Why you don’t look a gorilla in eyes? If you are going to trek mountain gorillas, you are told not to look mountain gorillas straight into the eyes. Avoiding direct eye contact with mountain gorillas is one of the rules and regulations you re given during the pre- gorilla tracking briefing by park rangers. Attending the briefing is a must by all people going to trek mountain gorillas so as to avoid any mistakes and unacceptable behaviors which can put these great apes at a risk.

Some tourists on many occasions have been asking themselves why no direct contacts with mountain gorillas. Others ask what will happen when you look direct into the eyes of mountain gorillas while others leave that question unanswered in mind. Africa Adventure Vacations offers you reasons why you shouldn’t look gorilla straight in the eyes and these include:

Mountain gorillas are shy

Mountain gorillas are very shy creatures. Just like any shy human being, direct eye contact is surely a disturbance that causes mountain gorillas to be uncomfortable. Making direct eye contact with the mountain gorilla silverback makes him uncomfortable and insecure forcing him to charge and behave wildly in defense. The mountain gorillas are naturally shy and this keeps them calm and quiet most of the times. However when disrupted direct eye contact of human beings, the charge and behave wildly to defend themselves.

It’s a challenge to gorillas

Looking straight into the eyes of a mountain gorilla shows it that you are ready to challenge it, a silver head gorilla cats as the head of a gorilla family and it keeps its eyes open to challenge and  defeat anyone and anything that obstructs with the peace if the family. You are therefore advised to be humble in the presence of the silverback gorilla. To mountain gorillas, any person who keeps direct eye contact with them is a challenger and an enemy who comes to destroy the family. Direct eye contact will therefore force the silverback to charge and fight you in order to defend his family. If you want to be peaceful with gorillas, you should avoid eye contact.

What Are Other Gorilla Trekking Guidelines In Uganda?

As said already, every one going to participate in gorilla trekking is given several rules and regulations during the pre-gorilla tracking briefing. The gorilla trekking rules and regulations are put in place to ensure that the clients and the mountain gorillas are all safe in the jungle. The do’s and don’ts followed during gorilla tracking include:

Avoid eating near mountain gorillas

Avoid touching mountain gorillas

Don’t stay away from your group

Keeping a distance of at least 7 meters away from the gorilla

People who are sick are not allowed to trek

You should avoid the use of flashlight cameras

You are given one hour to stay with mountain gorillas

When sneezing or coughing cover your mouth

Avoid littering in the park

What to do when mountain gorillas charge?

Trekkers are advised to bend low and keep calm when a silverback gorilla charge. Things to do when mountain gorillas charge include:

Don’t shout, stay silent

Crouch down and start walking on your arms

Act like you are eating vegetation just like them

Don’t react just stay calm

Step back and move away from the charged mountain gorilla

Not to fight with a mountain gorilla, it might become wilder

Note: Africa Adventure Vacations offers you the best gorilla tour packages to meet your budget, time and interest. We organize tours, gorilla tracking safaris to Rwanda and Uganda. We also book gorilla permits for clients which saves them the hustle of getting the gorilla permits yourself. Just contact Africa Adventure Vacations and you will get your trip arranged and booked.