Are there habituated mountain gorillas in Uganda?
Both Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are home to habituated mountain gorillas in Uganda. There are currently two semi-habituated gorilla families available for habituation experiences and 19 gorilla trekking families in Uganda that are completely acclimated to human presence.
The habituation of a wild gorilla family must come first in order to establish a gorilla trekking family. Depending on how the mountain gorillas adjust, the period required to complete gorilla habituation may take up to two years.
Only four hours are permitted to be spent with mountain gorillas for gorilla habituation, and one hour is permitted for gorilla trekking fun.
To determine whether Uganda has habituated mountain gorillas, we must first understand gorilla habituation.
Gorilla Habituation: What Is It?
The technique of acclimating a family of wild mountain gorillas to human presence without changing their character is known as “gorilla habituation.” The gorilla habituation process
comprises researchers and trackers who document the gorilla family and the characteristics of each individual.
When tourists are assigned to a specific gorilla family during gorilla trekking, they are informed of this information. In Uganda, gorilla trekking began in 1993 after the Mubare Gorilla family began the gorilla habituation process in the 1990s. The rest is history.
Experience with Gorilla Habituation?
Two gorilla families have been designated thus far for the gorilla habituation experience in the southern region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.
In the gorilla habituation experience, you accompany a group of researchers and trackers to spend four hours with a family of semi-habituated gorillas in the wild. Gorilla habituation is permitted for a maximum of four tourists per day.
A gorilla habituation permit must be purchased from the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
How Much Does It Cost to Get a Gorilla Habituation Permit?
It costs $1500 per person per trek for foreign nonresidents, $1000 for foreign residents, and 750,000shs for East African citizens to obtain a gorilla habituation permit.
Gorilla Permit Cost Inclusions and Exclusions
The following is included in the price of a gorilla permit:
Park admission costs.
safety when trekking for gorillas.
charge for research.
With the mountain gorillas for four hours.
services for ranger guides.
conservation of mountain gorillas.
assistance from the local community.
Transportation to the gorilla habituation site, gratuities, beverages, and any other personal belongings are not included in the cost of a gorilla permit.
Does Uganda Accept Instalments for Gorilla Permit Purchases?
The best course of action is to pay for your gorilla permit in full. You can, however, pay for this gorilla permit in 30% and 70% installments.
You must buy your gorilla permit 90 days prior to the gorilla habituation date in order to be eligible for an installment purchase. If you don’t renew your gorilla habituation permit within ninety days of the gorilla trekking date, you may be penalized.
Gorilla trekking: what is it?
Following a completely habituated gorilla family in the wild and spending just one hour with them is known as gorilla trekking. To see the mountain gorillas on the trekking safari, you need to buy a gorilla permit.
What is the cost of a Ugandan gorilla trekking permit?
The cost of a gorilla trekking permit is 300000shs for East African citizens, $700 for foreign residents, and $800 for foreign nonresidents.
An hour with the mountain gorillas, park entrance fees, conservation assistance for the gorillas, support for the local community, and ranger guide services are all included in the price of a gorilla trekking permit.
Tips, transportation, lodging, snacks, and any other personal belongings are not included in the price of a gorilla permit.
katland Safaris makes it easy for our customers to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime experience by organizing gorilla safari packages. We make reservations for lodging, car rentals, and other safari extras that enhance a visitor’s gorilla safari experience.
Where in Uganda might one locate habituated mountain gorillas?
As shown below, each of the two gorilla parks in Uganda where gorilla safaris are conducted—Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park—has its own habituated gorilla family.
Impenetrable National Park in Bwindi
There are eighteen completely habituated gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park that are accessible to tourists. This enormous forest was split up into four gorilla trekking regions for administrative reasons:
The northern region of Buhoma
The Eastern region of Ruhija
The region of Rushaga
The southern region of Nkuringo
Area-specific gorilla permits are restricted for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Every region has gorilla families that are completely habituated, such as
The Mubare family, also known as Group M, the Rushegura family, popularly known as Group R, and the Habinyanja family, also known as Group H, are found in the Buhoma area of Northern Bwindi Forest. The Uganda Wildlife Authority habituated several of these gorilla families early on.
As of right now, the Bitukura, Oruzogo, Kyaguriro, and Mukisa families reside in the Ruhija area of Eastern Bwindi Forest.
Southern Bwindi Forest’s Rushaga area is home to the Busingye, Bweza, Mucunguzi, Kahungye, Nshongi, Rwigi, and Mishaya families.
The Nkuringo, Muhozi, and Christmas families are all found in the Nkuringo region of the southern Bwindi forest.
Keep in mind that since gorilla habituation is being conducted in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the number of gorilla families is continually growing.
For the purpose of gorilla habituation, two gorilla families in the southern region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park have been split up. Before being permitted to take part in this expedition, each participant must get a gorilla habituation permit.
Park in Mgahinga National
There is currently only one gorilla family in Mgahinga National Park that is accustomed to human visitors. It was difficult to reserve gorilla permits in advance because this family of primates used to migrate into Rwanda. The only gorilla family that is habituated in Mgahinga National Park is the Nyakagezi family.
The briefing for gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park is held at the Ntebeko Visitor Center.
Other primates found in the park include olive baboons, black and white colobus, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, golden and blue monkeys, and others.
How Do I Reserve a Ugandan Gorilla Permit?
You can book a gorilla permit by following the steps below, whether you’re going gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation.
Choose the date you want to engage in habituation or gorilla trekking. The date and the quantity of individuals you want to go on this African trip with may be confirmed or tentative.
It should be noted that eight people per gorilla family is the maximum number permitted for gorilla trekking, while four people per gorilla family is the maximum for gorilla habituation.
Wait for a response whether you ask katland Safaris if gorilla permits are available for the dates you have selected or if you inquire directly with the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority’s gorilla permit availability list is used by our safari consultant to verify availability. One of the recognized safari operators authorized by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to acquire gorilla permits is katland Safaris.
Send your passport information, including your full name as it appears on the document, country, birthdate, passport expiration date, and other facts, so that it can be included to your gorilla permit card.
How old can you be to go on a gorilla safari in Uganda?
The minimum age to embark on a gorilla safari in Uganda is 15. The volcanic nature of the region’s geography is the source of this. You should anticipate hiking across various peaks and plateaus where mountain gorillas occasionally spend a portion of the day.
If the mountain gorillas are relaxing on the slopes of these highlands, it might be difficult for kids younger than this to hike to them.
Because mountain gorillas enjoy roaming the jungle, it takes some patience to do gorilla trekking or habituation; occasionally, the mountain gorillas move quite quickly, making the gorilla journey take longer. Gorilla hikers under the age of 15 may find this difficult to endure.
Because of their stature and dark fur, mountain gorillas can make you feel a little more apprehensive. The mountain gorillas may become agitated and flee into hiding if you respond suspiciously in front of them. Children under the age of fifteen find it difficult to control this kind of reaction, which might result in a loud outcry that could frighten the mountain gorillas and cause them to flee into hiding.
How Much Does a Gorilla Safari in Uganda Cost?
Whether going on a gorilla trek or a habituation experience, the first expense of a Ugandan gorilla safari is the gorilla permit. Whether choosing the premium, mid-range, or budget packages, the gorilla permit fees are the same.
When determining a gorilla safari package, other elements to take into account are:
As the number of persons participating in a gorilla safari increases, the cost per person decreases. You are responsible for any gorilla safari expenses if you are traveling alone.
The best time to reserve a gorilla safari is during the busiest times of the year, when service companies raise their rates. The price of the gorilla safari can occasionally be reduced by offering travelers discounts during the off-peak months.
Number of days on a gorilla safari: The cost of a gorilla safari increases with the number of days.
Other activities that can be combined with gorilla trekking include game drives, launch expeditions, chimpanzee trekking, and others.
When can I anticipate returning from my trip with gorilla trekking or habitat?
Depending on how long it takes to find the mountain gorillas, returning from gorilla habituation or trekking is variable. While some visitors spend more time in the forest, others have been fortunate enough to spot the mountain gorillas within two hours.
Only one hour is permitted to spend time with the mountain gorillas during gorilla trekking after they have been located. You are permitted to spend four hours with the mountain gorillas during gorilla habituation.
When you hope to find the mountain gorillas depends on the speed of the party you are gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation with.
A gorilla family may break up or some members may lose their lives in combat when they fight. The gorilla family feels depressed as a result, which can drive them to the park’s more remote areas.
There may be a delay in finding the mountain gorillas if the dominant silverback is an adventurous member of the gorilla family, forcing the other members to follow his pastime and continue to move through the jungle.
The trails are slick and wet from the constant rains that fall throughout the extreme rainy season, which typically lasts from March to May and November. However, less sunlight can reach the ground during this time.
What are Uganda’s gorilla safari regulations?
Gorilla trekking is limited to one hour, and four hours are permitted with the mountain gorillas once you have located them for gorilla habituation. They are accustomed to spending only that amount of time with people, leaving them to carry out their daily tasks.
It is prohibited to eat or smoke before seeing mountain gorillas. To prevent them from being tempted to steal what you are eating, please do this at least 300 meters away from them. Since they are untamed creatures, they have to look for nourishment.
Due to the nature of the gorilla trekking environment, only youngsters aged 15 and over are permitted to participate. Due to their travel, the best time to locate the mountain gorillas is still up in the air.
It is prohibited to spit on the ground or foliage since this could infect mountain gorillas with pathogens. Mountain gorillas are susceptible to human infectious diseases such as cholera, flu, cough, and COVID-19.
Volunteer to stay behind if you have a contagious illness so that the mountain gorillas are not exposed to such illnesses. It is unknown how widespread this sickness could be and how many mountain gorillas it could kill.
Wearing a clean mask prior to seeing mountain gorillas is one of the precautions taken to stop the COVID-19 virus and other pathogens from infecting the primates.
To stop any infection from spreading, keep a minimum of 8 meters between you and the mountain gorillas when you find them.
In order to avoid frightening the mountain gorillas, it is prohibited to make loud noises in the jungle. They are vulnerable to strange noises around them.
Since mountain gorillas may hide from strange light, flash photography is not allowed when taking pictures.
Because it changes the environment in which mountain gorillas live, it is prohibited to throw trash into the forest during gorilla trekking.
