Mountain Gorilla Naming in Rwanda – Prime Safaris & Tours Safari updates

 Gorilla safaris are on an increase due to the CEO of the Rwanda Development Board; Ms. Clare Akamanzi who said that this year, RDB will recognise the community’s role in the conservation of the mountain gorillas as well as other protected species in all of Rwanda’s national parks:

At the 2013 Kwita Izina, we will name 12 baby gorillas and one new gorilla family. We will also show our appreciation to all those who take care of them, including rangers and veterinary doctors as well as the surrounding communities who continue to play an indispensible role in protecting Rwanda’s mountain gorillas. Rwanda’s community led conservation efforts have led to a 26.3% growth in the population of gorillas since 2003 and Kwita Izina has been key to this success.” this activity will help to increase on gorilla trekking to Rwanda.

Gorilla tracking in Rwanda are affected positively due to Kwita Izina this year which is more than a one day event. Several exciting events were planned leading up to the big day. These include the launch of a women’s community project near Nyungwe, a four-day touristic caravan from Kigali to Musanze as well as “Igitaramo”, a concert to be held Friday night at Ubworoherane stadium featuring Rwandan artists including Knowless, King James, Rafiki, Jay Polly, Tanzania’s Alikiba and Jamiaica’s Kevin Lyttle. All Kwita Izina activities are open to the public.

Kwita Izina is inspired by the ancient Rwandan tradition of naming babies soon after they are born. In the nine years since the event was established, 161 gorillas have been named in a celebration of nature and the communities who protect the majestic mountain gorilla.

This year’s Kwita Izina has attracted over 460 international guests from different countries including Kenya, Guyana, Jamaica, Nigeria, India, Netherlands, US, Zambia and Uganda among others. This activity has greatly improved on the gorilla adventures with in Rwanda.

 Uganda Safaris/ Uganda Safari News

Prime Uganda Safaris & Tours updates 2013

Mountain gorillas tipped to boost eco-tourism in Rwanda-Prime Uganda Safaris & Tours Safari updates

Growing numbers of intrepid travelers are expected to head to Rwanda to see the ever-increasing mountain gorilla population living there. This is to help to increase the number of tourist who come for gorilla safaris in Rwanda.

According to the latest census, some 480 gorillas now live in the national parks situated within Rwanda’s borders, an increase of 26 per cent when compared to the last count, which was carried out seven years ago. This increase is to improve on the gorilla expeditions with Rwanda.

This means that Rwanda can boast more mountain gorillas than either of its neighbours, the DR Congo or Uganda, with tourism bosses confident that this will help push up visitor numbers and benefit the Rwandan economy as a whole.

Speaking to the Business Times, Rwanda’s head of tourism and conservation Rica Rwigamba explained that the country will continue to focus on the benefits of eco-tourism. The Eco- tourism system is to increase on the conservation of Mountain Gorillas with in Rwanda.

‘Mountain gorillas are the anchor and unique product for Rwanda,’ she said, adding that both the animals and the people living on the edge of the Virunga National Park stand to benefit from the ongoing rise in visitor numbers.

Earlier this month, Rwanda’s gorillas made headline news all over the world when a rare pair of twins was born to a family living within the national park. This new pair is to attract more tourists to come for gorilla visits to Rwanda.

Uganda Safaris/ Uganda Safari News

Prime Uganda Safaris & Tours updates 2013

 

Secret information about mountain Gorillas- Prime Uganda Safaris & Tours Safari updates

Gorilla Safari Uganda, Rwanda are on an increase due to the mountain gorilla is one of the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla. There are two populations. One is found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, within three National Parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The other is found in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park  incase of Uganda safari. Some primatologists say that the Bwindi population in Uganda may be a separate subspecies, though no description has been finished. As of November 2012, the estimated total number of mountain gorillas is 880.

Mountain gorillas are descendants of ancestral monkeys and apes found in Africa and Arabia during the start of the Oligocene epoch (34-24 million years ago). The fossil record provides evidence of the hominoid primates (apes) found in east Africa about 18–22 million years ago. The fossil record of the area where mountain gorillas live is particularly poor and so its evolutionary history is not clear.

It was about 9 million years ago that the group of primates that were to evolve into gorillas split from their common ancestor with humans and chimps; this is when the genus Gorilla emerged. It is not certain what this early relative of the gorilla was, but it is traced back to the early ape Proconsul africanus.

Mountain gorillas have been isolated from eastern lowland gorillas for about 400,000 years and these two taxed separated from their western counterparts approximately 2 million years ago.

There has been considerable and as yet unresolved debate over the classification of mountain gorillas. The genus was first referenced as Troglodytes in 1847, but renamed to Gorilla in 1852. It was not until 1967 that the taxonomist Colin Groves proposed that all gorillas be regarded as one species (Gorilla gorilla) with three sub-species Gorilla gorilla gorilla (western lowland gorilla), Gorilla gorilla graueri (lowland gorillas found west of the Virungas) and Gorilla gorilla beringei (mountain gorillas including, Gorilla beringei found in the Virungas and Bwindi).

In 2003 after a review they were divided into two species (Gorilla gorilla and Gorilla). The fur of the mountain gorilla, often thicker and longer than that of other gorilla species enables them to live in colder temperatures. Gorillas can be identified by nose prints unique to each individual. Males, at a mean weight of 195 kg (430 lb) and upright standing height of 150 cm (59 in) usually weigh twice as much as the females, at a mean of 100 kg (220 lb) and a height of 130 cm (51 in).

This subspecies is on average the second largest species of primate; only the Eastern Lowland Gorilla, the other subspecies of Eastern Gorilla, is larger.^{[citation needed]} Adult males have more pronounced bony crests on the top and back of their skulls, giving their heads a more conical shape. These crests anchor the powerful temporarys’ muscles, which attach to the lower jaw (mandible). Adult females also have these crests, but they are less pronounced.^[9] Like all gorillas they feature dark brown eyes framed by a black ring around the iris.

Mountain Gorilla are so amazing and this has made many travellers to visit countries were they are conserved and preserved which has led to increased gorilla safaris.

Uganda Safaris/ Uganda Safari News

Prime Uganda Safaris & Tours updates 2013

 

 

 

Gorilla trekking in Uganda-Prime Uganda Safaris & Tours Safari updates

Great Gorilla Safari ; If you like the outdoors, don’t mind sweating and getting a bit dirty, and have an interest in seeing one of the most magnificent animals on the planet, read on. Seeing the gorillas in the wild is an once-in-a-lifetime experience that I wouldn’t mind doing again.

On the recommendation of a friend’s parents (who at a 60+ years young had a great time – although to be fair they are big bicyclers and generally very active/in shape), 3 friends and I travelled to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to see the famous (and endangered) mountain gorillas. For a number of reasons, this was one of the most amazing and surreal experiences of my life.

We were met at the airport in Entebbe by Amos. “Born and bred” in Uganda, Amos was to be our driver, guide, comedian, and all around good sport for the next 3 days. He put up with our bad jokes, incessant American chatter, diverse musical choices and post-trekking stench like a champ. We booked the whole trip through prime Safaris and were very happy.

We stayed at the Gorilla Resort in Bwindi – it was quite nice and Samuel, the manager, took care of us well. The food was excellent, beers cold, beds comfortable, and showers hot, and view stunning. The rooms (well, they’re tents actually) reminded me of something straight from “Out of Africa”, although instead of Meryl Streep I was stuck with my buddy Greg…

In what can only be described as breathtaking (both in terms of the scenery and what it did to me physically), our hike on day 1 lasted a little over 2 hours. I don’t think I will ever forget first seeing one of these big boys in the wild. A bit shy with massive bellies and deep red eyes, they were magnificent, each unique in his or her own way. I won’t say too much more because I don’t want to ruin it for you.

The hike on day 2 was, in my humble opinion, a bit more strenuous than the previous day. I recommend doing 2 days of trekking if you can afford it (permits are US$500/day) – the first day we only saw 4 gorillas and the second day we saw many more, including young ones. Day 2 saw more machete hacking, more mud, and more thorny bushes. Maybe this is a good time to mention that gorilla trekking, while an undeniably amazing experience, is best suited for those that are in decent (preferably good) shape. For the less mobile, apparently there is a ’991 Program’ whereby you can be carried by 4-8 people (depending on how many big maces you’ve eaten in the past 6 months) in a stretcher to see the gorillas.

On the flip side, if you are a serious or semi-serious hiker, this is your Mecca. One to tell the grandkids about. Next year, instead of going back to Yosemite, go to Bwindi.

Uganda Safaris/ Uganda Safari News

Prime Uganda Safaris & Tours updates 2013

Gorillas in our midst- Volcano National Park- Prime Uganda Safaris & Tours Safari updates

 

Gorilla expeditions in Volcano National Park offer close encounters with endangered gorillas thanks to effective community work. What a wonderful adventure, Pushing aside a big branch, I step into a clearing and stand face to face with Muninya, a 440-pound mountain gorilla. He stares at me intently. We are about 15 feet apart, but it looks like he could easily grab me with one of his long arms. “Huhh huhh huhh!” grunts Muninya, and our Rwandan guide responds, saying the loud grunting is a friendly call. I follow our guide and move off to the side of the clearing. Soon all eight members of our group are perched on the edge of the jungle glade. In addition to Muninya, we see 15 other gorillas — five adult females and nine adolescents and youngsters. A pack of muscle covered in blue-black fur, Muninya has the distinctive silver back of an adult male. He has succeeded in attracting the females from other groups in the park and is the chief of his growing family. Most of the gorillas lie on their backs and doze in the sun. They have been busy eating a breakfast of bamboo shoots and other vegetation since early in the day, and now they are have a mid-morning snooze. Except for Kabatwa, the mother of eight-month-old twins. She is trying to nap, but the two toddlers climb on her chest and wrestle with each other by her head and step on her face. Visibly irritated, she pulls them to her side and pats them down, as if to say, “Settle down and rest a bit.” Quickly the two little rascals are scrambling about again. They head for another sleeping gorilla, but their mother, more forcefully this time, grabs the troublemakers. She separates them, holding one with her hand and another with her very dextrous foot. The gorilla group continues lazing in the jungle opening, idly scratching their armpits. Through the clearing is a view of the valley below and, amazingly, some houses are visible. It is a Sunday and we can hear faint strains of church music. Then Muninya crashes through the bush and sits right by the twins. Soon the gorilla family wakes. Young mother Kabatwa flips her twins on her back and, giving us a passing glance, clambers past us and goes into the bamboo. The entire family follows and they nimbly break off the shoots, strip off the hard outer shell and chomp on the juicy core. Gorillas are vegetarians. An adult eats about 66 pounds of plants per day. They rarely drink water because they get so much liquid from the plants, our guide tells us. After spending an hour with Muninya and his family, we hike away through the forest. It was a wonderful Gorilla Expedition in Volcano National Park.

Uganda Safaris/ Uganda Safari News

Prime Uganda Safaris & Tours updates 2013

Gorilla tourism a double-edged sword in Volcano National Park- Prime Uganda Safaris & Tours Safari updates.

 

Gorilla Safaris in Rwanda are on a run due to Mountain gorillas which are the most critically endangered of all great apes. There are only 800 mountain gorillas in the wild, and 280 of them are in Rwanda’s Volcano Park. The rest are in neighboring Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Despite Volcano National Park’s relatively small size of 62 square miles and a high level of human habitation surrounding it, Rwanda has built up a thriving mountain gorilla population, as well as a booming business in gorilla tourism. In 1999, 417 tourists visited Rwanda’s gorillas, and by 2010 that number had increased to 23,000. With each tourist paying the park a fee of $500, that earns the park considerable income of $11.5 million.

To keep the tourism sustainable, the national park, working with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Foundation and the WWF, has substantially reduced the level of poaching, and is now counting rising numbers of its gorilla population. This has helped in conserving the mountain gorillas and hence increasing on gorilla adventures.

“Dian Fossey was not in favour of tourism, but now we are convinced that controlled tourism can be beneficial to the gorillas,” said Felix Ndagijimana, acting director of the Karisoke Research Centre, the Rwandan program of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. The gorillas are protected from poaching and are monitored by veterinarians. The gorillas habituated to human tourists have higher reproductive rates than wild gorillas and better overall health. “Without tourism, those gorillas would probably be gone,” said Ndagijimana.

It’s not easy to get gorillas to live so close to human populations. The humans, who are attracted by the super fertile volcanic soil, farm right up to the park boundaries. Traditionally, they would hunt wildlife by setting snares. But the parks have persuaded most to stop.

Five percent of the amount raised by the parks in gorilla tourism goes to the local community, and pays for electricity, schools, roads and other improvements. In addition, local residents are hired to tend the park and to seek out and remove snares. Such conservation given to the Gorilla in Volcano National Park has led to increased gorilla safaris to Rwanda.

Uganda Safaris/ Uganda Safari News

Prime Uganda Safaris & Tours updates 2013

The Uganda –Libyan pact to promote tourism.-Prime Uganda Safaris & Tours Safari updates

Safari to uganda are on an increase due to Libya and Uganda having signed a memorandum of understanding to boast trade and tourism among the two nations especially safaris. The partnership was signed during the visit of Libyan Roving Scouts to Uganda last week will also boost networking between scouts in East Africa with their counterparts in Libya.

Idris Elahalafi, the deputy general manager, Tropical Bank said that “As we recover after the revolution, we want to send a ray of hope to the youth in Libya through such cultural exchanges that there can be peace and reconciliation after war. He continued to say that more Libyan tourists would visit Uganda once an ambassador is appointed.

 

“Just like in many other nations, there is still no official Libyan ambassador to Uganda, but we are optimistic that soon this issue will be sorted out so that we can boost trade and cultural exchange visits among the two nations,” he said. This will help in increasing Gorilla safaris as well since most tourists who come to Uganda mostly wish to view the Gorillas.

 

Moses Engadu, the director resource mobilisation and capacity building at the Uganda Scouts Association, said the cultural exchange and camping was geared towards enhancing the three fundamental aspects of scouts; peace, environmental sustainability and development. All these are strong pillars in promoting tourism in any destination.

 

Richard Okello, the executive secretary of the Uganda Scouts Association, said the Libya scouts visited Sipi Falls in Kapchorwa, Queen Elizabeth National Park and other heritage and cultural sites across the country. “We wanted the scouts from East Africa to learn more from their Libyan counterparts, he added that the Libyan scouts are to learn more from the east African scouts.

 

Uganda Safaris/ Uganda Safari News

 

Prime Uganda Safaris & Tours updates 2013

Uganda tops Africa in tourism growth- Prime Uganda Safaris & Tours Safari updates

“Uganda is now ranked top in tourism industry growth in Africa.” Dr. Nelson Githinji said this due to the Gorilla trekking safaris that take place at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest which ploughs in millions every year for Uganda

 

According to the 2011 tourism review in Africa, Uganda’s tourism sector grew by 25% in 2011 while that of South Africa and Tanzania realized growth of 21% and 13.4% respectively. This shows that tourism in Africa is at an increasing rate.

 

Githinji observed that Uganda’s tourism growth is attributed to its tourists’ destination hubs like Queen Elizabeth national park, Murchison Falls park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – renowned for its Mountain Gorillas – and plenty more. All these potential tourist destinations have greatly led to increase in tourists who come to Uganda for safaris or visits.

 

He said Uganda is also spinning on a pivot of new dynamics that are driving its tourism sector as the Asians begin to be a part of its market. There has been a shift in the market as China, South Korea and Japan take the lead which was dominated by the traditional countries such as United States, United Kingdom, France and German, He also attributed Uganda’s impressive tourism growth to the stability of the country in respect to guaranteed security.

Githinji made the remarks during the opening of the Magical Kenya Travel Expo 2012 at Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi on Thursday. The Expo was organized by Kenya Tourist Board and it attracted over 170 tour and travel agencies across the globe. The expo has grown