Gorilla Trekking for Disabled Tourists Uganda & Rwanda

Gorilla Trekking for the Disabled – Gorilla trekking is one of the most popular tourist activities, and everyone, including people with disabilities, can enjoy the experience of meeting these close human relatives.

Trekking usually involves hiking steep rainforest paths for several hours, which can be difficult for some travelers. To help, sedan seats or stretchers are now available to make this activity accessible.

Sedan Seat or Stretcher

A sedan seat is a specially designed chair with two metallic handles on both ends and a long seat positioned between them. It is a comfortable and convenient way to see mountain gorillas. A stretcher, usually made of bamboo sticks, is a simpler locally made alternative used to carry visitors through the forest.

A team of porters carries the visitor from the briefing point using the sedan seat or stretcher. They continue without stopping until the gorilla family is found. Once there, the visitor is placed down to observe and take photos. After an hour with the gorillas, the porters carry the visitor back to the starting point.

Disabled travelers should always inform their tour company about their needs in advance so that a sedan seat or stretcher can be booked early, especially during the peak season when demand is high.

Gorilla trekking group allocation happens after the briefing before heading out. It is important to inform the park wardens early so that they can assign you to a nearby gorilla family. Age, physical ability, and other factors are considered during the allocation process.

The best months for disabled tourists to visit mountain gorillas are from June to August and from December to February. During these months, the trails are dry and easier to walk on compared to the rainy season, when they become muddy and slippery.

About Mountain Gorillas

The endangered mountain gorillas live in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park in Congo, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. They are a subspecies of Eastern gorillas found in East and Central Africa.

Mountain gorillas live in groups led by a dominant male known as the silverback. He controls all the group’s activities and protects his family from any danger. Gorillas are the world’s largest primates. They are gentle animals but can become aggressive when provoked.

The biggest threats to their survival are poaching and loss of habitat. However, conservation efforts have helped increase their numbers compared to the 1990s. Mountain gorillas have a low birth rate, with females producing only two to six offspring in their lifetime. A female has only one or two fertile days each month, and the gestation period lasts about eight and a half months.