
Best Way To Survive A Gorilla Attack
What is the best way to survive a gorilla attack? Gorillas are very peaceful, gentle, and calm primates in the world though they have often been mistaken to be violet, mountain gorillas only attack human beings or other wild animals when they see them as a threat or not comfortable in their areas.
How to survive gorilla attacks
Gorillas are very strong animals and will defend their families in case of trouble or and as soon as they sense danger, they will react by beating their chests, thumping the ground, throwing vegetation, propping themselves with two hind legs, and making loud noises. If the enemy doesn’t move away by those warnings a gorilla will attack them by scratching, biting, striking, and even dragging one way by hand or leg. Below we look at ways you can survive a gorilla attack in case of gorillas charge at you.
Walk away steadily
Mountain gorillas sometimes feel insecure and charge during the observation hour while trekking or habituating gorillas, rangers highly advise tourists to slowly step back away steadily from the area of the gorilla scene. Never attempt to run away from a charged gorilla because they will run after you to attack and no human beings can win a gorilla fight. You can fall on the ground and show that you have accepted the defeat.
Crouching down
It’s advisable to crouch down, keep calm, respectful, quiet, bend down, lower yourself on the ground and make yourself smaller than a gorilla while a mountain gorilla is attacking you during gorilla trekking, you need to bend down and make yourself small in front of mountain gorillas. if a gorilla sees that you are not interested in challenging them, they will calm down and they will not see any reason to attack you.
Follow gorilla trekking rules and regulations
To avoid mountain gorillas from attempts of attacking you, you need to follow the rules and regulations as taught to you at the briefing center by the wardens. Your ranger guide in the jungle will always tell you about the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking while in the presence of gorillas in case they want to attack.
Pretend to be like an ape
One of the ways to survive a mountain gorilla attack is by being brave and acting like another mountain gorilla when a charged gorilla comes near you, you can do so by chewing vegetation, napping on the ground, plucking leaves, throwing and breaking some vegetation. This will show the gorilla that you are not hostile and aggressive. You can act like forest dwellers and a gorilla will then lose interest in you.
Show your teeth
Mountain gorillas may attack trekkers very closely and if there is no option of stepping back and crouching, trekkers are advised to show their teeth to a charged gorilla and scream as this will by chance scare the gorilla away thinking you are another wild gorilla.
Never look directly into gorilla eyes
For unclear reasons, mountain gorillas don’t like to be looked in the eyes directly and in case they charge at you, you are advised to pretend as if you are not interested in seeing them, avoid direct eye contact and this will make them lose interest in attacking you thus calming down.
Keep a distance from gorillas
Tourists are advised to keep a distance of about 7 meters away from mountain gorillas after allocating them. You are not even allowed to touch mountain gorillas because they are wild animals except if they come near you or touch you by themselves without posing any threat. Getting closer to mountain gorillas makes them charge.
In conclusion, mountain gorillas usually don’t attack people unless if they have disturbed and they always send warnings such as beating their chests, thumping the ground, throwing vegetation, propping themselves with two hind legs, and making loud noises before charging. The best way to survive a mountain gorilla attack is to follow the gorilla trekking rules and regulations given at the briefing before trekking and also follow the park rangers’ guidelines while in the presence of mountain gorillas.
Other mountain gorilla rules and regulations
- To take part in gorilla trekking in any of the gorilla national parks you must be above the age of 15 years and you must not be sick of infectious diseases such as flu, cough, and diarrhea on the day of trekking
- A maximum number of 8 people is allowed to trek a single gorilla group per day
- You are advised to wash your hands before heading into the jungle to look for mountain gorillas
- You are not allowed to litter in the park and you are advised to keep your rubbish and return it from the forest.
- You are asked to keep your voices down
- You are only allowed to take mountain gorillas photos using a flashless camera
- You are advised to stay in your group during trekking
- Don’t drink, eat or smoke near mountain gorillas as this will increase the risk of food droplets which might cause diseases to mountain gorillas
- When mountain gorillas charge trying using some of the rules and regulations as taught to you at the briefing center.
- If you are near the gorillas and feel like coughing or sneezing, you are advised to turn your head away and cover your nose and mouth in order to reduce the risk of the spread of diseases.
- In case you feel like easing yourself, ask a ranger guide to dig for you a whole and after covering it with soil.
Price of gorilla permits
Every country has its own gorilla permit prices with Uganda permits costing $700 for foreign nonresidents, $600 foreign residents, and shs250,000 East African citizens, DR Congo $450 in the high season and $200 in the low season and lastly Rwanda has the most expensive gorilla permit which costs $1500 for all trekking categories per person per trek. In Uganda, you have an opportunity of doing gorilla trekking and this is only done in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park at a fee of $1500 per person per trek
Where to book a gorilla permit
Booking a gorilla permit can be done directly through government bodies in charge of tourism like Uganda revenue authority for Uganda, Rwanda development board for Rwanda, and Virunga national park website for Congo. You can also book a gorilla permit through a tour operator because they are quick and they choose for you the best gorilla family to trek and can book for you accommodation. Gorilla permits are not sold to persons under the age of 15
What is the best time to book a gorilla permit?
The best time to book a gorilla permit if you are planning to visit Africa for a gorilla safari is 3-4 months before the actual trekking day most especially if you want to trek in the high season of December, January, February, June, July, August, and September. Booking a gorilla permit in advance helps you to avoid disappointments as these permits get finished during high peak season.
What is the best time to trek mountain gorillas?
All-mountain gorilla national parks fall in the same climatic zone meaning they have the same months for the best gorilla trekking and these are the drier months of June, July, August, September, December, January, and February. It’s during these dry months that the vegetation in the national parks is not so thick making it clear to the mountain gorillas to be seen, the trails are dry and not slippery and the roads leading to the park are accessible.
The rainy season of March, April, May, October, and November are also good for budget travelers since accommodation facilities in and around the park give discounts. But the rainy season has challenges such as roads leading to the park being in bad conditions because of weather, the trekking trails being muddy and slippery.
What to carry for gorilla trekking?
Wear comfortable hiking shoes, warm long-sleeved clothes, carry enough drinking water, energy-giving snacks, earplugs, sunscreen, garden gloves, face mask, sanitizer, a pair of binoculars, good quality camera and extra batteries, walking stick, insect repellents, and so much more.