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Western Lowland Gorillas, Congo gorilla Trekking

When planning for western lowland gorilla trekking in Africa? where should one visit to explore the gorillas in their wilderness and which gorilla safari company to explore with. Western lowland gorillas are found in central African countries of Cameroon , Republic of congo, democratic republic of congo,  Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Congo gorilla safaris has the required expertise in tailoring gorillas in Africa including the Mountain Gorillas, eastern lowland gorillas & Western lowland gorillas in Odzala National park on 9 Days Congo gorilla safari. The western lowland gorilla is the most numerous and widespread of all gorilla subspecies. Populations can be found in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Facts about Western Lowland gorillas.

The exact number of western lowland gorillas is not known because they inhabit some of the most dense and remote rain forests in Africa. Significant populations still exist, including in isolated swamps and the remote swampy forests of the Republic of Congo.

1. Western lowland gorillas can be distinguished from other gorilla subspecies by their slightly smaller size, their brown-grey coats and auburn chests.
2. They also have wider skulls with more pronounced brow ridges and smaller ears. Large numbers have not protected the western lowland gorilla from decline.
3. The male western lowland gorilla weighs up to 160 kilos, reaches a height, when standing, of 5ft 6 inches, with the females about half the size.
4. These gorillas can be distinguished by their nose which has continuous heart shaped ridge around its nostrils, shorter hair,and wider skull.
5. Like mountain gorillas in Rwanda , Uganda and Congo, the western lowland gorilla sleeps at night on the ground in nests constructed from branches and leaves.

Recent research has shown they have the capacity to use tools and they have been observed testing the depth of a river before deciding whether to cross.
They are notoriously more challenging to track and habituate due to their large home range and constant movement.
Compared to mountain gorillas, their group sizes are small usually about 5 individuals, but they are not territorial and groups usually overlap home ranges.

Where to see Western Lowland gorillas in Africa

Lowland gorillas are found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, and Angola.
Because of poaching and disease, the gorilla’s numbers have declined by more than 60% over the last 20 to 25 years. Even if all of the threats to western lowland gorillas were removed, scientists calculate that the population would require some 75 years recovering.

Gorillas in Dzanga Sangha

One of the few places that humans can see western lowland gorillas in the wild is the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas in the Central African Republic. These opportunities for gorilla tracking and viewing are so rare, because it takes three or more years of careful and patient gorilla tracking and following to habituate the animals to the presence of humans.
The follow and habituation of gorillas in Dzanga-Sangha would never have been possible without the extensive knowledge of the BaAka trackers, which are the real backbone of gorilla habituation in this area.