Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda
Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda: The gorilla habituation experience in Uganda is a procedure in which wild gorillas are educated to get used to human presence. The gorilla habituation experience is an intriguing and fascinating activity that allows guests aged 15 and above to engage in the habituation process for four hours, with the habituation process taking two to three years. Gorilla habituation experience in Uganda is conducted in Rushaga sector in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The national park is the most popular destination for gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda.
Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda
The Uganda Wildlife Authority established a gorilla habituation experience for people to participate in the habituation process, which is now being carried out in the Rushaga area in the southern portion of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. There is now only one gorilla family under habituation, known as the Kutu family.
Kutu is a gorilla family of eight members, with one dominant silverback serving as the family’s leader. The habituation of gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park takes 2 to 3 years and is carried out by a team of researchers, trackers, conservationists, rangers, and guides, among others. In contrast to gorilla trekking, which permits a maximum of 8 guests, gorilla habituation only allows a maximum of 4 tourists to accompany the researchers in the habituation process.
The gorilla habituation process begins at 7:30 a.m. with a briefing at the park headquarters in Rushaga, where you will be informed about the expectations, safety precautions, and regulations to follow while in the forest and in the presence of the gorillas. Following the briefing, you will proceed to the gorilla family, where you will have the option to engage in the activity by observing the gorillas, making calls, monitoring the gorilla habits, and naming the gorilla individuals, among other things.
During gorilla habituation, researchers continue to visit the gorilla group on a regular basis, and over time, the gorillas will form a trusting connection with them or get accustomed to them. Once the researchers are certain that the gorillas can be trekked, they will introduce the gorilla group to a mock exercise to test it, and the mock exercise will involve some people such as scientists, journalists, and others beginning to visit the gorilla family, and if it passes the mock exercise, it will be open for trekking, increasing the number of habituated gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
What is the difference between gorilla habituation experience and gorilla trekking in Uganda?
- Gorilla habituation is the technique by which wild gorillas are educated to get accustomed to human presence for trekking, whereas gorilla trekking is an activity in which people go through dense tropical woods in search of habituated gorilla families.
- Gorilla habituation is only done in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, while gorilla trekking is done in all sectors of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, Mgahinga national park in Uganda, and other destinations such as Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, Virunga national park, and Kahuzi Biega national park in Democratic Republic of Congo.
- The gorilla habituation experience in Uganda permits up to four people per day to engage in the habituation process, whereas gorilla trekking in Uganda allows up to eight guests to visit each habituated gorilla family in any of the sites.
- The gorilla habituation experience permits up to four people per day to engage in the habituation process, whereas gorilla trekking allows up to eight guests to visit each habituated gorilla family in any of the sites.
- Gorilla habituation allows visitors to spend up to 4 hours with the gorillas in their natural habitat, monitoring their behaviors, naming each individual, and taking photos, among other things, whereas gorilla trekking allows visitors to spend up to 1 hour with the habituated gorilla family learning more about the gorillas and taking photos.
- Gorilla habituation experience in Uganda costs $1500 per person, whereas gorilla trekking in Uganda costs $700 per person.
- During the gorilla habituation process, tourists will be accompanied by a team of researchers, rangers, and guides, among others, to the habituated gorilla family, but during gorilla trekking, visitors will only be accompanied by guides and park rangers to the habituated gorilla family.
When to book your gorilla habituation experience in Uganda?
Visitors considering the gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi impenetrable national park in Uganda should book as early as 6 months in advance. The best time to book for the gorilla trekking Uganda is particularly during the months of December to February, June to August which is the peak season for the activity.
How to book your gorilla habituation experience in Uganda?
A gorilla habituation permit in Uganda may be booked directly through Uganda Wildlife Authority offices, a government tourist organization in Uganda, by email or phone calls, or through a trustworthy tour operator such as Explore Rwanda Tours. When making a reservation with Explore Rwanda Tours on info@rwandawildlifesafari.com you will provide us with the date, month, and year you wish to participate in a gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi National Park. We will then check the permit’s availability and get back to you; you will then provide us scanned copies of the passports that will be used to get the permission, as well as an invoice to make deposit payments on the permit. We will get your gorilla habituation permit and give you scanned documents as confirmation once the fees have been received.
How much is gorilla habituation experience in Uganda?
A gorilla permit in Uganda costs $1500 per person and it guarantees visitors 4 hours spent with a gorilla family once it has been located. The park only allows a maximum of four guests per day for the experience which is why those interested in the activity need to book in advance.
Rules and Regulations of Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda?
The restrictions for gorilla habituation are the same as those for trekking, with the exception of the time spent and the number of individuals that visit the gorillas. Researchers, hikers, conservationists, and rangers will be on hand to provide you with first-hand knowledge about the habituated gorilla family that you will be visiting.
