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| Mountain gorilla tracking is a must do for every | | | | One population of mountain gorillas inhabits the |
| visitor to East Africa and combines perfectly with | | | | Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. A |
| Northern Tanzania or Kenya. | | | | census in 2003 recorded 340 gorillas here. The |
| Winston Churchill described Uganda as ‘the | | | | second population of mountain gorillas is found in a |
| pearl of Africa’. Not only was he referring | | | | mountainous region referred to as the Virungas, |
| to its abundance of natural resources but also the | | | | which includes Mgahinga Gorilla National Park |
| friendly, hospitable nature and culture of the | | | | (Uganda), Parc des National Volcanos (Rwanda |
| people, the wildlife and vegetation that awaits | | | | – the setting for Diane Fossey’s |
| visitors to this lesser travelled African destination. | | | | Research) and Virunga. Approximately 380 gorillas |
| Uganda lies on the Northern shores of Lake | | | | are found in the Virungas. |
| Victoria, Africa’s largest fresh water lake | | | | A gorilla visit can entail anything from a 1 to 4 |
| and the source of the River Nile. It is home to | | | | hour trek through the forest, led by experienced |
| half of the worlds remaining gorilla populations and | | | | trackers who have spent their entire lives living in |
| therefore one of the only countries where you | | | | or close to the forest. The trek is well worth it as |
| can reliably see mountain gorillas. Tourism is still | | | | you will get to spend an hour studying the Virunga |
| being established in the country and you | | | | gorillas. These highly sociable creatures live in |
| won’t find the crowds of tourists that | | | | groups containing between 5 and 30 individuals. |
| you come across in other parts of Africa, making | | | | The silverback male acts as their leader with |
| it the ideal destination for those looking for an | | | | several adult females and up to 10 juveniles and |
| authentic special interest African safari. | | | | infants. The groups are generally cohesive with |
| Uganda is situated astride the equator and has a | | | | females generally showing no signs of dominance. |
| tropical climate having sunshine for most of the | | | | There is, however, much competition for females |
| year. The main factor that will affect you when | | | | amongst the mature males and once a male |
| choosing to travel is the rainfall patterns. In the | | | | becomes a silverback (at about the age of 11 |
| southern part of the country, April is the rainiest | | | | years) he may be forced to leave the group and |
| month with rains falling in May as well followed by | | | | live a solitary life until he forms his own group by |
| another wet season in October and November. | | | | luring females away from other groups. |
| Rwanda borders Uganda to the North and | | | | After having spent time observing the mountain |
| Tanzania to the East and is easily accessible from | | | | gorillas you will realise what motivated Dian |
| Kenya and Uganda. Rwanda is known as the land | | | | Fossey to spend 18 years of her life living in the |
| of a thousand hills and is rich in fauna and flora | | | | forest studying and protecting these magnificent |
| with breathtaking green savannah. Visitors can | | | | creatures who are so close to humans sharing 98 |
| expect a warm and friendly welcome from the | | | | % of our DNA, and although these gentle, shy |
| Rwandan people who have undergone a | | | | giants may be genetically similar to us, they |
| remarkable transformation by putting their | | | | possess very little of the destructive side of our |
| troubled past behind them – a testimony | | | | nature. |