There are two words that are used simultaneously in gorilla expeditions in anticipation to mean the same but when in actual sense these two words are different however minimal the difference might be. These two words are gorilla trekking and gorilla tracking. So this work is intended to thoroughly exhaust the blatant difference between these two words for those interested in visiting Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga National Park and Volcanoes National Park on how often to use these words interchangeably.
Gorilla trekking and tracking basically come into play when one talks about mountain gorillas in one of the above mentioned national park. So the difference between gorilla trekking and gorilla tracking lies with who does what.
When one talks about gorilla trekking whether in Uganda or Rwanda, it basically means following mountain gorillas. This involves a group of tourists who hike hills and beat the bush trying to maneuver, follow and find a given family of mountain gorillas.
Tourists are always guided by an official guide from Uganda Wildlife Authority in Uganda or Rwanda Development Board for the sake of Rwanda. It is this trained guide that will lead the group of tourists to where the gorillas will be. During gorilla trekking, the guide will definitely do his work of identifying other animals, birds and trees to make the journey or trek enjoyable. He will always be in touch with gorilla trackers or what we call the advanced team who will keep on directing him to where a given gorilla family will be at that particular moment. The fact that gorillas leave in mountainous or hilly areas, they have to trek or hike to find them hence the term gorilla trekking.
Gorilla tracking can be used to mean gorilla trekking but in the actual sense, gorilla tracking means trying to find a given habituated mountain gorilla family. Gorilla trackers/advanced team/rangers use many signs and methods to trace these gorillas before gorilla trekking takes place. These rangers wake up very early every morning to hit the forest in search for these mountain gorillas. They use natural means to track them other than using the GPS system. Once they find them, then they will communicate to the park headquarters and its then that gorilla trekking will then follow.
The second difference between gorilla trekking and gorilla tracking is that gorilla tracking is done by rangers or the advanced group using several methods to find gorillas and then once found, gorilla trekking will then follow. This does not however rule out the fact that when tracking gorillas, rangers also trek or hike hills to find them. Thus the difference between these words is minimal and one word can be used to mean the other.