Why the Success Rate Is So High
- Tracker teams enter the forest at dawn, before trekking groups depart
- Trackers start from where the gorillas were last seen the previous evening
- Gorillas typically do not move more than 1–2 km overnight
- 22+ habituated families are monitored daily by UWA
- Rangers have decades of experience reading gorilla behaviour and trails
- Radio communication between trackers and ranger guides keeps groups on course
Info
The 1–2% failure rate usually occurs when a gorilla family makes an unusually long overnight move into very dense vegetation. Even then, rangers often locate them with additional tracking time.
What Affects the Length of the Trek
| Factor | Effect on Trek Duration |
|---|---|
| Gorilla family location | Some families range widely, others stay in smaller areas |
| Season | Dry season = firmer trails, slightly faster trekking |
| Your assigned sector | Buhoma sector treks average 2–4 hours; Ruhija can be longer |
| Gorilla movement that day | If they moved far overnight, the trek is longer |
| Group fitness | Rangers adjust pace to the slowest member |
Has Anyone Ever Not Seen Gorillas?
It is extremely rare but has happened. In those cases, UWA typically offers priority rescheduling for the next available date. In our experience as an operator, every guest we have sent trekking has successfully encountered gorillas.