Gorilla Documentaries and Filming

Mountain gorillas are the most visited of the four gorilla subspecies. Gorilla trekking is a very popular wildlife activity. Each year thousands of eager tourists visit Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo with the sole intention of observing the amazing primates in the wild. Gorilla tourism brings in over 30 million US dollars to the economy of the 3 countries. These who propose that gorillas should be left alone should read an article about gorilla trekking and ethics. During standard gorilla tracking, tourists are allowed one hour with the primates. In that one hour, they may take photos and videos of the primates without any extra charges.

Some travelers go to see the gorillas with the sole intention of filming, making documentaries or videos of the primates. These gorilla documentaries or films are more detailed and of higher quality than those taken by tourists during gorilla trekking. The filming is done by professional content creators and wildlife documentary companies or foreign press. Filming mountain gorillas is allowed in all three countries because it one way of developing tourism and raising resources for conservation. Gorilla documentaries also help create global awareness about the status of the endangered primates.

A gorilla filming tour often requires more time and can be more expensive than the standard gorilla trekking. It’s a different experience from gorilla trekking because the filming crew do not mix with other travelers except for the park guides. You might want to read about how to photograph gorillas.

Gorilla Filming in Rwanda, Uganda and Congo

In order to film gorillas, the crew needs to have the required documents. The three countries have slightly different policies and requirements but with a lot of similarities as we shall see: –

Mountain gorilla filming in Rwanda – the Volcanoes National Park

In Rwanda, gorillas can be seen in the Volcanoes National Park. The park has about 350 mountain gorillas of which 10 groups are habituated. The government authority responsible for managing the park is the Rwanda Development Board. It is also the authority responsible for approving filming tours. Filming gorillas in Rwanda costs $5000 excluding gorilla permits, transportation, meals and accommodation. The activity requires that you buy permits (8 in number) for an entire group of gorillas. Gorilla permit in Rwanda cost $1500 each and on a normal day 8 people track a particular group. The cost of 8 permits is $12,000. It is important to note that the Rwanda Development Board will require that you pay an additional but refundable cost of $2000. This implies that you need to budget for $19,000 as overall cost for making a gorilla documentary in Rwanda. The $2000 will be refunded once you share a copy of the film/documentary.

After taking into account the expenses of filming the gorillas, you also have to consider the cost of transportation, accommodation and clearance of equipment with customs at the airport. A tour company can help you with these bookings and also with the procedures of getting the approvals. Gorilla filming tours need to be booked at least 4 months in advance so that the park authorities are prepared and a gorilla group reserved.

Gorilla filming in Congo – Virunga and Kahuzi Biega National Park

In Congo gorilla filming is done in Virunga National Park (mountain gorillas) and Kahuzi Biega National Park (Eastern Lowland gorillas). It is also possible to film Eastern lowland gorillas in Maiko National Park, Tayna Gorilla Reserve, Itombwe Massig and the Usala forest. Congo has about 300 mountain gorillas and about 3,500 Eastern lowland gorillas. Gorilla filming in Congo is very special because the parks receive less visitors enabling you to enjoy the pristine wilderness in privacy while also encountering wildlife seen nowhere else on earth. Moreover, making documentaries of gorillas in Congo is less expensive compared to Rwanda and Uganda.

There is no established system for authorizing gorilla filming in Congo. You simply apply to the specific national park and wait for communication. All applications are handled on a case by case basis. Despite the absence of an established system for approving gorilla documentaries, it is important to note that unauthorized filming of military installations, government buildings and border points could result in the confiscation of your equipment or an arrest. Like Rwanda and Uganda, gorilla filming equipment need to be cleared and permits booked in advance. You can contact the national parks or a good tour operator to help you with arranging the filming trip.

It is important to note that all the gorilla parks are located in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This area is still prone to civil wars and unrest. However, the national parks are heavily guarded by both government troops and park Rangers. Expect heavy security deployments and several armed Rangers escorting you to see the primates. If you are starting to think twice about going to Congo, then remember that thousands of tourists visit the country each year and leave safely with some of the best wildlife experiences in Africa.

Filming mountain gorillas in Uganda – Mgahinga and Bwindi National Park

The gorillas in Uganda can be seen in two national parks – Mgahinga and Bwindi. Uganda has the highest number of mountain gorillas in the world. There are about 550 individuals and 18 gorilla groups are now habituated. Because of the high number of mountain gorillas, Uganda is arguably the best country for filming gorillas in the wild. There are more choices of gorilla groups to film in Uganda. Film crews also have a choice of going to Mgahinga or Bwindi. Mgahinga National Park has only one large gorilla group but with more than 3 silverbacks.

Mountain gorilla filming in Uganda is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and needs to be booked in advance (At least 4 months before the filming tour) to allow for better planning. The Authority is also responsible for all game parks in Uganda. However, the first step is to apply for a media card (Media Accreditation) from the Uganda Media Centre. This is a separate government entity from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Every member of the filming crew needs to fill in the form from the Uganda Media Centre. They will want to know your names, a copy of your passport, your passport photos, address, nationality, purpose of visit and how many days you intend to stay in Uganda. Approval of the Media card takes between 3 to 5 days. A gorilla tour company can help you get this media form and guide you on how to complete filling it in correctly.

After that you need to write a letter to the Uganda Wildlife Authority with information about the filming company, the purpose of the filming project, intended date of filming and the national park you would be going to. You will also need to state how the country will benefit from the documentary. After all the information has been received (scanned and sent back), the filming company/crew will enter into a written agreement/contract with the Uganda Wildlife Authority before they can be given a permit to document the gorillas. A tour company can help you obtain the official form from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The tour company will send the form back to the Uganda Wildlife Authority who will them come up with the correct cost of the gorilla filming safari. The Authority will require a letter from you indicating that you have chosen the tour Company to help you with processing the permit.

On arrival in Uganda, the gorilla filming crew must also have their equipment cleared at the airport in Entebbe. Staff at the airport will check out the item name, serial number, weight and value. If you are planning to use drones or do any Arial shooting, you need to get a separate approval from the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces and the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority. Using drones for gorilla trekking is generally not allowed.

What is the cost of gorilla filming in Uganda?  Gorilla filming for commercial purposes costs $4,200 dollars per hour with the gorillas. This price excludes the $700 for gorilla permits. The filming crew must pay for 8 gorilla permits regardless of how many individuals are in the team. There is also a separate additional fee charged for environmental effects, research and monitoring which equals to 5% of the gorilla filming fee. Not more than 8 people are allowed to film gorillas. Finally, the Uganda Wildlife Authority will require a deposit of $1000 which will be refunded once a copy of the film is shared with the authority in DVD format. The Uganda Wildlife Authority will use the DVD for educational purposes. The overall cost of gorilla filming in Uganda is about $11,000. This excludes accommodation, meals, transport within the country, clearances with the airport, Uganda Media Centre and other governmental bodies.

Note: It is important to discuss with your tour company or the Uganda Wildlife Authority in advance about all the logistics and other hidden costs so that you come prepared.

Note: In order to have more time with gorillas, we encourage tourists to go for the gorilla habituation experience. This experience takes the entire day and offers travelers 4 hours with the gorillas. This will give you all the time you need to film the gorillas unlike the standard gorilla trekking. The gorilla habituation experience permit costs $1500 per person and can only be done in Bwindi Impenetrable forest of Uganda.

Gorilla Filming Safari with Mission Africa Safaris

As a tour company, we can help you get the necessary permits in all three countries. We have experience in organizing gorilla filming tours for both individuals and media companies. We will let you know what you need to come with, how to get clearances and forms with the difference governmental bodies responsible for making the approvals. Finally, we can also help you with reserving accommodation, transportation and meals.

Additional information about making gorilla documentaries

The packing list for gorilla filming is similar to that of gorilla trekking. Apart from high quality cameras, all crew members need to have proper hiking boots, long-sleeved shirts, hand gloves, rain-coats, sunglasses, a hat and walking sticks. Porters are available for hire at a cost of about $15. The porters will help you carry any heavy equipment and bags.

You need to be 15 years and above to take part in gorilla filming. While with the gorillas, ensure that you maintain a distance of about 7 meters. Do not use flash cameras to avoid a gorilla charging at you. Ensure that all your gadgets are silent while in operation. Littering the pack while making gorilla documentaries is prohibited as is smoking, eating and drinking. Gorillas are very prone to human diseases like cough and flu. For that reason, you may be expected to have a face mask.