Did you know only ~1000 mountain gorillas are left in the world?? These endangered mammals are found within the borders of Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo, with Uganda home to more than 60% of them.
We had the opportunity to visit the mountain gorillas using bitcoin! It was one of the main attractions that drew us to Uganda. Through conservation, some gorilla families have been habituated to limited human contact. They are gradually exposed to humans while maintaining their natural behaviours. Trackers work daily to monitor the well-being of each gorilla family, observe their behaviour patterns, and provide medical attention if required. The permits for this trek are not cheap, $750 in Uganda. Why? Strict limits enforce a maximum number of visitors daily to reduce impact on the national park.
Our gorilla experience started early morning at the park’s visitor centre. Visitors are divided into small groups and assigned a gorilla family to track. Since gorillas share approximately 98% of human DNA, and are susceptible to our diseases, visitors are required to wear masks during the trek. A safe distance must be kept under the close supervision of the guides and the viewing time cannot exceed 60 minutes.
Our tracker led us by following trail markers, and signs that included nests and faeces to locate our assigned family. Fortunately, we located our family within an hour while other groups trekked for 4 hours. We first came across not one but two silverback gorillas (mature male leader). One of them, the clear alpha! Two females and three babies made up this family of 7. Through the guidance of our tracker, we followed the gorillas, got close and observed for an hour. No cage, no chains. Nothing to hold these creatures back, it was an exhilarating experience to see them in their natural habitat.
If you’re sitting on some bitcoin, why not use it for an experience of a lifetime?