Where to see the Gorillas
Our gorilla safaris to Africa focus on the highly endangered Eastern Mountain Gorilla, of which there are no more than 720 remaining on the planet and these magnificent primates are found only in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo). Within these three countries there are primarily two habitats which support the gorillas and these are the Virunga Mountains which bestride Rwanda, Uganda and Congo and the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda.
We do not currently offer trips to the Democratic Republic of Congo and so our gorilla safaris incorporate the neighbouring countries of Rwanda and Uganda which hold approximately half of the world’s population of gorillas.
Virunga Mountains
East Africa’s Virunga Mountains are a chain of active volcanoes which lie on the borders between Rwanda, Uganda and Congo. Running down the western side of the Great Rift Valley, the Virunga Mountains are located in what is known as the Albertine Rift and consist of eight major peaks, the highest of which towers up to around 5,000m.
On the Congolese side of the soaring Virunga Mountains lies the Virunga National Park, covering an area of some 7,800km² and protected as World Heritage Site. On the Rwandan side is the smaller Parc National des Volcans (PNV), covering around 120km² and also known as the Volcanoes National Park. At the eastern end of the Virunga’s in Uganda is the Mgahinga National Park, which covers an area of just under 34km². Between them, these three protected areas combine to form the Virunga Conservation Area, home to approximately 380 mountain gorillas.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Located in south-west Uganda on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a World Heritage Site containing nearly half of the world’s population of Mountain Gorillas within its 330km² of montane and lowland forest.
Though not quite as high as the Virunga Mountains, Bwindi’s undulating hills rise to over 2,500m and most of the park is located above 2,000m. The importance of Bwindi National Park lies in its exceptional biodiversity and contains no less than 160 species of trees and 120 different types of mammal, including 10 species of primates alone.
