How Many Hours Can One Spend With Lowland Gorillas In Kahuzi Biega National Park?

When you locate the eastern lowland gorillas of Kahuzi Biega National Park only one hour is allowed with them. Before finding these gorillas, time taken to trace them is quite hard to determine as this is influenced by factors prevailing in the wilderness.

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Kahuzi Biega National Park is home to some of the eastern lowland gorillas living in eastern D.R.Congo. These gorillas are fairly larger than other gorilla species but possess shorter fur on their bodies. The unstable political environment of this part of D.R.Congo is a hindrance to the conservation of the gorillas in this area. This area has active rebel activities, poaching, illegal lumbering, mining and much more.

Despite these insecurities gorilla trekking still happens in Kahuzi Biega National Park. The eastern lowland gorillas by the 1990s had a population of over 17000 gorillas but due to this instability, the recent census indicated that about half this lowland gorilla population is currently existing. This report puts the eastern lowland gorillas among the highly endangered primates in the world.

Gorillas feed on foliage to survive and so the number of people allowed to do gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park is restricted to a maximum of 8 per family per visit. This number of visitors is set to a maximum of 8 per visit per family to minimize the effects of humans' presence to the vegetation on which these primates feed. 

The longer humans are with the lowland gorillas the more they may be exposed to human infectious diseases so the time with the gorillas is limited to one hour.

Human presence disrupts the daily activities of the eastern lowland gorillas as these primates have to feed, groom their infants, nap, discipline their infants, play and much more. The eastern lowland gorillas entirely feed on foliage that supports their life through the day and night so they need to consume enough. Human presence may deter these gorillas from having enough for the day so time with the gorillas has to be minimized.

Which Is The Best Time For Gorilla Trekking In Kahuzi Biega National Park

Gorilla Trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park is open all year however the most preferred time is the dry season. The dry season is June, July, August, September, December, January and Early February. The general atmosphere in Kahuzi Biega National Park during this time is fairly dry even though it is a rain forest which receives untimely rain.

The atmosphere in the forest is more comfortable in the dry season as you search for the eastern lowland gorillas. The trails taken by tourists to locate the eastern lowland gorillas are fairly drier with less undergrowth protruding through to obstruct the way.

The lowland gorillas are quicker to spot in the dry season since they spend most of their time closer to the ground. There is food scarcity in the dry season so these gorillas and other forest dwellers need to search for sufficient food to support their life through the day and night.

During this time more sunlight is let in through the dense canopy to the ground reducing on the precipitation in the forest. This also allows you to take better photos and film the inhabitants of this forest.

The dry season is the peak tourism season too so demand for gorilla permits is high and finding last minute permit availability is challenging. It is safer to book the gorilla permit in advance especially those for the peak season as they sell out early.

During the wet season, which is March to May and November, the demand for gorilla permits to Kahuzi Biega National Park is lower opening opportunities for last minute bookings. In case you wish to get exclusive time with the lowland gorillas, the low season may provide this opportunity, as there are fewer people booked to engage in this adventure.

At times even the safari service providers discount their prices to break even during the low season which may be a great opportunity for those with a limited budget to do gorilla trekking.

How Much Is The Cost Of a Gorilla Trekking Safari To See The Eastern Lowland Gorillas?

 The cost of the gorilla trekking tours to see the lowland gorillas varies with the package you choose. At Encounter Africa Safaris, we package our gorilla safaris according to upscale, mid-range and basic. The main cost of the gorilla trekking safari no matter the package is the gorilla permit.

 At the moment, the cost of the gorilla trekking permit for Kahuzi Biega National Park is $450 for international nonresidents, $250 for international residents and $25 for local Congolese.

In addition to the gorilla permit cost, other logistics that support the gorilla trekking safari in this park may include accommodation, transport, driver guide fees, additional safari activities and much more.  All these safari logistics’ costs vary depending on the package you choose.

Our safari consultants are always at your service to draft the right quotation to suit your budget and be inclusive of your safari interests.

Why Do Gorilla Trekking To See The Lowland Gorillas Of Kahuzi Biega National Park

Taking a gorilla trekking safari in Africa is one of the exciting adventures as you have to walk in the dense jungle to locate these primates. Eastern Lowland gorillas are huge with a body that is larger than the normal gorillas.

That one hour allowed with the gorilla family brings you chills as you stare into the dark sunken eyes of these primates. Spending that time with the lowland gorillas is magical as you get that opportunity to witness the reality of the life of these primates. In many films and animations, gorillas are portrayed as aggressive and hard to deal with which is quite the opposite of their actual characters.

While searching for the Eastern lowland gorillas, you may spot other forest inhabitants like the black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys and others, the rich avian life of this natural tropical rain forest is stunning as different birds linger the forest.

For philanthropists, gorilla trekking to see the lowland gorillas is a way to support the conservation of these endangered primates. The population of eastern lowland gorillas by the 1990s was about 17000 but according to recent census about half are living. This puts the lowland gorillas on the list of highly endangered primates that deserve protection.

For every gorilla permit, a portion of the cost is used to support the conservation of the eastern lowland gorillas. More funds are required to keep up with the work of protecting not only the lowland gorillas but also other forest inhabitants and the forest. 

When you hire a porter to carry your gorilla trekking gear, you support community sensitization on the relevancy of having gorillas in the midst of the community. Some of the porters were former poachers and now have resorted to helping out tourists in the forest at an affordable price. In case you wish to give back to the local community during your gorilla safari in Kahuzi Biega National Park, this is one of the direct ways to do so.

How Long Is Gorilla Trekking In Kahuzi Biega National Park? 

The time taken to do gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park depends on the factors prevailing in the forest. During the search for the lowland gorillas, you may encounter obstacles like the non-stop rains, the gorilla's feeding location, in case of a serious attack from another gorilla family, pace of fellow trekkers, and others.

Instead of focusing on only finding the gorillas, look out for other interesting features and inhabitants of the forest. This helps you to pass time and not to dwell on finding only these primates but also collects other eye-captivating photos of forest occupants.

Finally, when you locate the gorillas, one hour is allowed with them as a conservation measure to reduce the effects of humans overstaying with them. As you get away, slowly do so without causing any suspension.

Are Eastern Lowland Gorillas Aggressive?

Eastern lowland gorillas are calm and serene in nature even though their outlook is quite intimidating. Lowland gorillas are shy primates and when agitated, they normally retreat into the dense forest.

With the above traits, do not try to provoke the gorillas because they can charge. When angered, the gorillas may show characteristics like hooting, pulling grass around them, chest-thumping and so much more.

It is not all the time that you witness this that the gorillas are angry with you so before rushing to get away, wait for the ranger guide to establish the root cause of the matter. At times the gorillas are teasing you, having a family feud, trying to seek attention, and playing so you need to remain composed.

These gorillas are very keen with intruders in their vicinity so you need to religiously follow the guidelines of gorilla trekking in order not to cause a stampede in the forest.

Is Gorilla Trekking In Kahuzi Biega Tiresome?

The nature of the topography of Kahuzi Biega National Park is not even because of the volcanic work in Eastern D.R.Congo. At times these Eastern lowland gorillas spend time on the other side of the highland so you have to hike in order to get to them.

Kahuzi Biega National Park is a tropical forest that receives untimely rains yet less sunlight is let into the forest which leaves the ground dense and slippery. This makes navigating the forest quite difficult. 

The trails in the forest are a times overshadowed by vegetation that protrudes through especially during the severe rain seasons. This makes the walk as you search for the gorillas a hard task. The ranger guide with a machete has to trim the vegetation in order to create a path which is time wasting.

When it rains the entire day, the forest temperatures drop and at times the rivers flood creating a difficult environment to walk through.

One needs to bear some level of fitness before the gorilla safari to enable you walk the long distance in search of the gorillas. Carry some energy bite to munch on as breakfast is taken too early to sustain your stay in the forest.

What Are the Guidelines For Gorilla Trekking In Kahuzi Biega National Park

• Mimicking and provoking the lowland gorillas is forbidden as you may not know what you are communicating. The gorillas are very sensitive primates so you need to know how to behave while in their presence. Curiosity may push them to touch you but do not embrace any of these primates because they are wild animals.
• Eating or smoking before the eastern lowland gorillas is forbidden. Do this atleast 200 meters away from them so that they are not enticed to pull what you are eating from you? They are wild animals that must search for their food.
• Only children 15 and above are allowed to do gorilla trekking because of the nature of the gorilla trekking environment. The time of locating the eastern lowland gorillas is unknown because of their movement.
• Spitting on the soil or vegetation may spread germs to the mountain gorillas so it is forbidden. Lowland gorillas can easily catch human infectious diseases like COVID-19, cough, flu, and cholera.
• In case you have a communicable infection volunteer to stay behind and protect the eastern lowland gorillas from such infectious diseases. The extent to which this disease may spread and kill the gorillas is unknown.
• Wearing a clean mask before the eastern lowland gorillas is one of the preventive measures adopted to prevent spreading covid-19 virus to the eastern lowland gorillas and other germs.
• Keep a gap of at least 8 meters from the eastern gorillas when you locate them to prevent the spreading of any infection.
• Loud noise is forbidden in the forest because this may scare the Eastern gorillas. They are very sensitive to unfamiliar noise in their presence. 
• Even using flash photography is prohibited because the eastern lowland gorillas may go into hiding because of unfamiliar light.

Spending time with lowland gorillas is an experience like no other. Please contact us to organize your safari in advance.