WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BEST TIME TO TRACK MOUNTAIN GORILLAS | International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP)

There are two seasons in a year, the wet and dry seasons. During the two dry seasons – June to September and December to February rainfall is very low and the gorilla habitat is relatively dry. This makes it easier for one to hike through the forest. However, the food supply for mountain gorillas is very limited during this season and this forces the gorillas to move a lot in search for food. This implies that one would have to track longer before they locate the mountain gorillas.

A water logged tracking path in Volcanoes National Park

The wet seasons – from March to May and again October to November on the other hand are characterized by heavy rainfall. This definitely makes trekking quite challenging. The good news however is that during this season the mountain gorillas are much easier to locate because there is usually plenty of food for the gorillas to eat almost everywhere.