So many people go to see mountain gorillas in Africa nowadays, but on very rare occasions, a gorilla may charge at visitors, which can be a big threat. So what do you do when a gorilla charges at you?
Some people think running is the solution. This is completely wrong. It will only make things worse, and you can never run faster than a gorilla in its natural home.
Park rangers are always armed with guns to protect you, but shooting a mountain gorilla is the last thing they would want to do. They will only do this if the situation cannot be controlled in any other way.
When you book a Uganda gorilla trekking or Rwanda gorilla trekking tour, the country is responsible for keeping you safe from any harm that may happen, although it is rare for a gorilla to charge at a visitor.
Most of the gorilla families available for trekking are habituated. They are used to seeing humans and enjoy being around them.
But how dangerous are Silverback gorillas if met in the wild? The habituated ones are not dangerous. You are only allowed to visit habituated gorillas, which are safe to be around.
So can a human survive an attack from a gorilla? In this article, I show you how to survive a gorilla attack the right way without anyone getting hurt.
How do gorillas charge?
A gorilla charges by beating its chest many times, making loud grunts, and releasing a very strong smell that humans can smell from 26 yards away.
Their voices are loud, and they will throw leaves or branches at you. When this happens, it means the gorilla is angry.
How to survive a gorilla attack
So how do we escape from an angry gorilla? What do you do when a gorilla attacks? Before I get into details, I will give you a brief idea about gorilla behavior.
Scientists say that 99% of gorilla charges are fake. They do this to give their group time to move to a safe place. If the threat continues, a gorilla may attack for real.
So how do you survive an encounter with a wild adult gorilla?
When a gorilla charges at you, do not panic. Just follow the steps I suggest below.
- Watch the gorilla’s behavior. An angry gorilla will shout, beat its chest, hit the ground, throw leaves or branches, and release a strong smell. If a gorilla comes near you without doing these things, it is probably just curious and might want to play.
- Stay very calm and still. Even if you are scared, do not move suddenly or scream, as this can make the situation worse. Stay quiet and calm.
- Look away. Looking a gorilla in the eyes is a sign of challenge. Look down and avoid eye contact until the gorilla calms down.
- Groom the gorilla’s hands. If a gorilla holds your hand, slowly start to groom or rub its hand. This may help calm it down and make its grip looser.
- Do not resist or fight back. This will only make the gorilla more angry. Gorillas are very strong and can be very dangerous if they feel threatened. Try to stay as submissive as you can until help arrives or until the gorilla loses interest in you.
You may feel scared after reading this. That is normal. But it doesn’t mean a gorilla will always charge at you when you meet one.
Such situations are very rare and usually happen to poachers or when someone breaks the gorilla trekking rules—like the case of the woman with the iPad.
Watch Video of a Gorilla Charging
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