Mountain Gorillas, gorilla tracking, trekking rules & regulations

Mountain gorillas are highly endangered, only about 720 are left in the world, of which 360 are found in the Virunga Mountains.
A male African mountain gorilla acquires his silver back at about 11-13 years of age.
The dominant silverback, usually the strongest male, mates with the females once the females are about 10 years old.
Mountain gorillas have been found to live as high as 3,500mtrs in the mountains.
Mountain gorillas live in families of about 8-15, although a group as large as 30 gorillas was once recorded.
The females in the group can come from different families; therefore not all the gorillas are related.

Gorilla Tracking Rules in Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo

To protect the gorillas and tourists the rules below must be followed:

You are not allowed to track gorillas if you have a communicable disease, eg. diarrhoea, flu, etc.
You don't have to surround the gorillas but remain in a tight group
Leave a distance of not less than 5 metres between you and the gorillas
Flash photograph is strictly forbidden
You are not allowed to eat or smoke within 200 metres of the gorillas
If you can not avoid sneezing or coughing, turn away from the gorillas and cover your nose and mouth
Bury all your human faeces in a hole dug at least 30cm (1ft) deep and ensure that it is properly covered afterwards
Do not spit on vegetation or soil while in the park
No person under 15 years is allowed to track gorillas
Do not make loud noise or sudden movements in the presence of gorillas
All liter must be removed from the park for disposal
Please observe all instructions from your guide.

Porters are available at a small cost.

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