Why is Gorilla Trekking so Expensive?

Is Gorilla Trekking Expensive? Gorilla trekking is expensive because mountain gorillas are endangered and because of that many people want to see them.

Compared to other wildlife encounters in Africa, gorilla trekking costs are relatively high. The beautiful primates are critically endangered which puts them at great risk of extinction and a need to promote their existence has stimulated high efforts towards conservation. What are mountain gorillas?  The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is one of the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla. It is listed as endangered by the IUCN as of 2018

What is gorilla trekking and why is it so expensive?

Gorilla trekking is one of the most thrilling wildlife activities on earth. The experience is much different from a game drive in top wildlife spotting areas of Serengeti, Masai Mara, or Kruger National Park. Gorilla trekking is special because mountain gorillas are some of the few creatures that look and behave like we humans. They live in families with a hierarchy where the dominant silverback dictates everything that is done by the group.

Gorilla trekking is expensive

Gorilla Trekking is expensive because mountain gorillas are endangered and because of that many people want to see them. The high numbers of tourists interested in seeing them have forced many governments to raise the price of permits. You can say the principle of demand and supply applies here – The higher the demand, the higher the price. But demand is not the only explanation for the high cost of gorilla permits. The high need for funds to protect the primates from extinction is also a contributor to the high price.

Being our close relatives, they are affected by most of the diseases just like those of humans, and in order to maintain their well-being, there is a need to protect them from external influence.

Gorilla conservation involves significant investments in research, rangers, and scientists and this requires money. Part of the money collected from gorilla permits is channeled towards the protection of these majestic primates.

To be more specific, 15% of the money collected goes to the government, 10% to the local communities, and 75% to gorilla conservation. It is important to also note that if the prices for permits were reduced considerably, there is a likelihood that there would be too many visitors to the parks hence affecting the overall well-being of the few habituated gorilla groups.

Gorilla trekking is possible only in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Uganda, mountain gorillas can be tracked in Mgahinga and Bwindi National Park. In Congo, the primates are found in Virunga National Park while in Rwanda they habituate the Volcanoes National Park.

Is gorilla trekking in uganda worth the money?

Yes! The gorilla trekking experience in Uganda is worth all the money you’ll spend because once you sit a few meters from a four-hundred-pound silverback and his whole family, the world comes alive, and your view of the natural world is changed forever.

If this question lingers in your mind, the answer is YES, Gorilla trekking is worth the money, time spent, and effort. The previous experiences by the previous visitors who have done gorilla trekking definitely admit that the experience of coming face-to-face with these gentle endangered giants is very worth it, that is, the money, time, and efforts right from the early stages of planning the gorilla trekking safari is worth everything involved.

The cost of a gorilla permit 

If you are planning to do gorilla trekking in any of the three East African countries of Uganda, Rwanda, and D.R Congo, you will need to acquire a gorilla permit. A gorilla permit is a document that allows you access to the gorillas.

• In Uganda, gorilla permits cost $700,
• in Rwanda $1500,
• and in Congo $400.

For East African community nationals, however, you can obtain a gorilla permit in Uganda for 300,000 shillings. During the low seasons of the year, Gorilla permits are sold at a discount in Virunga National Park of Congo for $250 dollars (This could change).