Uganda: Uganda is one of the best places to see mountain gorillas.
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Gorilla permits in Rwanda are the most expensive at $1500 apiece. The chances of seeing gorillas in Rwanda is over 97%. Rwanda is thought to be the most convenient place to spot mountain gorillas in the world. There are ten habituated mountain gorilla groups in Rwanda at the moment. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park is very popular and attracts thousands of visitors to the country every year. It was in this park that the famous primatologist Dian Fossey established base in the 1960’s to study the behavior of these majestic creatures. The gorillas are found in the Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda. Rwanda is home to about 30 percent of the remaining population of mountain gorillas. Rwanda: Rwanda is one of the best places to see gorillas in the wild. We will now discuss the different countries where gorillas can be found. If you can tolerate the discomfort, unpredictability and long traveling distance in some of the countries in West Africa, you will be rewarded with amazing biodiversity. Although most tourists head to Uganda and Rwanda for gorilla tracking, the countries in West Africa offer even more amazing adventures for primate lovers. Which is the best place to go gorilla trekking in Africa? Wild gorillas live in the forests of east and central Africa – Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda. It is also important that all gorilla conservation efforts should be part of a wider wildlife conservation plans to realize greater success. Both international and local communities should be involved in the conservation efforts to help generate funds and create shared responsibility. The primates can be protected by stopping illegal trade in baby gorillas, stopping forest encroachment and eliminating poaching. In order to protect these great apes from total extinction, a collaborative effort involving governments and wildlife conservation Agencies is important. Most of the species are now listed as critically endangered or threatened due to hunting, diseases, war/instability, animal trafficking and habitat loss (due to mineral exploration and logging). The overall population of gorillas has reduced significantly in the last few decades. Only about 250 Cross river gorillas can still be found in the wild. At the bottom of the curve are the Cross river gorillas in Nigeria and Cameroon. Mountain gorillas have shown the greatest increase in numbers but their overall population is one of the lowest at about 1,000.
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After them are the eastern lowland gorillas which number about 7,000. They are also the ones that face the greatest persecution. With a population of over 200,000, western lowland gorillas are the most numerous and widespread. Gorillas can live up to about 40 years old in the wild and 50 in captivity. A female will give birth to about four young in her life. There are cases of female reproducing in their own group especially among cross river gorillas. Although females are sexually mature at 8 years, they start breeding later on. The females generally leave a group once they reach maturity to join a single male or other groups. Males become sexually mature at about 15 years and the dominant silverback has all mating rights in a gorilla group. The dominant male rules for a long time until he dies or is replaced by a stronger male within or from other groups. He keeps a keen watch on all members of the group and will protect his family from other silverback gorillas, other animals or humans. The dominant male determines where to feed and rests. Gorilla groups can contain between two to 50 members. Gorillas live in relatively stable groups headed by a dominant Silverback. Gorillas are mostly vegetarian and feed mostly on bamboo shoots, tree stems/bark, fruits and rarely on termites. An adult male gorilla can weigh up to 200 kilograms.
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The Eastern gorillas are larger than the western gorillas and have darker and longer fur. Their eyes are close together, the face hairless and the nostrils large/prominent. They have broad shoulders/chests and larger forearms/hands. Despite a few differences, all gorilla species share one thing in common. By this time the western and eastern gorillas had been apart for too long and had started following a different development path physically and genetically. After the ice age, rain forest once again spread around the tropics. The cold conditions and ice caused rain-forests to shrink into smaller forests separated by Savannah. Scientists believe that western gorillas were separated from eastern gorillas during the ice age.