Whether gorilla trekking is ethical is such a significant area of concern. However, with not more than 1004 mountain gorillas that are left in the worldwide today, a lot more still needs to be done to protect them from extinction. These figures have come a long way given various measures that have been put in place to ensure that they exist for now and the future generations. That said, gorilla trekking is ethical the fact that it governed by several set rules and regulations that any trekker must always observe while on a trek. They include
Only 8 people are allowed to trek only 1 habituated gorilla group each day. This measure is aimed at avoiding disturbance on the daily behaviors of mountain gorillas and also put into higher risk of catching human infectious diseases. It helps reduce impacts of overcrowding in every group.
Visitors are always required to keep their voices very low. This rule plays a significant role in reducing disturbances on these creatures that one way may make them get irritated thus causing harm to humans.
You are always reminded to leave the forest or park the way they found it. No disposing off any kind of rubbish. In case you have used things, make sure that you carry them back to where you kick started your trek and dump them in the provided dust bins.
Always obey the set instructions as told by the park ranger guide and this will protect you from any kind of attacks these large apes can cause.
You are always encouraged to maintain a distance of 7 meters away from these intelligent creatures and also avoid any body contact as much as possible. Do not touch gorillas even when they get close to you and make sure that they always calm and this will help reduce any risk of them contracting any kind of human infectious diseases.
The fact that these wild creatures, they can charge or get irritated and so you need to avoid any direct eye contact with them, calm down and do not run away otherwise such action may cause harm to you. When they charge against you, make sure that you bow down to show that you are submissive to them.
No flashlight camera is allowed while taking photos of these amazing creatures. If your camera has a flashlight please, turn it off before shooting photos.
Once you bump into a group of mountain gorillas that is assigned to you to track, you have only an hour with them-to take photos, explore their behavior and body gestures. This rule is significant as it helps avoid any kind of disturbance on the general behavior of these creatures in the wild.
In case you are not feeling well or you are ill, you are not allowed to go and track mountain gorillas. This is important as it helps prevent spread of human infectious diseases from humans to these creatures. In case you are coughing make sure that you cover your mouth and nose while sneezing. Remember that these creatures share about 98 percent of their DNA with humans making them to be very susceptible to human infectious diseases.
In case you wish to help yourself while in the forest, ensure that you dig up a deep hole and after, let it be covered. This can help reduce the spread of human infectious diseases to these large apes.
You are not allowed to eat, drink or even smoke while trekking gorillas in their habitat. This measure is aimed at minimizing any kind of temptation of throwing rubbish anyhow in the forest where these creatures live.
While on the trek, make sure that you keep within your group to avoid getting lost which puts into a risk of being harmed by these creatures when you are alone in the forest. Make sure that you avoid any kind of unnecessary movement and always follow the trails these creatures used previously.
In conclusion, gorilla trekking is one of a few ethical adventures and there are many measures that have been put in place to ensure that it regulated some of which have been explained above.
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