What is a gorilla?
On your gorilla safari to Rwanda or Uganda, you will get to know these gentle giants, our closest relatives. Your gorilla trekking safari will give you a lifetime experience to meet and know the gorillas.
The word “gorilla” comes from the history of Hanno the Navigator, (c. 500 BC) a Carthaginian explorer on an expedition on the West African coast to the area that later became Sierra Leone. Members of the expedition encountered “savage people, the greater part of whom were women, whose bodies were hairy, and whom our interpreters called “Gorillae”. The word was then later used as the species name, though it is unknown whether what these ancient Carthaginians encountered were truly gorillas, another species of ape or monkeys, or humans.
Gorillas are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Sub-Saharan Africa. The genus Gorilla is divided into two species: the eastern gorillas and the western gorillas (both critically endangered), and either four or five subspecies. They are the largest living primates. The DNA of gorillas is highly similar to that of humans, from 95–99% depending on what is included, and they are the next closest living relatives to humans after the chimpanzees and bonobos.
Gorillas are some of the most powerful and striking animals, not only for their size and force but also for their gentle human-like behavior. They play a crucial role in local biodiversity, roaming through large territories and helping, for example, to spread the seeds of the fruit they consume. There are many potential dangers to the gorillas such as hunting and trading, disease, and weak law enforcement.
Rwanda Eco Company & Safaris wishes you a great encounter with the gorillas, for any inquiry about gorilla safari for both Uganda and Rwanda, do not hesitate to reach us by email, we are right there to take you miles away to the jungle and meet the gentle giants either in Uganda or Rwanda with you.