Tour Guide, Kampala, Uganda
| 4 mins read
This question has been posed by very many travelers who are interested in gorilla tracking asking how safe Rwanda is for gorilla tracking. Rwanda is considered as one of the safest countries not only in Africa but also in the entire world. Gorilla tracking is the most protected safari activity in Rwanda; your safety is on everyone’s mind, from the time you arrive in the country until when you depart home your safety is taken very seriously. Many people are doubting and fear thinking that it’s dangerous to come near these looking tough animals perhaps in their natural habitat deep in the forest. For any safari to see the gorillas in their natural habitat each group is assigned to arrange a guide who is well armed and experienced and he knows the allocation of gorillas. They monitor these animals time to time and gorillas are habituated to human standards that they can be tracked safely by humans without any danger caused. To ensure your safety and that of gorillas only eight members are allowed to track per each gorilla family.
Not only the tour and travel companies or tour operators responsible for your safe, but once you confirm your gorilla safari to Rwanda, the government, the ministry of tourism, Rwanda Tourism Board offices (ORTPN), the local authorities specially those near the park, the lodges where you will have your night stay, guide/driver, the newly established tourism police, all these stakeholders have a upper hand for your security and well-being. No activity in Rwanda that can out-compete the magical encounter with the rare mountain gorillas. A huge number of travelers’ worldwide jet into Rwanda to have a glance to these animals which cannot be seen elsewhere in the world but only in three African countries that are Rwanda Uganda and the democratic republic of Congo.
Only about 900 of these remaining mountain gorillas are said to be left worldwide and Rwanda is said to hosts almost a half of these remaining mountain apes are inhabited in the volcanoes national park which is located in the northern part of Rwanda. Gorilla tracking activity is the most expensive safari activity in Rwanda but however the most done activity. Rwanda is much known for its endangered mountain gorillas besides the 1994 Rwanda genocide which claimed over 1million people.
Rwanda houses about 10 gorilla families and two gorilla families are for research purpose. Each group receives eight visitors on the daily basis, which means that about 88 members track Rwanda gorillas every day, only those who have fully paid the gorilla tracking fee which costs usd$1500 per person are only allowed to meet these giants. And you are recommended to book these permits earlier to your tracking date to avoid disappointment. Gorilla permits are at a very high demand so at times they get finished so early, the earlier you secure your gorilla tracking permits the better. The money got from this activity, a percentage goes to the local community as a direct benefit from the gorillas. The money helps to improve the well-being of the people especially those surrounds the park, the money got help to build up infrastructures like schools, hospitals among many others. Lodge owners also benefit from a number of travelers who occupy these lodges, also those who are employed to work in the lodges and hotels around the park, ranger guides, and various community projects that directly benefit from the project also directly benefit from the tourism as they organize village walk to meet the local community,. The visitors purchase their locally made items like crafts, weaves thus earn a living. They also organize bicycle rides, birding walks and of course the tour operators all benefit from the tourists visiting the mountain gorillas in the Volcanoes national park. All these stakeholders are responsible for your security. Just go ahead and book your gorilla safari to Rwanda as your security is given first priority. For more information about Rwanda gorilla safaris just contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Photo Copyright: Image details & licenses: https://pixabay.com/en/gorillas-silverback-ape-monkey-474728/, https://pixabay.com/en/silverback-gorilla-rwanda-primate-529576/, https://pixabay.com/en/gorilla-primate-east-africa-rwanda-818003/, https://pixabay.com/en/gorilla-primate-east-africa-rwanda-818023/