How Big Is a Gorilla?
The mature male mountain gorillas are referred to as “silverbacks” because as they get older, the hair on their backs begins to turn silver or gray. Silverback gorillas can be easily noticed during a gorilla trip in Uganda, Rwanda, or the Congo due to their unique coloring and big stature.
Generally speaking, the strongest and most dominating silverback gorilla leads the family. As such, one of the fascinating scenes you can see on your gorilla trekking expedition is young silverbacks challenging the group leader in an attempt to gain control of their family.
Size of the Gorilla
The largest primates in the planet are gorillas. The average weight of a silverback gorilla is between 135 and 195 kg (300 and 430 pounds), and its height is between 4 feet 11 in. and 5 feet 11 in., with an arm span of between 2.3 and 2.6 meters.
An adult male silverback gorilla is often seven to eighteen times weaker than an ordinary silverback. Therefore, a wild silverback gorilla cannot be defeated by an adult male in wrestling since the latter learns to fight other silverbacks in an innate struggle for dominance.
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Where to See Gorillas
Where to See Gorillas in Rwanda
Five of the eight volcanoes that make up the Virunga Mountains range are located within the 160 square kilometres (62 square miles) of superb rainforest that make up the breathtaking Volcanoes National Park in northwest Rwanda.
In Rwanda, it provides a mystical setting for engaging gorilla conservation adventures. Gorillas are highly gregarious and critically endangered primates that spend the most of their waking hours on the ground looking for food.
They move less than one kilometer (0.6 miles) each day, making it easy to follow these animals. An expert gorilla tracker will lead you past the park’s towering African redwoods, bamboo, weaving vines, and blooming lobelias to the spot where you will have an incredible up close and personal encounter with one of humanity’s closest living relatives.
Where to See Gorillas in Uganda
The eponymously named Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, which envelops Uganda’s southwest mountain range in a thicket of verdant foliage, is home to the mountain gorillas.
You can take a swift, but more expensive, charter aircraft or a day’s drive (about 10 to 11 hours) from Kampala, the country’s capital. Although getting there will require more effort than it would in Rwanda, the trip will be worthwhile!
Bwindi is a montane and lowland forest World Heritage Site that supports over 120 species of animals, 350 bird species, 220 kinds of butterflies, and several more reptiles and amphibians.
The park’s critically endangered mountain gorilla population has increased positively to around half of the global total, largely due to the money received from tourists.
And throughout your Uganda gorilla trekking journey, Bwindi will provide amazing interactions with colobus monkeys and chimpanzees if you’re interested in viewing primate species other than gorillas in Africa.
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11 Days
Private
11 days Uganda Premium Gorilla, Wildlife & River Nile Adventure
from
$ 2900
per personBest Time to See Gorillas
There are two dry and two wet seasons in a year in this country. While going on a gorilla trekking adventure in Uganda is regarded as a year-round sport, most tourists like the drier months of December to February and June to September, when hiking conditions are better.
Conclusion
The world’s rarest wildlife species, by far, are mountain gorillas. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness such a dramatic and magnificent meeting with them in their native habitat.
Friendly Gorillas Editor
Uganda gorilla trekking specialists focusing on delivering unforgettable gorilla experiences at unbeatable prices.
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