Silverback Gorilla, Uganda

Watching Gorillas in Uganda

Dominic CouzensBy Dominic Couzens
8th December 2020

Dominic is a Naturetrek tour leader and one of Britain's
best known and most prolific natural history writers.

To see a Gorilla in the wild is the privilege of a lifetime. Many people yearn for the opportunity to look at one of our closest relatives face to face, but only a few ever manage it. Happily, though, there are places in the world where it is possible to catch up with Mountain Gorillas, the largest and most magnificent of these apes, and one of those is Uganda. It takes some arduous travelling, and even more arduous tracking over hot and hilly terrain, but the moment you come upon a group of these animals, any tiredness melts away into a magical, ecstatic moment that you will remember for the rest of your life.


Where They Live


Uganda’s Mountain Gorillas live in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the far south-west of the country, on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are about 400 animals in the National Park, about half of all the world’s Mountain Gorillas. Bwindi is the very heart of Uganda’s primary forest and is one of the most biodiverse areas on earth. The name arises from the exceptionally tricky terrain, with large stands of bamboo growing between the forest giants which, combined with the steep slopes, make trekking difficult. The Gorillas, of course, make every faltering step worth it, and there are many other highlights, including several other rare primates such as Guereza Colobus and L’Hoest’s Monkey, and a phenomenal suite of forest birds.


Image
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
What to Expect


From our comfortable accommodation it is a short drive to the park headquarters at Buhoma. From here, five trekking parties set out each day, three into the nearby forest and two 90 minutes further away by four-wheel drive at Ruhija. Although there are five habituated groups of Gorillas, finding them can be difficult and involve up to eight hours walking in the very difficult terrain in hot, humid conditions. Once you meet the group you are allowed an hour of viewing time, surely one of the greatest wildlife experiences you can have anywhere.


When to Go


You can go at any time of year, but in April and May it can be very wet. Having said that, the stable equatorial climate ensures that heavy rain may fall at any time. The National Park is situated above 1100m, ameliorating the worst heat.

Image
Juvenile Gorilla

Our Gorilla Watching Tours in Uganda:
Image
Uganda - Mammals and Mountains
A 14-day wildlife safari in search of the mammals, particularly the primates, of Uganda...
Image
Uganda - Mammals & Mountains Photography Special
A 14-day photography tour to Uganda focusing on mammals and birds...
Image
Tailormade Uganda
Create your own Tailormade holiday to Uganda with dates and an itinerary to suit you....
As an alternative to Uganda, have you considered gorilla watching in Rwanda?

Found in Volcanoes National Park, the area was made famous as the site where Diane Fossey carried out her pioneering studies on Mountain Gorillas and brought their plight to the world.