What Is The Gorilla Habituation Experience In Uganda?
What Is The Gorilla Habituation Experience In Uganda? Gorilla Habituation is a process that takes between 2 to 5 years training the Mountain Gorillas to be familiar with living among human beings. In addition, there are only one good destination in Uganda where tourists can travel to and have the best gorilla habituation experience and this is Bwindi Impenetrable National park, which is located in the Southwestern region of Uganda in Kanungu district. And the reasons why Bwindi Impenetrable national park is considered to be the best place for gorilla habituation to be conducted is on because it is surrounded by tropical and dense forests which act as a good natural habitat to the mountain gorilla species and it a home to over 459 mountain gorillas which are always available and it has about 19 habituated gorilla groups however, it is only 15 gorilla groups that are always available for trekking while are the rest are purposely meant for research.
In 2014, the Uganda Wildlife Authority published the Gorilla Habituation Experience as one of the tourism services offered to tourists who travel on a Uganda Gorilla safari in Bwindi Impenetrable national park. More so, this activity was introduced with an aim of letting the Mountain gorillas get used to the presence of the Humans. And during this process after the mountain gorillas are being located, tourists are always given about 4 hours to spend with the species and it is during this period of time, that tourists get to learn more about the mountain gorillas for example; they get to watch their daily lifestyle, watch how they eat and also see how they feed their young ones and many others. however, before the Habituation, tourists are always briefed about the rules and regulations that they should follow while they are in the presence of the species for example; they are encouraged to keep a distance of about 7 meters between them and the species in order to avoid any harm, they advised to avoid eating and drinking while in the presence of the species, avoid maintaining a direct eye contact with the species and for those individuals who are interested in using their phones and cameras to take pictures and record videos are advised to always disable the use of the flash light and many others.
Gorilla Habituation experience is always an amazing activity that most tourists tend to engage in hence contributing a lot to the tourism industry of the country and tourists who have their big interest in engaging in this activity are always charged a fee of about 1500 USD per person and there only two habituated gorilla groups which are always available to be Habituated that can be found in Bwindi national park.
Who is Eligible for Gorilla Habituation experience in Uganda?
Only individuals who are above 15 years are allowed to participate in the Gorilla Habituation Experience because the behaviours of children below that age is always unpredictable or they may fail to control their emotions and movements while in the presence of the mountain gorillas. More so, Gorilla habituation experience is suitable for tourists who are physically fit due to the fact that this activity may involve in hiking and in a good health condition for example; they be free from diseases like; conical heart problems, pressure, and other air borne diseases like; flue and cough due to the fact that they can transmit to the species some diseases like flue.
What to pack while going on a Gorilla Habituation Experience.
Tourists planning on travelling to Uganda on a Gorilla Habituation Experience are encouraged to always pack some of the essentials like; a good pair hiking boots, a light rain coat in case it rains, a hat/ cap which helps on protecting their faces from direct sunlight, a sunscreen cream which protects skins from being affected by too much sunshine, insect repellant, binoculars which help individuals to capture classic views of all the interesting features in the park, drinking water in order to keep hydrated, packed food for lunch in case one gets hungry along the way, long sleeved shirts and trousers due to the fact that the areas are always bushy.
More so, tourists who are always engaged in the Gorilla habituation experience activity also always get chances to combine it with many more interesting activities like; Guided nature walks, mountain biking, the Batwa trail experience, bird watching, cultural encounters where they get to interact with the local people and learn about their daily lifestyle and get to learn more about the history of the individuals and do community visits within the villages neighbouring around the national park.
Are Gorillas Friendly.
Are Gorillas Friendly: Gorillas are stunning species of primates that have become more well-known over time due to their status as an endangered species and various efforts made by prominent individuals such as American primatologist Dian Fossey, who dedicated her life to promoting the sustainability of the endangered mountain gorilla species in Volcanoes National Park Uganda. When you take part in gorilla trekking safari in Africa, you will have the opportunity to witness the fascinating and diverse traits of gorillas and gain additional knowledge about the several gorilla species that exist in the wild.
Africa is endowed with a multitude of gorilla species, such as the mountain gorillas, which can be observed during gorilla trekking safari in Mgahinga and Bwindi impenetrable national parks. Gorilla trekking safari in the Virunga national park Congo is also an option. If you’re passionate about watching the mountain gorillas in Rwanda, you will get to see them as you participate in gorilla trekking safari in volcanoes national park for a wonderful opportunity to learn more about their behaviour in the wild.
You can also get to visit the lowland gorillas or eastern lowland gorillas by participating in gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega national park. To learn more about the distinctions between the various gorilla species, additional gorilla species that can be observed are the western lowland gorillas, which can also be seen in Salonga National Park and Odzala Koukoua National Park in Congo, and the cross river gorillas, which can be seen in Cross River National Park in Nigeria and Takamanda National Park in Cameroon.
After deciding which of the several parks in Africa you will go gorilla trekking, you will start your exciting adventure, which will allow you to witness a variety of gratifying sights as you travel to the several habituated gorilla families. Virunga mountains, which include Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Gahinga, Mount Karisimbi, Mount Bisoke, and Mount Muhabura, are a few of the worthwhile sights to behold. In Uganda and Rwanda, gorilla trekking offers magnificent views of Lake Kivu’s twin lakes, Burera and Ruhondo, which are particularly popular with birdwatchers.
When you get to the habituated gorilla families, you will learn a number of intriguing facts about the gorillas like their reproductive system, you will have the chance to see the dominant member of every gorilla family, that has all the mating rights with every adult female which makes the females quite aggressive towards one another among other interesting features of the endangered species. Whether the wild animals you will see while gorilla trekking in Africa are amiable and safe to visit is one of the main worries of those who engage in this activity.
Because they have been educated to become acclimated to human presence, habituated gorillas are quite amiable and will permit you to enter their territory and study their behaviour in the wild without threatening you. You may see the baby gorillas approaching you and climbing your boots during gorilla trekking, so you won’t have to worry about them attacking you. But, you should refrain from touching the group’s infants while participating in the safari activity, as the silverbacks would perceive you as a threat and attack you. You should pay attention during your briefing to understand the rules and regulations to follow when you participate in gorilla trekking safari in Africa to avoid injuries while you visit the habituated gorilla families. Some other triggers for the gorillas are: making unnecessary noises, moving too much, and maintaining eye contact with them, which is interpreted as a challenge for a fight with them that could be fatal.
Contact our trusted tour operators in case of any more inquiries and information about Gorilla Habituation in the country and Book with our tours and travel companies who offer the best tour packages while on your Gorilla Habituation Safari in Uganda.
