Gorilla habituation is one of the most magnificent experiences experienced by a number of tourist’s part of the Bwindi impenetrable national park. It is an activity that was introduced by the Uganda Wildlife Authority on 1st January, 2014 to allow a small number of tourists to spend more time with mountain gorillas during their habituation. However, it was introduced on a small scale and is only in Uganda within the southern sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and only for two gorilla families; Bikyingi group in Rushaga area and Bushaho group in Nkuringo area. The Gorilla habituation Uganda tour offers a perfect experience and great memories.
Gorilla habituation experience Uganda; the process
Gorilla habituation the process by which gorillas are keenly trained to get used to human presence and sight. It involves different groups of people like game rangers, tour guides, zoologists, wild life biologists, conservationists and trackers who take most of their time trying to complete the habituation cycle. They are needed because gorillas are naturally afraid of humans and can charge if people get close to them. Therefore, trainers in the first days of habituation tend to keep a big distance away. As time goes, they keep getting closer until they confirm that the gorillas are now open for trekking.
Habituating a group of mountain gorillas usually takes about 2 to 3 years, making it a lengthy and difficult process. Gorillas are tracked and monitored on a daily basis, and with time, they start to familiarize and develop a good relationship with their daily observers. During the process, the gorillas lose their natural fear of humans and stop fleeing. Although they can still react with aggressive charges or typical negative reactions as a sign of their absolute discomfort with the human species at this stage. Finally at the end of the process, the gorillas are mostly in relaxation mode and react calmly to the humans in their proximity, to the point of even going about their normal activities even in human presence. The conservationists and rangers can then have certainty that the gorillas are okay with the presence of people and this only comes after mock exercises are done as a way to prove their facts. When the gorillas pass this kind of exercise which now includes journalists and scientists, the gorilla group is then available for trekking
Gorilla habituation Uganda experience and review.
The gorilla habituation experience is old to those people who fancy nature but new to those whose eye sight has never tasted the presence of 21 groups of gorillas which have been habituated. In such an experience people get to understand the gorilla’s way of life and individually get to know their behaviour; how they behave and why the they do. During the experience, one can also name the gorilla a name of their choice! Imagine giving your name to a gorilla for example Trump.
Gorilla habituation experiences are nonexistent in Rwanda or the Democratic Republic of Congo and can only be found inside the Ugandan borders at the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi has a total of 50 gorilla groups or families, 21 of which have been habituated. These include: Rushegura, Mubaare, Muyambi, Katwe and Habiyanja which are found in Buhoma. Bitukura, Mukiza, Oruzogo and Kyaguliro in Ruhija. Kahungye, Mishaya, Bweeza, Nshongi, Busingye, Kutu, Mucunguzi, Rwigi and Bikingyi in Rushaga. And finally, Nkuringo and Christmas in Nkuringo. However out of all these sectors, only two groups at Nkuringo and Rushaga were set aside as the gorilla families available for habituation.
Differences between the Gorilla habituation Uganda and gorilla trekking experiences.
Gorilla habituation is different from gorilla tracking whereby habituation puts a gorilla in your company unlike tracking which allows you to have just a simple interaction with the gorilla. Furthermore, the habituation experience is an all day activity in which travelers spend 4 hours observing the gorillas, while trekking only offers a maximum of an hour of interaction once one has reached the gorillas. The habituation comes at a cost of 1500 dollars in comparison to tracking which costs only 600 dollars. With the trek people can spend all day in the forest tracking gorillas and that’s a group of 8 people unlike habituation where only 4 people can spend time with the habituated gorillas. There’s therefore a huge difference between the trek and the habituation in terms of people, time spent and the prices.
Getting a Gorilla Habituation Permit Uganda
Gorilla habituation experience is in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Southwestern Uganda and it is the only place where habituation permits are available. Permits cost US$1500 per person. This is undoubtedly very expensive, but when you consider that Rwanda charges the same just for a standard gorilla visit permit, it starts to sound more financially worthwhile. Full gorilla habituation tours are available through Ellington Safaris.
However due to the to the limited number of participants allowed per day and the big interest in the activity, bookings for the Gorilla Habituation Permits should be done in advance. Please note that the minimum age of Gorilla Habituation Experience is 15 years.
Gorilla habituation is a once in a lifetime experience that every adventurer should venture in. At the end of it, you would have gained a lot of knowledge and experiences, and of course, your memories!