Best Way To Survive A Gorilla Attack
Best Way To Survive A Gorilla Attack, What is the most effective method for surviving a gorilla attack? Gorillas are inherently peaceful, kind, and quiet primates, yet they are sometimes mischaracterized as violent. Mountain gorillas only exhibit aggression towards humans or other wildlife when they perceive a threat or feel uncomfortable in their territory.
Strategies for surviving gorilla attacks
Gorillas are exceptionally powerful creatures that will protect their families in the event of a threat. Upon sensing danger, they respond by beating their chests, banging the ground, hurling foliage, standing on their hind legs, and producing loud vocalizations. If the adversary does not retreat following those warnings, a gorilla will assault them by scratching, biting, striking, and maybe pulling them by a hand or leg. This document examines strategies for surviving a gorilla attack in the event of a charge.
Depart way calmly
Mountain gorillas may exhibit insecurity and charge during observation periods while trekking or habituating. Rangers strongly recommend that people gradually and steadily retreat from the vicinity of the gorilla encounter. Do not attempt to flee from an aggressive gorilla, as they will pursue you to attack, and no human can prevail in a confrontation with a gorilla. You may collapse to the ground to demonstrate your acceptance of defeat.
Crouching down
It is recommended to crouch, remain cool, respectful, and silent, while minimizing your physical presence by lowering yourself to the ground during an encounter with a mountain gorilla when walking. When a gorilla perceives a lack of motivation in confrontation from an individual, it will become tranquil and perceive no justification for aggression.
Adhere to the guidelines and procedures for gorilla trekking.
To prevent mountain gorilla attacks, adhere to the guidelines and regulations provided during the briefing by the wardens. Your ranger guide in the jungle will consistently inform you of the protocols and prohibitions of gorilla trekking in the event of a potential attack by the gorillas.
Imitate like an ape
To survive a mountain gorilla attack, exhibit bravery and mimic the behavior of a mountain gorilla when approached by an aggressive individual. This can be accomplished by eating vegetation, resting on the ground, plucking leaves, and tossing or breaking plant matter. This will demonstrate to the gorilla that you are neither unfriendly nor aggressive. By emulating forest inhabitants, you can subsequently diminish a gorilla’s interest in you.
Exhibit your teeth
Mountain gorillas may aggressively confront nearby trekkers, and if retreating or crouching is not feasible, trekkers are encouraged to display their fangs and emit a loud scream, as this may intimidate the gorilla into believing they are another wild gorilla.
Avoid direct eye contact with gorillas.
Mountain gorillas exhibit an aversion to direct eye contact. If confronted by one, it is advisable to feign disinterest, avoid direct gaze, and this may diminish their inclination to charge, so facilitating a state of calm.
Maintain a safe distance from gorillas.
Tourists are encouraged to maintain a distance of approximately 7 meters from mountain gorillas after discovering them. Touching mountain gorillas is prohibited, as they are wild animals, unless they approach or make contact with you voluntarily and without exhibiting any threat. Approaching mountain gorillas causes them to charge.
In conclusion, mountain gorillas typically do not assault humans unless provoked, and they consistently issue warnings through behaviors such as chest beating, ground thumping, vegetation flinging, standing on their hind legs, and vocalizing loudly before to charging. To effectively survive a mountain gorilla assault, adhere to the gorilla trekking rules and regulations provided at the pre-trekking briefing, and comply with the park rangers’ directives while in proximity to mountain gorillas.
Additional restrictions and guidelines for mountain gorillas
Participation in gorilla trekking within any gorilla national park requires individuals to be at least 15 years old and free from infectious ailments, including influenza, cough, and diarrhea, on the day of the walk.
A maximum of 8 individuals is permitted to trek a single gorilla troop each day.
It is recommended that you cleanse your hands prior to entering the jungle in search of mountain gorillas.
Littering in the park is prohibited, and you are encouraged to retain your waste and dispose of it properly upon leaving the forest.
You are requested to lower your voices.
Photography of mountain gorillas is permitted solely with a flashless camera.
It is recommended that you remain with your group when trekking.
Avoid consuming food, beverages, or smoking in proximity to mountain gorillas, as this elevates the danger of transmitting pathogens that could lead to diseases in these animals.
When mountain gorillas charge, apply the rules and regulations imparted during the briefing session.
When close proximity to gorillas, if you experience the urge to cough or sneeze, it is recommended that you turn your head away and cover your nose and mouth to decrease the danger of illness transmission.
If you wish to relieve yourself, request a ranger guide to excavate a hole for you and thereafter cover it with soil.
Cost of gorilla permits
Each nation has its own pricing for gorilla licenses, with Uganda’s permits priced at $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents, and shs300,000 for East African citizens, including those from DR Congo. The cost is $450 during the peak season and $200 during the low season, whereas Rwanda offers the highest-priced gorilla permit at $1500 per person per trek across all trekking categories. In Uganda, gorilla trekking is available exclusively in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for a charge of $1500 per person each trek.
Where to get a gorilla permit
Gorilla permits can be obtained directly from the relevant governmental tourism authorities: Uganda Revenue Authority for Uganda, Rwanda Development Board for Rwanda, and the Virunga National Park website for Congo. A gorilla permit can also be acquired through a tour operator, as they expedite the process, select the optimal gorilla family for trekking, and arrange accommodation on your behalf. Gorilla permits are not available for anybody under the age of 15.
When is the best time to acquire a gorilla permit?
The optimal period to secure a gorilla permit for a safari in Africa is 3-4 months prior to the trekking date, particularly if you intend to trek during the peak season of December, January, February, June, July, August, and September. Securing a gorilla permit in advance mitigates the risk of disappointment, as these permits are often depleted during peak season.
What is the optimal period for trekking mountain gorillas?
All-mountain gorilla national parks are situated inside the same climatic zone, resulting in identical optimal months for gorilla trekking, which occur throughout the drier months of June, July, August, September, December, January, and February. During these arid months, the vegetation in the national parks is less dense, facilitating visibility of the mountain gorillas. The pathways remain dry and non-slippery, and the entrance roads to the park are navigable.
The wet months of March, April, May, October, and November are advantageous for budget travelers, as lodging options in and near the park provide discounts. The wet season presents problems, including deteriorated routes to the park due to inclement weather and muddy, treacherous trekking trails.
What items to bring for gorilla trekking
Don comfortable hiking footwear, warm long-sleeved attire, and provide sufficient hydration, energy-boosting foods, earplugs, sunscreen, gardening gloves, a face mask, sanitizer, binoculars, a high-quality camera with additional batteries, a walking stick, insect repellent, among other essentials.