Where To See Gorillas In Africa
Do Gorillas Exist in Africa? Yes. There are different destinations in Africa where you can observe gorillas for yourself. Find memorable gorilla watching vacations for you and your family. Although many people only think of Uganda and Rwanda when they think about gorilla trekking, there are actually numerous more locations where one can go in search of these critically endangered mountain gorillas.
These are the top ten locations in Africa where you can see Gorillas.
A Real Gorilla Trekking Experience: Uganda
When it comes to places to observe gorillas in Africa, Uganda tops the list. The best mountain gorilla trekking experience is why tourists travel to Bwindi Forest National Park.
The price of a gorilla permit is $ 700 for each trekker who spends an hour among mountain gorillas.
Mgahinga National Park, which is also a member of the trinational Virunga Conservation Area, is the other site in Uganda where gorilla tours are available.
Habituated gorillas frequently travel into DRC. Additionally, climb Mt. Sabinyo, where Rwanda, Uganda, and the DRC meet.
This is also a unique opportunity to observe mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, which is a forest island surrounded by a sea of thickly populated farms.
You may see the biodiverse Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in the North, where the roads wind, from a lower altitude.
The absence of hair on their brow makes Bwindi gorillas, which some taxonomists classify as a distinct subspecies of the eastern gorilla, easy to distinguish from their shaggier Virunga relatives.
White water rafting on the Nile’s source, chimpanzee trekking, and many other Uganda safaris are just a few of the additional activities that can be done with gorilla trekking in Uganda.
Visit Rwanda’s Mountain Gorillas at Volcanoes National Park.
In Rwanda, a gorilla permit costs $1500. The most opulent safari in Africa involves going on a gorilla hike in Volcanoes National Park.
With good main roadways and a well-developed substructure, Rwanda is the size of Wales. Wild Whispers Africa Ltd. provides the top gorilla trekking in Rwanda.
People often choose Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park for mountain gorilla trekking because Dian Fossey’s research was fictionalized in the movie Gorillas in the Mist. There are many opportunities to have a positive gorilla viewing experience because to the peaceful gorillas, wide environment, highland greenery, and breathtaking views.
The guides’ friendliness and expertise will make it simpler for you to deal with the anxiety, the stinging nettles, and the steep hills that accompany each panting, muddy step.
When it’s sunny out, the gorillas are only a short distance from the park’s edge, and visitors tend to wonder what all the fuss is about. Booking your gorilla permits in advance is crucial. Visit gorilla safaris in Rwanda.
Eastern Lowland Gorillas inhabit the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
DR Congo is also home to 3 of the 4 mountain gorilla subspecies. Beginning in the 1970s, habituated group gorilla trips were offered.
Gorillas can be spotted in the Congo at the Kahuzi Biega National Park, Virunga National Park, and Madiakoko Mountains.
National Park of Kahuzi Biega
The eastern lowland gorillas have a stronghold in Kahuzi Biega National Park, which offers one of the best opportunities for gorilla watching.
Although Bukavu is also the closest town and has some nice hotels, you should examine the security arrangements if you plan to enter the DRC from Rwanda.
Virunga national Park
Mountain gorilla safaris in Virunga National Park are really incredible. Each gorilla permit costs $400 here, making gorilla trekking trips in Africa a budget-friendly option. Virunga offers gorilla safaris as well as hikes up Mount Nyiragongo.
Nigeria’s Cross River National Park Trans-River Gorillas
You can also explore Nigeria’s Mbe Mountains and Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary in addition to Cross River National Park.
The government has made significant investments in the tourism infrastructure in the cross-River state, where cross River gorillas may also be found. One such example is the spectacular cable car that ascends the Obudu cattle Ranch Hotel.
Although there is a very slim probability of seeing these mountain gorillas, there are more than 200 of them in total, and they are spread out over an area of more than 12,000 km. These locations include Afi Mountain, the Okwangwo Division, and Mbe Mountain of the Cross River National Park.
This is why the scientists are so careful to habituate them. Visits to their environment will aid in its preservation, as well as the preservation of the two surviving primate sanctuaries, the chimpanzee and tool monkey pandrillus, and the numerous monkey species that call Calabar home.
Western Lowland Gorillas in Equatorial Guinea
The Monte Alen National Park in Central Rio Muni is home to Western Lowland Gorillas (often known as gorillas). They are regarded as severely endangered because there are fewer than 316,0OO gorillas left in the world.
Monte Alen National Park
Beautifully forested Monte Alen National Park benefits from the protection provided by its rugged topography from being classified as a commercial attraction.
To our knowledge, there are no Lowland gorillas living in the wild. The locals who have received training have only recently begun leading guided day hikes because the tourism industry is so new and in its infancy. Gorillas can currently be seen in this park.
Gorilla Tours in Gabon
In an audacious effort to boost its economy, Gabon created 13 national parks in 2002, the majority of which contain gorilla habitats.
2010 saw the end of this WLG habituation effort at the Mikongo conservation centre in the Lope National Park.
Visitors can observe gorillas when they are viewing the animals even though they are not taken on gorilla spotting hikes.
Loango National Park
Loango National Park also provides the unpredictable combination of an Atlantic beach and a rainforest, where hippos can be seen surfing, whales and dolphins bask in the shallow waters, and gorillas, chimpanzees, and forest elephants live.
The Gorilla Organisation helped launch an ecotourism operation in the Moukalaba Doudon National Park, which also has a large gorilla population.
Lowland gorillas in the Central African Republic
The Bai Hokou area of Dzanga Ndoki National Park is one of the greatest locations for tracking mountain gorillas, which are lowland gorillas in the wild.
The WWF effort has been successful in forming the group into a routine. The dense forest and low light under the canopy, which make photography more difficult, can also be expected to be tranquil.
Cameroon
The lowland montane forests and rain forests of Cameroon are home to about 11 gorilla families. Early in 2000, the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary was founded to protect the critically endangered gorillas. There are thought to be 300 gorillas living in the wild.
Two habituated family groups presently live in this park, and visitors can see them. When they visit the bias, or the open clearing of the woodland, these can be observed from the hides.
Western Lowland Gorillas in Angola
Only in the Cabinda enclave, a region of Angola north of the mouth of the Congo River, can one find wild lowland gorillas.
Angola’s participation in the Gorilla Agreement in January 2022 was a significant step towards achieving agreement on the conservation of gorillas and their environment. They are closely collaborating with GRASP (Great Apes Survival Partnership).
Republic of Congo’s Congo Odzala-Kokoua National Park
The most well-known bai is the Mbeli Bai in the Nouabale Ndoki national park, where you can see over 100 gorillas that have been observed by the Wildlife Conservation Society for many years.
Gorilla groups can be seen foraging for water plants near forest elephants, antelope like the sitatunga, and buffalos as they paddle into marshes.
In the Lefini reserve, where visitors may see the silverback on the forested island from the boat, the Wild Lowland gorillas are also being reformed back into the forest.