How many hours can one spend with mountain gorillas in Bwindi, Mgahinga, Volcanoes And Virunga national parks of Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo? Despite the long hours spent hiking into the thick forests looking for an allocated gorilla family, if you are planning to see mountain gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda, you are allowed a maximum of one hour with mountain gorillas after finding them. Many people most especially the potential tourists have always asked themselves why the government would only allow travelers to spend with mountain gorillas only one hour.

Africa adventure vacations brings you details as to why you spend only one hour with mountain gorillas. The time spent in the forest looking for mountain gorillas is not counted. Trekking mountain gorillas can take you 30 minutes to 7 hours to meet mountain gorillas depending on the season, location of the allocated gorilla family, travelers fitness and speed at which you are trekking in all gorilla national parks.

Yes; you are allowed to spend strictly one hour with the mountain gorillas in all the three countries of Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. This one hour of gorilla trekking also applies to eastern lowland gorillas but these are only found in Kahuzi Beiga National Park of DR Congo. Mountain gorillas staying in low land areas are easy to trek and find compared to those living at higher attitude places. Within the one hour given to you can learn the gorilla behaviors, , learn their lifestyles, see them play, breast feed young ones, go hunt as you take photos and capture live videos while enjoying the magical adventure with your closest relatives. Below are the reasons why gorilla trekking is restricted for one hour.

There are about 1080 mountain gorillas still living in the wild in the entire world. These mountain gorillas only live in 4 national parks in 3 countries that is Mgahinga national park and Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in Uganda, Virunga national park and volcanoes national park in Rwanda. Mountain gorillas can only be found in tropical rainforests in the whole world.

Uganda is a home of more than a half of the total population of mountain gorillas surviving in Bwindi impenetrable forest and Mgahinga national park. The mountain gorilla are the closest creatures to human beings with 98% DNA. This makes them disposed to human diseases especially flue, diarrhoea, cold and cough. For these reasons, Rwanda development board in Rwanda and Uganda revenue authority in Uganda restrict the hours for which travelers can stay with mountain gorillas for they are endangered species now.

The fact that mountain gorillas are now referred to as endangered species, government bodies in charge of tourism restrict trekking time to one hour with mountain gorillas for conservation purposes. Mountain gorillas need a lot of free time to be alone in their habitats with no human beings around them. A large number of people around mountain gorillas causes discomfort and tress to gorillas which cause some to charge yet it’s against conservation measures.

How can one spend more time with the mountain gorillas?

If you want to spend more time with the mountain gorillas, then you should go for gorilla habituation experience. Gorilla habituation experience is only done in Rushaga sector in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park the southern part of the park. Gorilla habituation goes up to 4 hours of interaction with semi – habituated gorilla families and these hours start counting when you meet mountain gorillas. The gorilla habituation experience is all about training wild gorillas to make them get used to human presence.

Gorilla habituation experience joins you with a team of gorilla researchers, doctors, conservationists training gorillas and national park rangers. Gorilla habituation experience takes about 2 to 3 years to make gorillas fully habituated and it’s done every day with or without visitors. Gorilla habituation experience is done by 4 people tourists accompanied by trackers, researchers and conservationists unlike gorilla trekking which comprises of people. To participate in gorilla habituation in gorilla habituation experience you need to have a valid permit which costs $1500 per person per trek. The permit is expensive but worth it.

Gorilla tracking rules and regulations

Apart from spending one hour with mountain gorillas, there are other rules and regulations the must be followed when tracking mountain gorillas. These rules apply in both Uganda’s Bwindi and Mgahinga and Volcanoes national park in Rwanda

Avoid use of flash cameras

Lower your voices

Don’t look straight in the eyes of the mountain gorilla

Cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing respectively

Don’t litter inside the national park

Keep with in your group

Don’t run away when gorillas charge

Don’t participate in gorilla trekking when you are sick

Keep a distance of 7 meters away when you meet mountain gorillas

If you want to ease yourself ask your ranger to dig a hole for you and after you will have to cover