DIAN FOSSEY HIKE

Dian Fossey hike is among the activities in volcanoes national park that you should not miss out on for a rewarding Rwanda safari as you visit the home to the world’s endangered mountain gorillas. Volcanoes national park is among the most visited destinations in Rwanda because of a number of attractions from the endangered mountain gorillas, endangered golden monkeys,  the karisoke research station, dian Fossey’s grave, different bird species like the migratory species, from Europe, endemic species, that can be seen when you take part in activities like golden monkey trekking in Rwanda, gorilla trekking in Rwanda, hiking the Virunga mountain, birding in Rwanda,  visiting the musanze caves which are one of the historical sites in the country that represent the rich cultural of the country that you can also experience when you take part in the cultural tours in Rwanda.

 Among the different tourism activities that can be carried out in volcanoes national park, the dian Fossey hike is not as popular as the other activities in Rwanda but the activity is quite interesting because you will get to not only understand more about the endangered mountain gorillas in the park but also have the chance to understand about the American primatologist who was behind the protection of the gorillas to ensure their sustainability to ensure that gorilla trekking in Rwanda is carried out by future generations.

THE HIKE

For tourists interested in taking part in the Dian Fossey hike, they will book for their permit where you will access the her grave between mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke where you will find the Karisoke research station where you will also find the gorilla cemetery where Dian Fossey buried her gorilla friends and where she was also buried when they found her dead in her cabin. During you hike, you will get to find out more about the roles of dian Fossey who is also responsible for bringing gorilla poaching in Rwanda to light which helped to protect the gorillas in the country.

The purpose of dian Fossey visiting volcanoes national park was to understand and study the behaviour of the endangered mountain gorillas in the world but the more time she spent with the gorillas. The more she picked an interest in them and the urge to protect them against the brutal poaching activities by people in the neighbouring communities due to the increased need for their parts which are believed to be very expensive and after the death of her favourite gorilla digit that was killed by poachers infuriated her and began her operation to end poaching in the park

With the increased poaching activities in the park, Dian Fossey established her anti-poaching patrol team which included a number of park rangers who fought against the locals that were carrying out gorilla poaching in volcanoes national park and this involved carrying out mass sensitization of the dangers pf poaching on radio stations, she destroyed poachers’ traps, killed their dogs, burning the houses of the poachers as a way to warn them against their poaching tactics and many other  tactics which increased the number of enemies  and it was no surprise that she was found killed in her cabin because of the tension that was developed between her and the locals  because of the fact that she was sabotaging their activities.

 Dian Fossey was buried at the gorilla cemetery where she buried her gorilla friends that were victims of poaching that you will get to see when you participate in the dian Fossey hike at a fee of :

Foreign residents 60USD

Foreign non-residents 75USD

EAC citizens 55USD

EAC foreign residents 65USD