Rain Forests of Uganda, Rwanda and Republic of Congo
The first thought that often comes to mind for many people when they think of Africa is the dry arid areas that are home to a good portion of the wildlife that people associate with Africa. However, there is another side to Africa that many seem to forget about. The mountain rainforests of Uganda Africa are home to one of the closest living relatives to humans, gorillas.
The rainforests of Uganda, Rwanda and Republic of Congo are home to many animals, the majestic gorilla being one of them. With less than 900 gorillas remaining in the wild today they are amidst many unfortunate creatures that have managed to obtain a place on the critically endangered list of wild animals. Due to their low numbers it is no shock that the mountain gorillas are only found in four separate national parks (African wildlife Foundation, 2014).
According to the map above, this is where many of the 900 gorillas that remain roam the mountains.
With so few gorillas remaining and in so few places in the wild, there are limited opportunities for people to go see these spectacular creatures. Travelers often look for an experience that are a once in a lifetime opportunity and going to trekking through the silver fog mountains in Africa can provide visitors with such opportunities. The physical geography of the land is a major component to attracting visitors and tourists because it is in the tropical rainforests that the gorillas can find the specific habitat they need to thrive. This means that the gorillas become the anchor for tourism in these areas. Their exclusivity to these regions draws people from near and far to come admire their might and grandiose.
Due to the tourists that these mountains and gorillas bring this means that the regions receive a large economic boost from the incoming currency. The desire for people to hike into the mountains creates a need for mountain trekking guides and other services for the tourists experience to be enjoyable. Often the local community surrounding the mountains and areas where the gorillas live takes on this responsibility, which in turn gives them paying jobs and benefits the local community.
The hike to the see gorillas is not for the faint of heart and will be hard work! Climbing the steep mountain trails can be challenging at the best of times, not to mention in the rainy season. Though the rains only fall for about three hours out of the day (Bwindi National Park, 2014) and the rest is sun, the rainfall and humid environment can make for a slippery climb to seek out the gorillas. Most people choose to go from June to September as well as December to February because those are not rainy season time. However if cost is your main concern then going during the beginning of the rainy season might not be such a bad idea due to the lowered tour and excursion costs. The Uganda Wildlife authority decided to lower the cost of gorilla tracking permits to enable the tour companies to encourage tourism by lowering costs to visitors (Bwindi National Park, 2014).
The scenery and the experience that the mountains in Uganda, Rwanda and the Republic of Congo can share with the people who come to visit is remarkable. This experience will leave you breathless and knowing that you have now seen a wonder that you could have only dreamed of at one point in your life.
References
http://www.bwindiforestnationalpark.com/gorilla-trekking-uganda-bwindi-safari.html
http://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/mountain-gorilla
http://www.onthegotours.com/Africa/gorilla-trekking
Brian Troy
get out and see it 