I turn my head, surprised by a deep grunt sound behind me. It’s one of our guides mimicking the gorillas. That sounded way too realistic and it seems to help! Not much longer we bump into a silverback mountain gorilla scratching his chest and munching leaves.
Virunga National Park in DRC Congo is one of the last places on earth you can meet mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. This is not a zoo, so be prepared to hike for a few hours!
A look behind the scenes of the mountain gorilla meetup in Virunga National Park
We leave Kibumba tented camp and start hiking towards the green lush forest. Our ranger has a machete and it seems to be quite necessary to make our way through thick forest layers. Our path is not a straight one, every now and then there is some chit chat on the radio with the latest updates.
A part of the rangers leaves at 5 AM to track down one of the wild gorilla families and then instruct the guide of the visitors who leave at 9 am on how to reach there. So not all mountain gorilla’s are used to see humans. Only a few gorilla families are used to meet people. But they are still wild animals and go wherever they please. One issue is that the family might cross the border to Rwanda. So in the rare case a family takes a walk going too close to the border (500m) , the rangers will stay overnight close to the family, hoping they would not cross into another country. I assume they do this because of 2 reasons. First of all they put a lot effort into protecting all animals in Virunga National Park from poachers and rebels. They can only do that within the boundaries of the park. Second reason is that the gorilla trek brings in money that helps to keep Virunga National Park ( 7,769 km2) up and running.
How much does a gorilla trek in Virunga National Park cost?
The permit costs 400 USD for a 1 hour gorilla encounter. To compare this, in Rwanda a permit costs $1500 and in Uganda $700.
Why do I have to wear a surgical mask?
You have to wear surgical mask and use a alcohol gel to wash your hands when approaching the gorillas. This is needed to avoid transmission of any diseases in both directions. So it’s not only during the current Corona / Ebola outbreaks. If you are not feeling well, don’t go and reschedule. You can also not smoke, eat or drink when around the gorilla’s to minimize the risk of spreading any diseases.
What should I do when the silverback stands up and beats his chest?
Always follow the instructions of the rangers. But whatever you do, do NOT run. Running is a recipe for disaster. In worst case being beaten op by the big boss. A strategy which has been proven more chances of survival, is slowly sitting down and looking at the ground, being humble basically.
Are you guys interested in a close encounter with gorillas? Feel free to drop your questions in the comments! 🙂