How many mountain gorillas are left in Rwanda?
How many mountain gorillas are left in Rwanda? Mountain gorillas are the world’s endangered primates that reside in protected areas of forested and mountain national parks in western Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The forested areas provide comfortable habitats not only to mountain gorillas but to other primates as well such as chimpanzees, baboons, monkeys, and also provides good grounds for birds and other wild animal species.
Mountain gorillas in Rwanda live in the northwestern part of the country in Musanze province in volcanoes national park. Volcanoes national park is Rwanda’s and Africa’s oldest park and is a pillar to Virunga Masiff Conservation areas which is made of 2 other parks of Virunga National park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda respectively.
The population of endangered mountain gorillas has been increasing since 2000. According to the mountain gorillas census that was last released, the mountain gorillas population in Volcanoes National Park, Mgahinga National Park, and Virunga National Parks have increased from just 480 Mountain Gorillas to 604 and by adding those in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, the total number of Mountain gorillas left in the world is 1063.
The number of mountain gorillas left in Rwanda is only protected in Volcanoes National Park. Volcanoes National Park has 12 habituated gorilla families that are available for tourists to trek and other rest of the habituated gorilla families are left for research purposes. On each day only a group of 8 tourists is allowed to visits a particular group and this implies that, in Rwanda, there are 96 gorilla trekking permits sold per day. It is estimated that there over 350 mountain gorillas that are left in Rwanda and which live in Volcanoes National park.
The ever increasing number of endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda have been attributed to strong conservation strategies employed by Rwanda and other countries sharing the gorilla parks such as Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwanda’s gorilla trekking permit area expensive and goes to over 1500 united states dollars per person and this high cost is related to the mountain gorilla conservation achievements in Volcanoes national park.
Apart from mountain gorillas, Rwanda features other primates such as chimpanzees which are tracked in Nyungwe Forest national park, golden monkey trekking and offers the best safari game drives in one of the best National park Akagera where you will see the big 5 mammals of Africa which include Leopards, African Elephants, Lions, Buffaloes, and Rhinos.
Rwanda is one of the few destinations where you Congo for African endangered gorilla trekking safaris. The gorilla trekking safari is conducted in Volcanoes national park with a variety of primates, bird species, and full of adventure activities proved that it harbors 5 dormant mountain volcanoes where you can conduct your adventure hiking safaris still in the park in addition to gorilla trekking tours.
