Gorilla habituation permit booking information by UWA
For this safari trip, the only way to guarantee participation is to book gorilla habituation permits. If you want to perform gorilla habituation, you must have a date in mind. Gorilla habituation missions are only permitted for those who are at least 15 years old.
Since gorilla habituation was introduced in 2014 to provide visitors more time to spend with the mountain gorillas, the number of visitors embarking on this journey has increased dramatically every year. While gorilla trekking only permits one hour prior to the mountain gorillas, gorilla habituation safari permits four hours in their company.
You must have a gorilla habituation permit in order to access this adventure in Southern Bwindi’s Impenetrable National Park.
Let’s first define a gorilla permit before learning how to book a gorilla habituation permit.
A Gorilla Habituation Permit: What Is It?
A card with a black strip that may be swiped into a card reader to access personal data about the gorilla habituation adventurer is Uganda’s gorilla habituation permit.
There are now two gorilla families in Uganda that are open for habituation safaris, but only four gorilla permits can be reserved for this experience.
How much do gorilla habituation permits cost?
Foreign nonresidents must pay $1500 per person for a gorilla habituation permit, while foreign residents must pay $1000. East African residents must pay 750000shs.
This safari can only be confirmed by purchasing the gorilla habituation permit.
What Does the Cost of a Gorilla Habituation Permit Include?
Since protecting these endangered animals comes before any other activity, the gorilla conservation fund is included in the cost of the gorilla habituation permit. Security during gorilla habituation, ranger guide service, and daily park admission fees.
20% of the yearly cost of gorilla permits is donated to the local community to support their projects. Furthermore, the researcher continues to gather more information about the habituated gorilla family.
What is not covered by the cost of a gorilla habituation permit?
Tips, lodging during gorilla habituation, transportation to the gorilla habituation location, a porter to carry your possessions during gorilla habituation, and other items of personal interest are all excluded from the gorilla habituation permit.
Katland Safaris is prepared to set up your gorilla habitat amenities so you can unwind and enjoy your African safari, which is a dream come true.
We customize our safaris based on the interests of our customers and provide free consultations regarding our knowledge of gorilla habituation and other safari topics gleaned from our more than 10 years of safari expertise in Rwanda and Uganda.
How Can a Gorilla Habituation Permit Be Scheduled?
Decide on a date for gorilla habituation, whether it is a confirmed or tentative date, and how many gorilla permits you would like to reserve. Keep in mind that there are presently just two gorilla families available for gorilla habituation. As a result, each family is only granted four gorilla permits each day.
Booking a gorilla habituation permit requires that the applicant be at least 15 years old. This is due to time, the state of the forest, and other elements that a child under the age of fifteen might not be able to handle.
You must either make a reservation through a certified tour operator like Katland Safaris or check with the Uganda Wildlife Authority to see whether gorilla permits are available for your dates.
We encourage our clients to obtain their gorilla habituation permits as soon as possible if they are available and arrange them via Katland Safaris. Although there are only eight gorilla habituation licenses available each day, demand is extremely strong, particularly during the busiest time of year. June through September and December through January are Uganda’s busiest travel seasons.
Due to the fierce global demand, gorilla permits for this season are best reserved at least six months in advance. Gorilla habituation licenses are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. If payment is not received, no permission is reserved.
Send some information to your Gorilla Habituation Card, such as your entire name as it appears on your passport, the date of your birth, country, and the passport’s expiration date.
Can I pay in installments for the Gorilla Habituation Permit?
Although it is sometimes unavoidable, paying in full for your gorilla habituation permit is the greatest way to lessen the likelihood that you will forget to top it up. As a result, you can buy the gorilla permit in 30% and 70% installments, respectively.
Gorilla permits can only be paid for in installments if you buy the permit 90 days prior to the gorilla habituation date and top it up 90 days prior to the habituation date.
You receive a penalty if you neglect to top up.
Is it possible to reschedule the gorilla habituation permit?
You may choose to travel, but you may also choose not to observe the gorilla habituation date for personal reasons.
You must follow the steps listed below in order to postpone your gorilla habituation permit.
Send a letter to the Uganda Wildlife Authority asking that your gorilla habituation permit be rescheduled for your new dates. You can include the justifications for your desire to alter your dates as well as any supporting documentation.
Depending on the permits’ availability, the gorilla habituation permit is postponed as desired after it is approved.
The same gorilla permits can be rescheduled again for free in Uganda. A 25% fee is then imposed following the third approval by the executive director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
When is the ideal time to reserve a permit for gorilla habitat?
You can minimize last-minute anxiety when verifying availability by scheduling the gorilla habituation permit in advance.
For the months of June, July, August, September, December, and January, it is prudent to book your gorilla permit at least six months to a year in advance. Demand is particularly strong because this is Uganda’s busiest travel season.
Even while making reservations for additional safari-related services like lodging, car rental, etc., it would be wise to take the gorilla permit into account. Because accommodations fill up quickly, especially during peak season, planning your gorilla habituation trip too late restricts your alternatives.
Which lodging should I reserve for the gorilla habitat safari?
To avoid getting up very early and driving in the dark to make it to the briefing before the gorillas get habituated, you must reserve lodging for the southern section of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
There are three types of lodging available for gorilla habituation adventures: luxury, mid-range, and economical.
Clouds Lodge, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, and Gorilla Hill Eco Lodge are some of these lodging options.
How Much Does a Gorilla Habituation Safari Cost?
There are three price categories for gorilla trekking safari packages: luxury, mid-range, and budget.
To ensure attendance and cost savings across all budgets, a gorilla trekking permit would be ideal.
The amount of individuals going on this journey determines how much a gorilla habituation safari costs.
Because you share certain safari facilities like gas and car rental, the number of days spent on a gorilla habituation safari lowers the cost per person as more people sign up. When you go on a gorilla habituation safari alone, you are responsible for all costs.
Safari time coincides with Uganda’s busiest travel season. Due to demand, most prices are high, however gorilla habituation safari prices may be lower during the off-peak months.
The cost of a safari increases with the number of gorilla-habituated activities, such as game drives, chimpanzee trekking, birding, and others.
The prices of luxury safari, mid-range, and budget packages vary depending on what is included and what is not. Naturally, the price increases with the number of safari features.
What is the duration of gorilla habituation?
Since the exact moment of the mountain gorillas’ whereabouts is still unknown, it is unknown when they will return from gorilla habituation.
It may take six hours or longer to return to the lodge following the briefing, depending on the conditions in the forests, because mountain gorillas roam freely.
The mountain gorillas switch to a new feeding spot when the current one runs out of food. This could delay the time it takes to locate them.
Due to habituation, the gorilla family may split up or be compelled to move to the more remote areas of the jungle in the event of a conflict with another gorilla family or a familial feud. It could be difficult to find this family of gorillas.
The gorilla family may hide to grieve when a member dies; it may take some time to find them.
Since gorillas are wild animals leading their own lives without being influenced by their decisions, you must be patient if you want to successfully navigate their habits.
How Risky Are Mountain Gorillas for Adventures in Habituation?
Even when they are semi-habituated during gorilla habituation, mountain gorillas remain quiet and timid creatures. However, this does not certain that visitors will provoke or tease them.
The mountain gorillas’ enormous size and physical attributes may first cause some adrenaline to be released. Their eyes are sunken brown, and their body is coated with dark fur. You might think the mountain gorillas are going to grab you since they move by knuckle-to-knuckle.
This perspective should guarantee that you have the most unforgettable four hours of gorilla habituation with the researcher and trackers.
In the history of gorilla trekking and habituation, no tourists have ever been attacked by mountain gorillas, who are friendly creatures.
When mountain gorillas are upset, they HOOT, thump their chests violently, walk on one leg, drag grass around themselves, and withdraw into the deeper reaches of the jungle.When you observe this behavior, don’t freak out; instead, follow the researchers’ directions and follow your habit. They have a glimmer of this gorilla family’s characteristics by now. There are times when it’s a familial dispute unrelated to human presence. Keep your cool and wait for the ranger guides to give you instructions.
What Can I Expect From the Habituation of Gorillas?
Following a family of semi-habituated gorillas with a group of researchers and rangers is an exhilarating experience known as “gorilla habituation.”
You have to be at the ranger guide station early on the day of gorilla habituation for a briefing before those who are going gorilla trekking.
With your gorilla habituation equipment, don’t forget to bring a packed lunch and a waterproof backpack.
Because the journey is exhausting, hire a porter to assist you in carrying your gorilla habituation equipment. During gorilla habituation, a porter is someone who helps you carry your things and might push you when you’re tired.
You accompany a team of researchers and rangers into the forest as part of a habituation program to try acclimate wild mountain gorillas to human presence without changing their natural behavior.
Being physically fit will help you endure this amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience with mountain gorillas, as the path can be difficult at times.
Because the rangers are better knowledgeable about how to handle the gorilla family you are observing, make sure you follow their directions.
Be as obedient as you can to avoid any conflicts in the forest because the mountain gorilla family is extremely sensitive to human presence.
During gorilla habituation, you spend only four hours with the mountain gorillas, but as they are still becoming acclimated to humans, you should expect them to hide and attack you at some point.
During gorilla habituation, wait for the ranger’s instructions before snapping pictures. Flash photography should never be used while gorillas are becoming habituated. Mountain gorillas pay close attention to anything new that happens in their surroundings.
Keep a distance of approximately 8 meters from the mountain gorillas, and if they approach, attempt to return quietly without generating any disturbances.
Once the allotted hours for gorilla habituation have passed, carefully and respectfully leave the mountain gorillas.
As you go, speak quietly or in a low volume to avoid creating a suspension gap. The dominating silverback is fiercely protective of his family and particularly interested in outsiders. Therefore, avoid trying to test his patience.