Africa’s Gorilla Tourism: Rwanda and Uganda

Seeing gorillas in their natural environment or in the wild is known as “gorilla tourism.” In East, Central, and West Africa, this kind of travel is highly well-liked. The top gorilla tourism locations are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.

How did it all start?

When a German captain named Robert Von Beringe found mountain gorillas in what is now Rwanda in 1902, interest in gorilla tourism and conservation began. King Albert of Belgium was persuaded to establish the Albert National Park (now known as Virunga National Park) later in 1925 by American naturalist Carl Akeley. The first in Africa was Albert National Park. In 1959, it was Following Belgian Congo’s independence in 1960, Albert National Park was split into the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and the Virunga National Park in Congo.

 The year 1967 marked a significant turning point in gorilla tourism, study, and conservation. An American naturalist named Dian Fossey started a thorough investigation of mountain gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park at Dr. Leakey’s request. Her research was quite successful, and she made significant advances in gorilla habituation. The technique of training wild gorillas to feel at ease around people is known as “gorilla habituation.”

The Rwanda Office of Tourism and National Parks was established in 1973 to draft new regulations pertaining to national between 1970 and 1980, the poaching and pet trade of juvenile gorillas persisted despite efforts to safeguard wildlife. Dian Fossey opposed gorilla tourism and advocated for the gorillas’ protection. Fossey believed that humans needed to let gorillas alone and unhindered. International concern and urgency to protect and conserve wild gorillas were triggered by the pet trade and the slaughter of entire gorilla families in order to catch their young. Dian Fossey’s favorite gorilla, Digit, was also slain.

The Rwandan government and other conservationists realized that gorilla tourism was a significant means of supporting gorillas after slaughtering groups of animals that had been left in the wild. Communities near the parks would be compelled by the advantages of gorilla trekking to safeguard the animals and even report poachers. First offered in 1973, gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park was briefly discontinued due to a lack of research and experience regarding the effects of human-gorilla tourism in Uganda. Additionally, there were no established guidelines for gorilla trekking at the time.

A significant mountain gorilla project in 1979 marked a sea change in gorilla conservation. In order to promote gorilla conservation, the Rwandan government and a coalition of wildlife support groups decided to launch gorilla tourism, community education, and anti-poaching initiatives. Originally known as the African Wildlife Leadership Foundation (A. W. L. F.), these organizations are now known as the African Wildlife Foundation (A. W. F.) and the Society for the Preservation of Flora and Fauna (F. F. P. S). The convention’s ideas subsequently contributed to the creation of tourism-related jobs and income, which inspired local officials and citizens to work together for gorilla conservation.

The Origins of Gorilla Tourism

Two gorilla groups were chosen for habituation at the beginning of gorilla tourism. Before letting in tourists, the goal was to acclimate them to human presence. Groups 11 and 13, which were both close to the Karisoke center, were chosen. Stilgar, a very serene silverback, was a member of Group 11. Rwandan Gorilla Tourism because they lived so far from the beginning location, other gorilla families were not taken into consideration for habituation at that time. Along with that hostile silverbacks made certain gorilla groups inaccessible. Two groups of participants participated in the first experimental trekking.

 In October 1979, the first group consisted of inhabitants of Rwanda, whereas the second group consisted of tourists who were not locals. Only six individuals per family were allowed on the first trekking expeditions, and they only got an hour to spend with the gorillas. This was done to prevent extended human exposure from straining the gorillas. At the time, the cost of the trek was $20 USD per person.

The guidelines for gorilla trekking were developed and introduced as a result of this first trek. Many people were observed going to the Volcanoes National Park for gorilla trekking in a short amount of time. This resulted in changes to the caliber and there are several lodging options near the park, and many jobs have been developed for the people, including porters, trekking guides, and patrolling guides. Dian Fossey was discovered dead in her cabin at the Karisoke Research Center on December 27, 1985.

In the cemetery she established for the gorillas in Karisoke, she was buried beside Digit, her cherished silverback. Her death has remained a mystery to this day. Following her passing, a 1989 population census of mountain gorillas found that there were roughly 324 gorillas in the Virunga conservation area and 320 gorillas in the Bwindi impenetrable national park, for a total of 644 gorilla individuals.

A male silverback gorilla named “Mrithi” from group 13—one of the first two habituated gorilla families—was killed by poachers in 1992. As if his passing wasn’t enough, between 18 and 22 other gorillas were slain during Rwanda’s civil conflict in 1994. Regretfully, gorilla tourism came to an end as a result of the 1994 genocide’s widespread gorilla slaughter. The Rwandan office of tourism and national parks finally reopened the volcanoes national park for gorilla tourism in 1999. Gorilla trekking licenses cost $250 USD. The cost of a gorilla permit has gone up over time, and it is now $1500 USD per person.

Ugandan Gorilla Tourism

Ugandan gorilla tourism started in 1991 when the government designated Bwindi as an impenetrable national park in order to conserve mountain gorillas. Because Iddi Amin, the country’s president at the time, banned tourism in the 1970s, Uganda’s tourism industry took a long time to grow. Rather, Amin thought that the national parks were great places to hunt wild animals. In the 1980s, the nation also had a civil war, which lasted until 1986, when the National Resistance Army (NRA) triumphed and took control of Kampala. Along with the creation of new laws, this regime shift resulted in the country’s peace and order being restored and the establishment of new governmental institutions. Uganda was now prepared to work with the other nations that were conserving gorillas in the 1990s.

Gorilla Tourism in Rwanda:

The first gorilla family to become acclimated in Uganda was the Mubare family. Because the silverback “Ruhondeza” turned out to be a wonderful person and quite receptive to humans, this was done with ease. In 1993, the Mubare family was first made accessible to the general public for gorilla tourism. There were four habituated gorilla families in Uganda by the year 2004. Among them were the families of Nkuringo, Habinanja, Rushegura, and Mubare.

At the time, the gorilla permits cost $360 USD per person. By 2012, there were nine habituated in the impenetrable national park of Bwindi, and two new trekking spots had opened at Ruhija, in the center of the park as well as the Rushaga area in the park’s southeast.

At the moment, gorilla permits cost $700 USD.

The importance of Traveling with Gorillas

For the nations and local communities where the primates are found, gorilla tourism has been and continues to be extremely significant in a number of ways: The proceeds from gorilla trekking permits have enabled the funding of conservation initiatives, such as national park preservation. The salaries of park officials and the patrol team, who make sure there are no poachers or intruders within the park, are partially funded by the money collected from permits. Regular park visitation have assisted in deterring poachers whose goal it is to is to destroy the wildlife rather than to save it.

Additionally, the park officials have been able to conduct appropriate surveillance to identify new births, new deaths, and any potential health issues thanks to the funding produced by gorilla tourism. The money made by gorilla tourism has been used to construct and expand other government agencies, including those in the fields of education and health. In Rwanda and Uganda, the local populations gain from gorilla tourism when funds are used to construct improved schools, roads, and medical facilities.

Governments have also been able to hire researchers, veterinarians, and other scientists who periodically assess the general health of the primates thanks to the money collected from gorilla trekking licenses. Visitors that come to go gorilla trekking help the by staying in private lodges, taking part in local events, dining at local restaurants, and purchasing crafts and mementos, tourists who come to undertake gorilla trekking help the local community. The people’s quality of life and means of subsistence have significantly improved as a result.

There are disadvantages to gorilla tourism.

Some gorilla groups have lost their innate fear of humans due to excessive human interaction and camera flashes. They have become as daring as to raid farms in the nearby communities as a result of this. Because habituated gorillas no longer run away from people, poachers can simply kill them. Gorillas are particularly vulnerable to human illnesses like colds and coughs. Their possession of around 95% of the human prone to human illnesses like as colds and coughs, among others. They have almost 95% of the human DNA, which explains this. They are more likely to contract human infections if they come into contact with people frequently.

Gorilla tourism’s advantages

In the vicinity of the national parks, gorilla tourism has also increased population pressure. In the expectation of finding favorable tourism-related possibilities, more people move to locations near gorilla parks. When they are unsuccessful, they become irate and start to obstruct and compromise the gorilla conservation efforts. Forests, vegetation, and communal land have been lost as a result of gorilla tourism. The reason for this is that some individuals are erecting lodging facilities on protected territory without permission. Some people have been displaced, such as the Batwa Pygmies.

Gorilla conservation measures

 Forests, vegetation, and communal land have been lost as a result of gorilla tourism. The reason for this is that some individuals are erecting lodging facilities on protected territory without permission. The government gazette all of the forests in Bwindi and Mgahinga, which resulted in the displacement of some populations, such as the Batwa pygmies.

For more than 5000 years, the Batwa people had been hunting and gathering wild fruits in the forests without any disturbance. Despite government efforts to rehabilitate them, they have found it nearly impossible to adjust to life outside the forest. In conclusion, gorilla tourism has advanced significantly in Africa since Dian Fossey’s time, especially in Rwanda, Uganda, and Congo. It was discovered that the most effective approach to raise In conclusion, gorilla tourism has advanced significantly in Africa since Dian Fossey’s time, especially in Rwanda, Uganda, and Congo. It was discovered that permitting this type of tourism was the most effective method to generate funds for gorilla conservation in these underdeveloped nations.

The proceeds from gorilla tourism have gone into infrastructure development, conservation initiatives, and opportunities for the local community that surround the gorillas. The gorillas would be abandoned in the wild and vulnerable to poachers if there was no tourism. Forests, vegetation, and communal land have been lost as a result of gorilla tourism. The reason for this is that some people are erecting lodging facilities on protected territory without permission.

 The government gazetted all of the forests in Bwindi and Mgahinga, which resulted in the displacement of some populations, such as the Batwa pygmies. For more than 5,000 years, the Batwa people had been hunting and gathering wild fruits in the forests without any disturbance. Despite government efforts to rehabilitate them, they have found it nearly impossible to adjust to life outside the forest.

In conclusion, African gorilla tourism and especially in Rwanda, Uganda, and Congo, have advanced significantly since Dian Fossey’s time. It was discovered that permitting this type of tourism was the most effective method to generate funds for gorilla conservation in these underdeveloped nations. The proceeds from gorilla tourism have gone into infrastructure development, conservation initiatives, and opportunities for the local community that surround the gorillas. The gorillas would be abandoned in the wild and vulnerable to poachers if tourism did not exist.