Primate Safaris - Gorillas: About Us

Our expertise in gorilla tracking safari organization boasts over ten successful years.  Our gorilla experts are proud to share their own personal stories.

John has tracked gorillas in both Rwanda and Uganda.  Having seen so many other wonderful sights all over Africa, he was uncertain that the whole gorilla experience would live up to his expectations.  Ecstatic to be proved wrong, he admits that nothing could compare to the feeling of being so close to a 440 lb silverback male.  Regarding the hour spent with the gorillas, he says it really felt like ten minutes packed with feelings of being scared, excited, and awestruck.  To sum it up, he feels it was a rare privilege to have seen them.

Richard’s experiences of gorilla tracking range from hard won to very simple.  In Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, he conquered a long hike of endurance through dense vegetation before a successful, and very rewarding, sighting.  Then, in Rwanda’s Parc National des Volcans, this time fully prepared for a similar experience as in Uganda, he was equipped with strong shoes, a walking stick and gardening gloves… and he encountered his gorilla family after a mere 10 minute stroll!  The family was playfully digging up the local farmer’s potatoes – hardly the gorilla trek he was expecting!  Richard’s other adventures include visits to see chimpanzees in Uganda’s Kyambura Gorge and Tanzania’s Mahale National Park, as well as sighting a number of different lemurs in Madagascar. He is a true primate expert in our book!

Alice has had the privilege of seeing gorillas in Bwindi, Uganda, where she spent an amazing hour with a whopping 30 mountain gorillas, which amounts to 5% of the world’s population.  She describes the feeling of sitting on the forest floor with these huge, formidable primates all around her as “a humbling and exciting one-of a kind experience.”  In addition to gorillas, Alice has also tracked chimpanzees in Mahale Mountains, Kibale and Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda (link to Mweya Safari Lodge). One of her most memorable moments was at Mahale, where she witnessed the very human-like gifting of a grass “bracelet” from a male chimp to a female chimp.

Jo spent two exciting months travelling between Uganda and Rwanda, and in all three destinations: Bwindi Buhoma and Nkuringo (Uganda), and the Parc National des Volcans (Rwanda), she was fortunate enough to experience the wonder of seeing mountain gorillas. Jo has a wealth of knowledge to share about the differences between the treks and terrain, ensuring your personal experience will be as special as hers.

Francis  has tracked gorillas and chimpanzees alike, and he says he is still equally awed by each of them.  Specifically, he has tracked Ugandan gorillas, Congolese gorillas, and chimps in both Uganda and Tanzania. He finds the power and beauty of the gorillas as impressive as the speed of the chimpanzees.  One of his most exciting moments was when he saw chimps successfully hunt a monkey.

Victoria has tracked the gorillas on three occasions. In Uganda she experienced the gorillas on the move after a steep and very tough climb to find the Habinyanja Family. Although the sighting was fleeting the opportunity to see how quickly the gorillas can move through dense vegetation and their tree climbing prowess was very exciting. Tracking in Rwanda's Parc National des Volcans was slightly easier and highlights here were four mischievous gorillas playing together for half an hour and a silverback being groomed by another gorilla. Victoria has also tracked golden monkeys in Mgahinga National Park and chimps in both Kyambura Gorge and Kibale National Park.

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