SASO Uganda Gorilla Safaris

As the plane descended from the above the clouds, plunging into the gushing afternoon winds as it descended into the arid thorny savanna of Kidepo Valley National Park, they appeared more like rock outcrops. At 11,000ft above sea level, they appeared nothing more than a mirage of anthills on the Savannah grassland. As the plane descended from the above the clouds, plunging into the gushing afternoon winds as it descended into the arid thorny savanna of Kidepo Valley National Park, they appeared more like rock outcrops. A little closer and the scene took on the shape of a dazzling plateau. Suddenly, behold; the view of the beguiling volcanic Mount Morungole ranges towering majestically 2,750 metres above the plains of the most scenic wilderness in Uganda As the plane glided over dry montane forest in a final descent to the airstrip in Kidepo, the mesmerizing view that welcomed them to this; Africa’s most picturesque park and third best on the continent as described by CNN Travel...

There are only 800 mountain gorillas left in the wild and half of them live in Uganda ’s forests. A biologist from Leipzig’s Max Planck Institute has learned a lot about them by analyzing their feces. It’s early morning and two dozen tourists have gathered at the edge of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda. They’re hoping to visit with the rare mountain gorillas that live here. Kathrin Paul and her daughter Teresa have joined the group. “I am a veterinary assistant and I just feel drawn to animals,” Teresa says with enthusiasm. “My mother was coming, so I just had to join her!” Both mother and daughter are eager to see the impressive gorillas right here in the wild. Mountains gorillas can only be found in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are only 800 left. The species is in danger of extinction. About half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas live in Bwindi. Visitors are willing to pay 500 euros ($600) for the chance to vis...

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) has been nominated for registration as a Global Geopark of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). According to the director general of NCAA, Dr Freddy Manongi, the area would soon get its registration as a ‘Unesco Geopark.’ Briefing Tanga-based media personnel who were on a study tour of the area under a programme organised by the Tanga Rural Development and Environmental Journalists Association, Dr Manongi said the new status could conceivably increase the number of tourists visiting the area. “Currently, we receive around 600,000 visitors a year – with a half of that number being local visitors,” he said. Dr Manongi told the reporters that there was a need for an intensive programme to publicise the area so as to attract more visitors, even locals. The DG emphasized the crucial role that is being played by the media in educating Tanzanians on the importance of visiting the area – and a...

  Authorities fighting poaching in Mozambique and Tanzania have captured an important figure in the slaughter of elephants in the Niassa National Reserve. This is Mateso Albano Kasian, a Tanzanian citizen with a Mozambican identity card, who is suspected of being the accomplice of the group of Chinese citizens from the city of Shuidong who dominate the ivory trade to Asia via the port of Pemba.   His detention took place on 11 July in Montepuez, Cabo Delgado, as a result of close collaboration between the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), the Tanzania Government’s National & Transnational Serious Crimes Investigation Unit (NTSCIU), the Niassa National Reserve, the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) and the Attorney General of the Republic of Mozambique.   According to @Verdade, Kasian, also known as Mateso Chupi, had been sought by the authorities of the neighbouring country since 2013 and by national authorities since 2014 on th...

  Three years ago when I walked from my room to the camp-fire at Rwanda’s Ruzizi Tented Lodge, I worried about running into a hippo in the dark, jumping at the swoosh of their ridiculous, low-slung bellies in the grass. Returning to the same lodge in Akagera National Park last June, I have even more reason to be on guard. Rwanda has since been transformed into a Big Five destination with the reintroduction of lion in 2015, and, more recently, rhino.   “Big Five? Nah. This is Big Six country,” says my safari fixer, Alice Daunt, whose travel agency looks after 100-odd high-profile clients. “If you include Rwanda’s mountain gorillas, we’re talking the Big Six for the Big Spenders.” Daunt is referring to one of the most dramatic turnaround stories in the annals of safari land, with millions of dollars invested since 2011 in wildlife security within Akagera, overseen by the conservation NGO African Parks. (The spend includes an antipoaching helicopter, ranger training, and a pa...

It is with great sadness to inform you about the loss of one of our favorite gorillas in  Bwindi Impenetrable National Park , Kanyonyi, the lead silverback of Mubare group who died on Friday night. Kanyonyi first fell off a tree, but while he was recovering after treatment, a lone silverback fought with him because he wanted to take over his group. Kanyonyi in his weakened state was not able to put up a good fight, and sustained many injuries, which though they were healing, left him weaker than usual.  Whenwe last visited Kanyonyi he was eating quite well, but still limping and walking slowly, with one adult female gorilla, Karungyi and her baby keeping close by his side. He made a nest in front of us to take a comfortable morning nap, and we were able to record a brief video. we would like to thank the  Uganda Wildlife Authority  park staff and  Conservation Through Public Health  (CTPH) team who have kept a close watch over Kanyonyi to prevent him from h...

  While on a typical Uganda safari through Queen Elizabeth National Park, visitors are likely to encounter large numbers of elephants, Uganda Kob, lions, waterbucks, chimpanzees in Kyambura gorge, hippos, leopard, hyena, buffaloes, warthogs among so many others Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in the western region of Uganda and occupies about 1,978 square kilometres. The park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Uganda mainly because it is home to a variety of animal and bird species including the fascinating tree climbing lions of Ishasha.   While on a typical Uganda safari through Queen Elizabeth National Park, visitors are likely to encounter large numbers of elephants, Uganda Kobs, lions, waterbucks, chimpanzees in Kyambura gorge, hippos, leopard, hyena, buffaloes, warthogs among so many others.   There are over 600 bird species which makes the park one of the best spots for birdwatching safaris in Uganda. Bird species include Pink-backed...

  The remote Rwenzori mountains, on the Uganda / DRC border, offer treks through varied and stunning landscapes, and Africa’s third-highest summit, with none of the crowds found at Kilimanjaro   Claudius Ptolemy, the Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer and father of geography, called the Rwenzori range the Mountains of the Moon, and I think he got it about right. Starlight beamed down on the convex glaciers surrounding our camp near Uganda’s western border, causing them to glow like resting lunar crescents. Climbers sleep in static tents or wooden huts, spacious enough for bunkbeds   So why do so few people come trekking here? Australian, John Hunwick, 69, who runs Rwenzori Trekking Services, first came in 1991. “I saw so much promise and wanted to open up the trails, but then the Rwenzoris were overrun by Congolese rebels,” he said.   In around 1996, as retaliation for Uganda supporting breakaway nation South Sudan, the North Sudanese helped Allied...

  Gorilla Trekking in Uganda is a big thing to Africa Safari travellers and the reasons why are so hard to find – the last of the mountain gorillas are found right there and the trip offers more than just gorillas. Approximately 1000 mountain gorillas live in the jungle forests that are shared between Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). After decades of decline due to poachers, civil war and diminishing forests, and due to governments’ keen interest, mountain gorilla populations have been picking up in the last couple of years. In some respects, the growth of gorilla tourism may have helped protect these animals as the government receives funding for conservation and sees the economic benefit of protecting the animals and the forest parks that serve as these creatures’ homes. Today, more than half of the world’s mountain gorilla population call the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park their home. Of these, 12 gorillas families (each family usually con...

  Climate is one of the most influencing factors affecting the different continents of the earth. The change of climate is the reason for getting the giant dinosaurs getting replenish from the land of earth. So, don’t you think this climate can also affect one of the endangered species of the earth “the mountain gorillas”? If yes, then you are correct. Researchers proved that gorillas having 95% of their DNA matching to the human being so they pose the same problem as the human while there’s a change in the climate.   Mountain gorillas are one of the closest primates of a human having the capability to think and live like a human in some parts. The primates living on the higher reason usually face the change of vegetation while there is a change in the climate. It’s been observed that when the temperature is low than the vegetation moves to the higher above the mountain, living the mountain species with inferior space and lesser food. You can spot the mountain gorillas dur...

  Do you think that Rwanda is only popular for Gorilla trekking? If yes, then your assumption is wrong. Rwanda the east African country not only popular for gorilla but also famous for some more incredible things like golden monkey trekking, chimpanzee trekking, game viewing, cultural tours, mountain watching, and bird watching. Although Rwanda is well known for gorilla you can also find more than 500 species of birds and 75 various mammals as well as you can see many mountains at Rwanda so it’s also being called as the land of the mountain. Rwanda Safari for Chimpanzee trekking is one of the vital parts of tourism because here you can see many of the other primates inside the jungle or rainforest-like golden monkey, red-tailed monkey and others. You can also have a cultural visit to Rwanda as the people over there are warm-hearted and welcoming. Though Rwanda is smaller in size, it is having many magnificent places and things, as well as this country are located at the heart of...