorilla trekking involves trekkers venturing into the dense rain-forests of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo to search for mountain gorillas, guided by experienced rangers.
The terrain in all these parks is similar, featuring thick tropical rain-forest and bamboo, offering a similar experience across the regions.
The only slight variations occur in the steepness of some parks, depending on the mountains and hills of the Virunga Massif.
Gorilla trekking typically begins early in the morning, after guests have had breakfast.
They report to their respective briefing points at 7:30 a.m., where they are briefed on the rules of gorilla trekking before being assigned a gorilla family or group to track.
A maximum of eight people are assigned to track each gorilla family.
The entire gorilla trekking experience can last anywhere between 1 to 8 hours, depending on the terrain, the movement of the gorillas, and the fitness level of the trekkers.
However, it is always thrilling to finally meet the mountain gorilla family, no matter how long the trek has taken.
Guests are allowed 1 hour to take photos of the mountain gorillas, during which time they can ask the ranger guides any questions they may have about these gentle giants.
After the gorilla trekking experience, guests meet their driver and head back to their lodge for lunch or to catch their scheduled flight.
In Conclusion, Gorilla tracking and gorilla trekking are two distinct activities.
Gorilla tracking is the process of locating gorillas based on their last known location for purposes such as research and census, while gorilla trekking involves trekkers, guided by experienced rangers, venturing into the dense rain-forests in search of mountain gorillas.
