Prepare for an early start to the day. Make sure to set your alarm for an early wake-up call, as you’ll need time to freshen up, get dressed, and have breakfast before departing from camp at 7:45 am. Opt for neutral-colored clothing and pack rain gear. It’s essential to wear long sleeves and trousers tucked into your socks to guard against ants, stinging nettles, and brush.

Upon reaching the park headquarters, you’ll join your guide(s) and tracker(s) to commence tracking. The lead tracker will search for clues like footprints, chewed bamboo, or dung to pinpoint the gorilla group’s location.

It is highly recommended to hire a personal porter (arranged and paid locally) to assist during the trek.

Mountain gorillas thrive in densely vegetated areas with abundant low-growing vegetation, often scaling steep slopes for their preferred food. Consequently, tracking them can be physically demanding. Expect a trek of three to four hours or longer, traversing challenging terrain like mud, slippery slopes, stinging nettles, and thick vines.

Proper footwear and attire are crucial, as is good health and physical fitness. Engaging in pre-departure exercises such as walking, stair-climbing, or cycling can help build endurance. Consult your doctor for personalized recommendations.

Trackers typically allow brief rest breaks, but they maintain a brisk pace to ensure ample time for gorilla observation within daylight hours. If you lag behind or encounter difficulty, a staff member will stay with you while the rest of the group proceeds.

You might detect the gorillas’ scent before spotting them. As you draw nearer, the tracker may emit soft sounds to signal your approach. If your trek isn’t overly long, you may encounter gorillas during their midday rest and playtime.

During the visit, the dominant male, usually a silverback, may lounge while youngsters frolic in the surroundings. Females tend to nurse and interact with infants. While curious adolescents might approach, touching gorillas is strictly prohibited.

Keep Low and Quiet

Your group will be instructed to crouch and stay together while observing gorillas. The dominant male prefers visibility to ensure his family’s safety. Avoid direct eye contact, as gorillas interpret it as aggression. Maintain a submissive posture and observe them from a low angle.

Occasionally, a male gorilla may charge as a display, but it’s typically a bluff. Remain crouched and composed; the gorilla will likely retreat. Such displays are part of their behavior, especially with habituated groups.

Tracking groups spend up to an hour with gorillas per excursion to minimize stress. Photographs are allowed from a low position without flash, and touching gorillas is strictly prohibited.

Yes, photography is permitted, but it must adhere to the constraints of a gorilla visit: photos should be taken from a low, crouched position with slow and minimal movement. Avoid taking an excessive number of photos and never use a flash. Recording videos of the gorillas is allowed, but only without illumination lights.

Absolutely not. Gorillas are naturally curious, particularly the younger ones, who may approach or try to touch human visitors. It’s essential not to reciprocate this behavior. Guides may intervene to discourage such interactions, as they could provoke a response from the dominant male. Under no circumstances should you attempt to approach or touch a mountain gorilla.

Tracking conditions vary based on the gorillas’ location, making it impossible to forecast the specific difficulty of any trek in advance. It’s conceivable that you might locate the gorillas swiftly and return in time for lunch, or the trek could extend for three to four hours or longer each way, concluding near sundown.

If you find the forest trek too demanding, inform your guide. Depending on your stopping point, you may either return immediately to the trail’s base with a tracking staff member or remain in place until the group returns.

No, all gorilla tracking occurs in small groups of four to eight people per gorilla family. Visits are restricted to one hour per family per day to minimize stress on the gorillas, regardless of the group size. Given the limited time available, private visits cannot be arranged.

If you have a cold, respiratory infection, or diarrhea, you won’t be able to visit the gorillas, as these illnesses can be transmitted to them. Notify your guide, and your gorilla tracking permit fee  might be refunded. If you proceed with the trek while unwell and are detected by the guide, you’ll be escorted back immediately, and the permit fee won’t be refunded.

No one can guarantee uninterrupted gorilla encounters. Although trackers are skilled at locating signs of gorillas, success isn’t guaranteed. Additionally, consistent clear viewing at close range may be challenging due to dense vegetation where gorillas roam.

Please Note: Afrca Photo Safaris are not  involved in the management or operation of Uganda’s national parks and reserves, including Bwindi Impenetrable Forest where gorilla tracking occurs. These areas are solely under the jurisdiction of local authorities.