Gorilla Habituation Experience | Uganda
Gorilla habituation experience is the most exciting and interesting activities to adventure in full-day magical experience among the other activities done in Africa’s national park. This rewardable experience of gorilla habituation activity with lots of excitement can only be done in Uganda’s most visited national park famously known as Bwindi impenetrable national park which is managed by Uganda wildlife Authority and it is the same body that introduced this gorgeous gorilla habituation experience in the country. Note that gorilla habituation experience can be conducted in two gorilla families which are ready trained to be habituated and Bwindi impenetrable national park has 19 habituated gorilla families ready for you to trek in probably gorilla trekking. And according to the body that governs Bwindi forest national park, known as ‘’UWA’’ Uganda wildlife Authority selected two gorilla families for the purpose of carrying out gorilla habituation experience and those two gorilla families are found in two of the four Bwindi’s sector known as Rushanga sector and Nkuringo.
Gorilla habituation experience is a full day done activity that involves in travellers to spend more time with mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Unlike gorilla trekking which is restricted to only one hour. This is true that gorilla trekking experience can take a few hours of the day trekking but still the trek involves in the actual time spent with the gorillas for observation and photography which is only one hour. With gorilla habituation experience travellers can enjoy more time with this critically endangered mountain gorillas and the activity involves in researchers who move with the clients through acknowledging them about the lifestyle of gorillas, learn how they survive in rain forest till to the habituated, in this gorilla families you spend more time with them and you’re given an opportunity of four hours in the presence of these great apes and this is the best way to meet them and get interacted face to face and watch your closest cousins, see how they are habituated in the forest, through playing, breastfeeding, swing on the tree branches, displays their nest high on the tree but displaying their nests can be done in the evening hours and this is the only way to enjoy human-like characters of unique mountain gorilla which make them exceptional creatures. However, this stunning experience is likely to attract more travellers since you spend more time ‘’four hours’’ with them, as we compare to those are interested in gorilla trekking. To many travellers prefer encountering in gorilla trekking experience not knowing there is a different story to encounter in gorilla habituation experience which is a unique experience of its own kind and worth to get interacted with every gorilla lover.
One to get involved in this stunning activity has to hold a gorilla habituation permits and we advise our clients to always book your gorilla habituated permits in advance like six months before your time of arrival to that recognised safari destination. If you still need more information about gorilla habituation experience, you should not hesitate to contact us Achieve global safaris for more details probably booking your permits, accommodation facilities, transport or type of vehicle to use, guide and many more.
What is habituation experience all about?
Note that, gorilla habituation experience can take two or three years to be completed and during this time it’s when researchers keep on visiting these endangered mountain gorillas in their identified gorilla group on daily basis through vaccinating them, learn more about individual gorillas, on how they behave. And by the time these gorillas get used to researchers are given family names like the head of the family is called silver bark, off strings, and juveniles. Once the researchers are sure that these great ape deserves to trekked, they then introduce a mock exercise where some few people may visit them like the scientists, journalists start visiting it. Once that gorilla family has gone through a mock exercise, then they open it for trekking.
How much is gorilla habituation experience permit
Just like in gorilla trekking the same also goes to every traveler intending to do gorilla habituation experience which is also a MUST to hold an individual valid permit. For gorilla habituation, experience permits cost USD1500 which is quite expensive, compared to USD600 for gorilla trekking which was also increased to USD700 by 1st JULY 2020. To each gorilla family, there is a limited number of four people allowed to participate in gorilla habituation experience and 8 permits always available on sale on a daily basis. Travellers are remained to book their permits as early as possible and permits can be booked directly from Uganda wildlife Authority or through a trusted tour operator like we Achieve global safaris we offer a truly privileged and memorable experience.
How many habituated gorilla families are in Bwindi impenetrable National park?
Bwindi impenetrable national park is known as a home for the half of mountain gorillas that are remaining in the world, located in the south-western region of Uganda approximately 510 kilometers from southwest of Kampala the main city. The park hosts 19 habituated gorilla families which include Habinyanja, Mubare, Rushegura found in the Northern part of the part in the Buhoma sector, since Bwindi boosts with four main sectors like Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushanga, and Ruhija sector. Another gorilla family includes Bitukura, Oruzogo, Kyaguliro found in the Eastern part of Bwindi in Ruhija, in the Rushanga sector there are Nshongi, Mishaya, Busingye, Bweza, Kahungye and lastly Nkuringo gorilla family is found in the southern side of the park. Among all these gorilla families only two identified gorilla families have been put aside for gorilla habituation experience that is Nkuringo and Rushanga gorilla families. For this reason, gorilla habituation safaris can only be done on the southern side of Bwindi impenetrable national park.
Where to stay during habituation experience
Since this amazing activity can only be done in Uganda not any other country, and in Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable national park gorilla habituation experience can be conducted in Rushanga sector and all the accommodation facilities should be in that habituated sector just for easy location of a gorilla family to be habituated in. In the Rushaga region, there are several luxuries, mid-range, budget lodges and camp that provide with travellers with good accommodation facilities, delicious food, amenities and such lodges include gorilla safari lodge, gorilla valley lodge, Rushanga gorilla camp, Nshongi camp, Ichumbi lodge and many more. All rates are affordable but depending on the traveler’s budget.
The shortest route to do habituation experience
Rushanga sector can be easily accessible from Kampala the main city and lasts 7 to 8hours. Alternatively, you can fly from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro Airstrip which takes 1:20 hours by Air. Rushanga sector can also be accessed from Kigali Rwanda connecting to the nearby border Cyanika border
Best Time to do gorilla habituation experience
This emotional experience can be best done throughout the year but especially during the dry season starting from the month of June and September and December to February is when the forest trail heads are out of water source.
Other activities offered in Bwindi
For those one who wish to visit Uganda, Bwindi impenetrable national park is here for you with a variety of tourism attractions that can make your visit to Uganda worth to be memorable. Among the attraction in this park are the mountain gorillas, and the best-done activity in here is the Gorilla trekking which can be carried out in over 12 gorilla families which are available on daily basis, visit the Batwa people and get amazed in traditional and culture, bird watching and this is the only way to complete tour package on Uganda safari to Bwindi. Uganda gorilla tours are cheaper than Rwanda’s gorilla tour of which Rwanda permits cost USD1500 per person.
Lastly, gorilla habituation experience is the best way to meet these unique mountain gorillas and spend more time with them in their natural habitant of the montane rain forest of Bwindi impenetrable national park.
