Are mountain gorillas violent towards humans?
Tourists who want to hike mountain gorillas can do so in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda, which are well-known for having a large number of habituated gorilla groups available for visitors to travel. The gorilla habituation process takes approximately 2-3 years for the gorillas to successfully adjust to people. These gorillas can also be found in Rwanda’s Virunga Mountain of Volcanoes National Park, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park, and Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in the southwestern region.
Mountain gorillas share 99% of their DNA with humans, making them more similar to us. Gorillas are gregarious, calm, serene, gentle, friendly, and accustomed to humans since they spend a significant amount of time with guides and researchers. However, they are only hostile towards people when threatened, and they will only attack when their tranquillity is interrupted. These mountain gorillas subsist on tree barks, fruits, shoots, wild celery, and a root-based vegetation diet.
Check out our most popular Uganda safaris starting from Kigali
1 day Uganda gorilla tracking safari from Kigali
2 days Uganda gorilla trekking tour from Kigali
3 days gorilla tracking Uganda from Kigali
6 days gorilla chimpanzees and hiking safari from Kigali
7 days Uganda gorillas and chimpanzee trekking safari from Kigali
7 days Uganda primate’s chimpanzees and wildlife safari from Kigali
14 days gorillas, chimpanzees and wildlife safaris from Kigali
During the nineteenth century, mountain gorillas were poached and slaughtered. In 2009, there was a report on the human-wildlife conflict that showed a Silverback gorilla attacking a poacher in Cameroon’s Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary because he was setting traps. Furthermore, there have been reports in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park that mountain gorillas raided the crop fields of locals who stayed near the national park to thrill. Mountain gorillas are known to be divided into two subspecies: Eastern Mountain gorillas and Western Mountain gorillas.
How dangerous and aggressive are gorillas toward humans?
Mountain gorillas are calm, gentle, peaceful, social, timid, reserved, and friendly to humans since they spend a lot of time with them, including guides and researchers. These gorillas are not inherently dangerous, but they can become hostile depending on how people treat and approach them in their region. People may threaten and disturb the gorillas’ serenity to assume danger. In this procedure, mountain gorillas will be hostile and dangerous if they detect threatening actions. For example, a Silverback, the head of the gorilla family, will react with a terrifying hooting or roar.
Are mountain gorillas violent towards humans?
Before becoming hostile, mountain gorillas convey messages and react with a horrifying roar before running straight in front of the victim at high speed and stopping one meter away. In this case, individuals are advised not to keep direct eye contact with the gorilla in front of them since gorillas see this as a challenge. People are instructed to drop their heads and look down in dread, and to stand still rather than run away, because running away will cause a gorilla to pursue you, resulting in injury.
Check out our Popular Kenya Safaris combined with the Uganda gorilla trek
7 Days gorilla trekking & Masai Mara
8 Days gorilla chimpanzees & Masai Mara Safari
11 Days Uganda gorilla trekking & Kenya Wildlife Safari
Mountain gorillas are not dangerous apes to humans, but to themselves. For example, when a dominant silverback fights against the other silverbacks in the family because of a female gorilla within the family, this silverback believes that only the male gorilla is supposed to mate with all female gorillas within the gorilla group and not anyone else.
How do people avoid Gorilla attacks?
Tourists are encouraged to avoid making direct eye contact with mountain gorillas, instead bowing their heads and looking down in fear so that the gorillas do not feel challenged.
Tourists are likewise advised not to eat or drink when in the vicinity of gorillas.
Tourists are urged to turn off the lighting on their phones and cameras when photographing and filming films of mountain gorillas because the flashlights make the gorillas feel uneasy, which may drive them to become violent.
Tourists who become victims in the presence of mountain gorillas are instructed to maintain a low profile by eating vegetables and sobbing.
Tourists are also asked to maintain a 7-meter distance from the mountain gorillas and avoid touching them because they are wild animals.
How much does it cost to trek gorillas?
Tourists who want to trek mountain gorillas must first obtain a gorilla trekking permit, which costs $800 for non-residents, $700 for residents and UGX300000 for East Africans in Uganda, $1500 for residents and non-residents and $200 for East Africans in Rwanda, and $400 for all visitors and $150 for East Africans in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Trekkers are urged to obtain these permits 6 months in advance to minimize hassles, and the advantage of these costs is that they cover other expenditures such as the guiding fees and the entrance fees.
World’s top best places to trek Gorillas.
Tourists who want to trek gorillas can do so in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, which are located in Uganda, Virunga National Park in Congo, and Volcanoes National Park, which are considered the best places to go for Gorilla, trekking. However, Visitors can also go trekking in countries like; Angola, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic and Congo Brazzaville.
Check out our Most Popular Tanzania Safaris combined with the Uganda gorilla trek
9 Days Uganda Gorilla & Tanzania Safari
12 Days Uganda Wildlife & Tanzania safari
16 Days Tanzania & Uganda gorilla tour
Best time to see gorillas.
Tourists who want to go gorilla trekking can do so at any time of year, but the optimum time is during peak season, which runs from June to September and December to February. This period is ideal since there are fewer rains, making it easier for trekkers to hike through the forests because the roads are not treacherous, and they get the opportunity to witness a variety of animal species. In conclusion, gorillas are not hazardous wild apes to humans; nonetheless, tourists trekking gorillas in the forests should realize that they are in their domain and offer them sufficient respect because they only tend to go wild when their tranquillity is occasionally broken, but otherwise, they are serene, calm, and pleasant to humans.
Contact our travel advisers at Kisoro Tours Uganda to book and obtain the best deals on mountain gorilla trekking trips in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo via info@kisorotoursuganda.com or call us at +256 785 790925 also on WhatsApp
