Gorilla habituation experience rules and regulations to be followed

After finding them, you can spend four hours on a gorilla habituation safari getting up close and personal with the semi-habituated mountain gorilla family. Only a maximum of four visitors are permitted to accompany researchers and habituation during gorilla habituation excursions in order to control forest disturbance and lessen the effects of mass tourism.

As of right now, the only place to go on a gorilla habituation trip is Uganda. But before a gorilla trekking family is formed, the gorilla habituation process must take place.

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.” Depending on how quickly the gorilla family adjusts to human life, the habituation process could take more than two years.

Following the guidelines governing this safari is crucial because protecting mountain gorillas is the main goal of any gorilla trekking or habituation safari in Rwanda, Uganda, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

What are the Gorilla Habituation Safari rules and regulations?

Before embarking on gorilla trekking or habituation, put on a clean mask; before you meet the mountain gorillas, put on a fresh one. This step was taken to lessen the possibility of giving the mountain gorillas any infectious diseases following the COVID-19 pandemic. Regretfully, they are extremely vulnerable to human infections and contain roughly 96% human DNA. Before entering the jungle, make sure your shoes are clean as well.
To prevent disturbing the mountain gorillas and other forest inhabitants during gorilla habituation, speak quietly or in a low voice. In their environment, they are extremely sensitive to strange noises. The rest of the family is likewise alerted to your presence in the forest by their spy network.
Volunteer to stay behind if you have a contagious illness, such as cholera, cough, or COVID-19, to prevent spreading it to the mountain gorillas. Their enormous demise might impede the advancement of more than 1000 mountain gorillas from the 300 that were made in the 1980s.
To avoid giving mountain gorillas the impression that you are planning an ambush, stay in a close-knit group during gorilla habituation. To avoid appearing suspicious in front of the mountain gorillas, avoid wandering around the bush. Being very sensitive primates, they are extremely aware of any intruders in their immediate area.
When you find the mountain gorillas, don’t use flash cameras. They are afraid of new things happening to them, so this frightens them. Wait until the habituation or ranger guide has had a chance to examine the mountain gorillas’ mood before snapping pictures of them.
It is prohibited to provoke mountain gorillas during gorilla habituation because you cannot predict how they would respond.
To reduce the possibility of the mountain gorillas seizing anything, eat or smoke at least 300 meters away from them. Because they are wild creatures, mountain gorillas must forage for their sustenance and are not dependent on human provision.
If you contract a disease that can kill a lot of mountain gorillas, such cough or diarrhea, offer to stay behind. A lot of money has been spent, and mountain gorilla conservation has advanced significantly. According to Rwanda Development Board or Uganda Wildlife Authority rules, you can be eligible for a refund if you report your condition before to gorilla habituation.
Ask the ranger guide to dig a hole for you that is at least 30 centimeters deep and completely cover it if you want a lengthy conversation.
Carry your trash out of the forest when you have it, and avoid leaving any trash behind that could change the forest’s natural habitat, which is where the mountain gorillas get their food.
During gorilla habituation, avoid spitting on the ground or nearby foliage. The only food the mountain gorillas eat is vegetation, and you could contaminate their food with bacteria.
Gorilla habituation is only permitted for those who are at least 15 years old. This is because, although the best time to find the mountain gorillas is still up in the air, the terrain is too steep or slick for a child under this age to handle.
What if you want to cough or sneeze during gorilla habituation? To lessen the possibility of infecting the mountain gorillas, do it away from them and in an elbow or handkerchief.
To lessen the possibility of spreading any infectious diseases to the mountain gorillas, maintain a minimum distance of 8 meters from them. Even though they have adapted to the presence of humans, they are still wild animals. To keep the gap, move back stealthily if they approach.
Once you find the mountain gorillas, you can watch them for four hours. Because they still exhibit wild characteristics, they may occasionally go into hiding. When you are in front of mountain gorillas, exercise patience and obedience. Especially the dominating silverback, they want to demonstrate their superiority over you in the jungle.

How Much Does It Cost To Get A Gorilla Habituation Permit?

For foreign nonresidents, the gorilla habituation permit costs $1500 per person per trek; for foreign residents, it costs $1000; and for East African citizens, it costs 150000shs.

The following is included in the price of a gorilla habituation permit:

costs for ranger guides.
parking costs.
safety.
Gorilla conservation help.
assistance from the local community.
After gorilla habituation, a certificate.
Gorilla habituation takes place over four hours.
Tipping, porters, energy snacks, a packed lunch, and any other personal belongings are not included in the price of gorilla habituation licenses.

Is a Gorilla Habituation Permit Worth the Money?

A gorilla habituation permit is well worth the high cost. While having fun on an excursion, you support the ongoing conservation effort for mountain gorillas. You get to see some of the world’s last remaining mountain gorillas, which are thought to have coexisted with the dinosaurs.

Most people want to go gorilla trekking in Africa, but they are not eligible because there are only so many gorilla habituation permits issued each day. There are now only two gorilla families available for habituation, and the public can only reserve four gorilla habituation licenses each day.

Can the Gorilla Habituation Permit be rescheduled?

It’s like missing your lotto ticket if you don’t do gorilla habituation, but you can still reschedule. If you would like to postpone your gorilla permit, you must write to the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Provide proof to support this.

Your gorilla habituation permit is moved as requested after it is authorized. This depends on what’s available.

The Executive Director authorizes the third attempt to reschedule the same gorilla permit, despite Uganda providing two free opportunities. There is a 25% premium added to the overall cost of the gorilla permit.

Gorilla Habituation Safari: How Much Does It Cost?

The cost of the gorilla habituation safari is more than the permit charge. Currently, foreign nonresidents must pay $1500 per person for a gorilla habituation permit in Uganda, while foreign residents must pay 1000 shs and Eat African residents must pay 750000 shs.

The cost of the gorilla habituation safari is also determined by other considerations, like as

There is a rule that states that the more individuals who go on a gorilla habituation safari, the lower the cost per person. When you go gorilla habituation alone, you pay for the entire safari.

It’s time to reserve a gorilla habitat safari, as all services are often expensive during the busiest times of the year

while service prices can occasionally be lowered at off-peak hours.

The duration of the gorilla habituation safari in days The cost of a gorilla habituation safari rises with the number of days you spend there. The majority of service providers have daily fees.

Gorilla habituation is coupled with a variety of other activities; the more activities that are included in the package, such as game drives, chimpanzee trekking, birdwatching, and others, the more expensive it is.

You select the gorilla habituation safari package. Budget, mid-range, and luxury packages are available for Gorilla Habituation safaris. There are inclusions and exclusions for each. The cost of the safari increases with the number of inclusions.

Where can I buy a permit to go gorilla trekking?

The organization that sells and regulates gorilla permits is the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The gorilla permit can be bought from a travel agency such as Katland Safaris. We can also organize and reserve all the facilities you’ll need for your gorilla habituation safari, such as lodging and driver guides.

You can buy the gorilla habituation permit directly from the Uganda Wildlife Authority, but because the reservation office is quite busy, expect a lengthy phone line and a delayed response.

During habituation, what time of day do you find the mountain gorillas?

Finding the mountain gorillas during habituation is still a work in progress. You continue the trail to the location where the mountain gorillas were sighted the day before to begin gorilla habituation.

Depending on the conditions in the environment, the mountain gorillas that are habituated may occasionally be found two hours after beginning or later.

It would be wise to wait before trying to find the mountain gorillas. The path can occasionally become slick, particularly during the intense wet season. The search for the mountain gorillas may be delayed as a result.

You could require additional time to locate the mountain gorillas if the speed of those traveling to gorilla habituation is slow.

During Habituation, Do Mountain Gorillas Act Aggressively?

These mountain gorillas are not hostile despite their semi-habituated state. The mountain gorillas are quiet and reserved in their natural habitat. Mountain gorillas’ enormous size, dark hair, and walk-by-knuckle gait give them a frightening appearance. The mountain gorillas are frightening at first glance.

The mountain gorillas become timid and withdraw into the more remote areas of the forest when you look into their sad, sunken eyes.

Mountain gorillas will pull grass about themselves, thump their chests, hoot, and do a lot more when they are upset. You must show loyalty to their existence. If this hostile behavior occurs during gorilla habituation, follow the researcher’s and the rangers’ instructions. One method to let them know you don’t mean any harm is to do this.

To survive your four hours with the mountain gorillas, abide by the gorilla habituation guidelines that were discussed during the briefing.

Is Habituation Safe for Gorillas?

Because you are surrounded by rangers and researchers who are familiar with the gorilla family, gorilla habituation is safe. According to your visit, they possess the most of the characteristics of the gorilla family and are able to respond appropriately when the mountain gorillas are angry.

In order to preserve law and order in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and its environs, Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers collaborate with other Ugandan security organizations.

Because street food can upset your stomach, you should be mindful of your personal safety. Ask your driving guide for the best locations if you want to sample the local cuisine.

Keep your property safe by denying unfamiliar tourists access to your accommodation. You are the only person on safari with decent intentions.

Enter the forest only with a ranger guide accompanying you. Not all forest inhabitants are accustomed to people. Without any defense gear, you can run into untamed creatures like vipers, enormous forest hogs, and secretive forest elephants.

What to Do in Uganda Following Gorilla Habituation Game drives

There are several game parks in Uganda where you can see a variety of wild creatures. Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, and Lake Mburo National Park are a few of Uganda’s game parks.

Aardwolves, giraffes, elands, impalas, oribi, sitatungas, cape buffaloes, zebras, bushbucks, waterbucks, lions, warthogs, hartebeest, wild cats, aardwolves, and cheetahs are among the creatures you might see on game drives.

Trekking chimpanzees

To see some of the closest relatives of humans in the wild, you must reserve chimpanzee trekking permits from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Depending on the location, Uganda chimpanzee trekking permits cost different amounts. Kibale National Park, Kyambura Gorge, Kaniyo Pabidi Forest, and Kalinzu Forest are a few places in Uganda where one can go chimpanzee trekking.

Ugandan birdwatching

Uganda is one of the top locations in Africa for ornithologists due to its constantly growing list of birds. There are currently more than 1000 bird species known to exist in Uganda. You can see a variety of species in places like Mabamba Swamp, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mpanga Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and others provided you have a knowledgeable and experienced birding guide.

Water Activities in Uganda

There are many different types of fresh and salty water sources in Uganda. White water rafting on the Nile, boat rides on Lake Vice, sport fishing on the Nile, kayaking, tubing, and launch tours in Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks are just a few of Uganda’s water sports.