Tourists Warned against Taking Selfie with Gorillas
Travelers visiting Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo for gorilla trekking have been warned to avoid taking selfies with the endangered gorillas. This is meant to avoid the transmission of the deadly corona virus from people to the endangered species. Its with no doubt that selfie taking with gorillas violates the seven meter distancing rule recommended to avoid close contacts of gorillas and travelers.
A selfie with gorilla
Travelers taking selfie with gorilals normally come very close to the gorilla s to have a clear capture which puts the endangered species at a high risk of contracting the deadly disease. The analysis was done by a team of scientists from Oxford University London who looked at various tourist selfies taken with the gorillas before the outbreak of the deadly virus. Some travelers who had visited gorillas posted numerous selfie pictures with gorillas on instagram and the pictures showed no social distance between gorillas and the travelers. Therefore if travelers keep taking selfies with gorillas in the time of covid19, the endangered gorillas will be at a high risk.
Why are gorillas at a risk?
Mountain gorillas share over 99% of human genes which make them man’s close relatives. Gorillas are therefore susceptible to human illnesses including covid19. Human beings have common similarities with mountain gorillas and other primates including chimpanzees and Orangutans. Whereas travelers are introduced to the rues and regulation of gorilla trekking at the start of the trekking day, these rules especially the seven-meter distance rule are not followed.
IUCN rules and regulations of gorilla trekking
Before hiking up to meet the gorillas, all travelers MUST know the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking as guided by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The rules that guide gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo include:
1. Keep a seven meters (23ft) from the gorillas
2. Wear a mask (Rwanda ad Uganda had shun this rule until the outbreak of covid19)
3. Sanitize your hands at the start of the trek. More so, travelers are advised to carry personal sanitizers to keep safe throughout the trek
4. Wash hands regularly with soap and clean running water for at least 20 seconds
5. Do not touch the gorillas
6. All travelers MUST test negative for covid19
7. Do not visit the gorillas if you have any signs of a sickness
Other guidelines for gorilla trekking not necessarily for covi19
1. You must have a valid gorilla permit
2. Keep your voices low when with the gorillas
3. Keep within your group, do not detach from other travelers in your group
4. If a silverback gorilla charges, keep calm and do not run away
5. Don’t feed the gorillas
Where to trek gorillas in Africa
Mountain gorillas are only found in two regions in the whole o Africa. Half of the world’s gorilla population lives in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park while the remaining population lives in the Virunga Conservation area. The Virunga Massif comprise of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Altogether 36 gorilla families have been habituated for trekking in Africa 18 of which live in Uganda, 10 in Rwanda and 8 gorilla families in Congo. The cost of gorilla trekking in each country is different according to the country’s specific policies. Gorilla Trek Africa offers you guided gorilla safaris in Africa
Conclusively selfie pictures with gorillas are prohibited at the moment. The move is to protect the endangered species from contracting the deadly virus from travelers.
