
The
Mountain gorillas are worldly critically endangered Ape Species that
have thrived in the mountains of Uganda, Rwanda and Congo for centuries
past until of recent when they were brought to the lime light of the
international world resulting into
gorilla trekking safaris and tours in Uganda and Rwanda.
The 98% of the genetical component between the gorillas and humans is
one of those things that one gets to hear of when planning a
gorilla safari to Uganda.
Following the four years of research by the Willcome Trust Sanger
Institute based in UK, the results revealed that that 98% overlap amidst
the humans and gorilla genomes.
The researcher indicated that good
counts of our genes are much related and also identical to the gorilla
version of the similar gene. In fact while on
gorilla trekking in Uganda, one direct sight in the eyes of gorillas thriving in its natural habitat brings out this truth intuitively.
However, one has to note that the possibilities of encountering
Mountain gorillas are limited as they are only 880 of them thriving in
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and the Virunga Massif. The 400 of these apes
thrive in Bwindi alone which gives it an advantage in terms of gorilla
populations over other habitats and makes it a darling for world
travelers thus opting for
Uganda gorilla safaris and tours.
Due to these enormous numbers, the protected area boasts of many
habituated gorilla families than any other park in the region. The count
of twelve (12) gorilla families distributed in four regions present a
rich ground for
gorilla tracking safaris in Uganda.
The aspect of mountain gorilla conservation can date back to the time
when Fredrich Robert Von Beringe, a German Army Captain brought the
bones and the skin of an ape that he had shot in order to document their
existence as they were unknown to the western world. The Mountain
gorillas had existed in their natural habitats undisturbed by human
diseases, weapons or traps for centuries in the misty highlands of the
east and central Africa.
Gradually, the poaching issues, human and
animal diseases, baby gorilla abductions, unrest and wars and habitat
loss started to pose an effect on the health of these primate species.
However in 1980s, the numbers of mountain gorillas started to rebound
probably because of the works of Dian Fossey which had run for 18 years
inspiring the formation of conservation policies that were then pursued
eagerly by the respective Authorities in the countries of Rwanda Uganda
and Congo, the Dian Fossey International Fund and the International
Gorilla Conservation Programme along with other partners. The efforts
towards the gorilla and their habitat conservation have generated
positive results despite the pressure of increasing population numbers
and poverty in the region where they thrive.
The rise of gorilla
trekking is seen as one of the sustainable ways through which mountain
gorillas can be gradually conserved while generating good returns to the
governments and the communities that surround their habitats. In
gorilla trekking encounter, the conservation message is passed on
carefully to the trackers on
gorilla safari tour in Uganda or
Rwanda. During the briefing session, the dos and don’ts are made clear
to the guests among which include the observance of 7m distance to avoid
disease transmission. For example in 1988, a count of 6 mountain
gorillas lost their lives in Rwanda to a disease that looked like
Measles. The lives of other 65 mountain gorillas were at stake and the
veterinarians used the dart guns to vaccinate them with the human serum
and surprisingly it worked. It was from then that the seven meter rule
for individuals on
gorilla safari and tours in Uganda and Rwanda was empathized to avoid such occurrences.
The guide’s consideration to machete a path where visitors can pass
while tracking gorillas to reduce on the gorilla habitat destruction by
visitors and the consideration of only one hour for visitors to have a
direct encounter with these apes is a consideration of conservation
values.
The maintenance of gorilla habitats and the gorillas
themselves is very significant requiring a lot of funds. The gorilla
tourism is one of the avenues to raise these funds. No wonder, huge sums
are always charged from gorilla trekkers like $600 for Uganda and $750
for Rwanda in order to keep up with the maintenance of gorilla habitats
and giving to the communities that surround these areas.
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