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Park Rules

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While Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is open to visitor at any time of the year, there are a set rules visitors must observe. These are guidelines or safety measures intended to ensure protection and conservation of wildlife, as well as safety of tourists while exploring the Volcanoes Park.

Volcanoes National Park Rules

Nature Rules

It is important to obey nature rules while visiting the Volcanoes Park Rwanda. These include following the proper trail etiquette, remaining quiet while in the park, keeping the park clean and more. Here are some of the most important nature rules to follow during your visit;

Do not litter Volcanoes National Park
Keeping the park clean is important for every visitor. Once you have set foot into the jungles of Volcanoes Park, maximum respect on the environment must be accorded. You should make sure that you leave the place as clean as you found it so that we can protect the park for the future generations.

The used containers or items must be disposed off into the designated dustbins and if you are on gorilla trekking, still you can carry back your used items back to the park offices (Kinigi) where you can find dustbins.

Pollution is highly discouraged in order to preserve national parks. Even if it is micro garbage, it is important to carry your trash back to the points of disposal that have been established in the park.

Don’t smoke

Smoking is not allowed within the the Volcanoes National Park. This is due to the fact the park is largely a primate tour destination where both the endangered golden monkeys and mountain gorillas live. There are also other primates with in the park. Primates can easily pick respiratory diseased from humans.

To be specific, mountain gorillas are our closest relatives sharing over 98% of their DNA with that of humans. Smoking in their presence puts them at a higher risk of contracting infectious diseases. Other than smoking, eating and drinking in the presence of gorillas isn’t allowed.

Secondly, smoke can cause fires! Therefore it is important to safeguard our parks and there are no gazetted smoking areas within the park.

Noise is highly prohibited

It is important to try as much as possible to keep your voices low while within the park.

Even on gorilla trekking sessions, it is advised to keep low your voices while in the jungles searching for the great apes. If you make loud noise, gorillas get scared and it may make them get irritated or charge at you.

Don’t Collect Anything

You should not collect anything from the park other than pictures. Whether it is a volcanic stone or just plucking a leaf, you should make sure that the ecosystem is not distorted during your safari. Picking of flowers/vegetation in the park is prohibited as the act leads to growth of invasive species. Observe the law of nature that while national parks are ours to enjoy, removing things from them is highly prohibited. Whether it is an indigenous artifacts or rock, it is illegal to pick anything.

Fire arms and other ammunition are highly prohibited from the park. The park maintains its security and therefore you should not be worried during your visit. It is important to know that illegal carrying of firearms can lead to prosecutions in the laws of the country since poachers.

Keep Wildlife Wild

A visit to Volcanoes National Park may not be complete without meeting wildlife. The park is popular for gorilla tracking, golden monkey tracking and more wild experiences. It is important to follow wildlife rules that have been set in order to safeguard the preservation of the wild game;

Maintain the Distance

It is important to watch wildlife from an impactful and non threatening distance. You are advised to use binoculars if you would like to get a close look at the wildlife.

  • When you come across primates such as golden monkeys and mountain gorillas, maintain a distance of 7 meters away to avoid spreading infectious diseases to them.
  • You are not allowed to feed wildlife with human food. Whether there are birds or monkeys that easily approach humans, you should avoid supplying wildlife with human food.

Safety Regulations

Here are the summaries of park regulations and advice for visitors traveling to the Volcanoes National Park. Park rules that particularly those regarding safety while visiting the park;