Caring for the Young
Mountain gorillas have a slow rate of reproduction. Females give birth for the first time at about age 10 and will have more offspring every three or four years. A male begins to breed between 12 and 15 years, when he is in charge of his own group. Able to conceive for only about three days each month, the female produces a single young. Newborn gorillas are weak and tiny, weighing in at about 4 pounds. Their movements are as awkward as those of human infants, but their development is roughly twice as fast. At 3 or 4 months, the gorilla infant can sit upright and can stand with support soon after. It suckles regularly for about a year and is gradually weaned at about 31/2 years, when it becomes more independent.

Vocal communication among gorillas is important in within-group interactions as well as extra-group interactions. Within-group calls, include “copulatory grunts” and “whimpers” during copulation, “whines” and “whimpers” by infants, “play chuckles” during play, “intense” and “mild cough grunts” during mild threat displays, and “close” calls that include both “syllabled” and “non-syllabled” calls such as “train-grunts” and “dog whines”.”Close” calls are commonly given within the group in situations of either potential separation or potential conflict. Extra-group calls serve to alert group members of potential predation and include “barks” or are given as long-distance threat displays upon detection of another group and include the “hoot series,” which may be accompanied by chest beating. Most calling occurs within-groups during feeding times, though gorillas also call during rest periods as well.

Uganda sprawls across the Equator line that divides Africa into two. The country boasts of 10 beautiful Nationals parks that are located and distribute to offer the best safari in Africa. These places offers wildlife visitors a thrilling opportunity to experience Uganda’s biodiversity not only in the tracks of thorn bushes savannah mingling with antelope, buffalo and Elephant that one tends to associate with the Equatorial East Africa, but with lush expanses of tropical rain forest, lakes and rivers supporting the aquatic life and the glacial peaks of Africa’s tallest Mountain range know as the Mountains of the moon because of its spackling appearances.

Among the 10 Nationals parks is the countries largest protected are of Murchison Falls National Park located in North part of the country ha psalm studded grassland that support the dense population of the lion, buffalo, elephant and Uganda kob, together with the Rothschild giraffe and patas monkey.

Concentration of hippos can be experience and a number of bird specie have been counted here and observed in the early hours of the morning and afternoon during the boat cruise trip along the Nile below a spectacular bottom of the water falls of which the park is named after.

Rwenzori mountains national park is a nether protected are that protects the eastern slopes and glacial peaks of 120km long Rwenzori Mountains of the moon as it’s called. First class world hiking takes place here in the mountain which destination is as significant as it lines with the source of the Nile in Eastern Uganda. This comes all the way from the 150AD during the formation of the Western Rift Valley that raised it to 5,109m above sea level. It supports large tracks of ever green and bamboo forest, while the higher Mooreland zone is known for its other worldly cover of giant heathers, lobelias and groundsels.

Queen Elizabeth National park is set majestically in the shadows of the giatant Rwenzori Mountains and bisected into two parts by Lake Edward and George that forms Kazinga channel. The open savannah offers prime grazing place to the buffalo, elephant, Antelope, that various in number. About 600 different checklists of bird species and a number of giant forest hog and the most attracted climbing lion is found here on the Ishasha sector.

Most of the western is forested, and one of the reserves, Bwindi forest National Park is the best known places for Mountain gorilla tracking, this place also supports other animals in the forest like Forest Elephants, Chimpanzee, monkeys, small antelope and as well as various 25 species of birds, this is also found on the western arm of the rift valley.

Another National park sitting with gorillas just as Bwindi is Mgahinga National park, though the gorillas here keep crossing boarders between Uganda and Rwanda, but it protects the other Uganda portion of the Virungas, an imposing string of the nine freestanding extinct and active volcanoes that runs along the boarders of three…Rwanda, Congo and Uganda.

Along the Albertine rift is the Semuliki National Park, and extension from Congo Ituri rain forest is set at the base of northern Rwenzori Mountain, is of special interest to ornithologists for some 40 Congolese bird species recorded nowhere else in the country. Nearby, is the spectacular semuliki wildlife Reserve, which abuts Lake Albert, stands as one of the best locations for sighting shoe bill.

Kibale Forest National Park, is a primate called park in the country with the highest population of primates with more than 1000 chimpanzees, about 80 strong community has been habituated to visitors to the park as well as half  dozen of readily  observed monkey species, including the aerobatic red colobus and black – white colobus and handsome Lhoest’s monkey.

The closest to Kampala is Lake Mburo National Park which is a centre of series of swamp-fringed lakes known for their rich birdlife, notably the secretive African fin foot. The green acacia woodland surrounding the lake harbors dense populations of zebra, wathog, buffalo, impala, and various other grazers, including the last surviving population of Eland, the largest African antelope.

Mountain Elgon National park located between the boarders of Uganda and Kenya encompasses the 4,321m is an extinct volcano in the world has lush Afro-montane forest, grassland and moorland habitats makes this park a highly rewarding destination for hikers and other natural historical enthusiasts.

Lastly in the far east, the remote wild place and little-visited Kidepo National Park provides refuge to long list of dry country species not found else where in the country, including cheeter and greater Kudu, while its perennial waters attract large numbers of elephant and thousand – strong buffalo herds, especially during dry spelt

Uganda wildlife Authority has found another new alternative route that has been surveyed and opened to Prospective visitors to the highest Margherita Peak of 5,109 meters above sea level; this is the highest point of the Rwenzori Mountains. This the highest block Mountains in Africa which was formed as a result of uplifting, faulting and tilting processes, as a result, it formed the central ranges which are grouped six mountains harboring diverse peaks, which are covered by snows and glaciers.

The statement which was issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority  Public Relations officer Lillian Nsubuga that the new route is shorter and will enable tourists circumvent a six-metre long crack (crevasse) that developed in the glacier leading to Margherita in April and threatened to derail expeditions to the peak. “It now takes about 26 minutes to climb from the base of the glacier to the Margherita Peak. Previously, it took up to 45 minutes to climb from the base of the glacier to the peak.” The statement added.

The diversion from the old route has been created at a point called Omwubutindo, where ladders had been placed on rocks to ease movement on the glacier.

The new route will be now approached from the western side to the peak, while the  Uganda Wildlife Authority staff and officials from the Rwenzori Mountaineering Services will continue to ensure that mountain climbers have an unforgettable experience climbing to the top of the mountain.

Its is anticipated that as the globe continues to warm due climate change, there will be more impacts on the Rwenzori Mountains glacier, and the authorities have put in place long term plans to open other routes that will facilitate access to the Margherita Peak through the rocky areas.

The Authority is also diversifying tourist experience by opening other routes on the northern and southern ranges to maximize trekking and viewing of spectacular and breath taking landscapes in the Rwenzori ranges.

The peal was named in 1906 by an Italian Duke, Prince Luigi Armedeo de Savoia, after the Queen of Italy, Margherita, twhen he visited the mountain during a scientific expedition that took him with the group to the Rwenzoris. Margherita Peak offers a panoramic view of Alexandra and Albert peaks on the same Mountain (Stanley) and Speke glacier on Mountain Speke during clear weather.