Gorilla Habituation in Bwindi national park
Gorilla habituation in Uganda only takes place in Bwindi national park which is located in south western Uganda in Kisoro district, gorilla habituation is far different from gorilla trekking. Gorilla habituation is the act of training wild gorillas to become used to the sight of people, so if any visitor is going to Bwindi national park, he or she should bare in mind that those two activities are different and have different costs. And these permits can be purchased from Uganda wildlife Authority. And gorilla habituation is 2 to 4 hours.
Gorilla habituation permits costs
Non foreign residents1500USD
Foreign residents 1000USD
East African countries 75000UGX
The training process
The training process takes 2- 3 years where the wild gorillas are trained to be friendly to human beings and during the process they are given names for easy identification. After this process they are tested by researchers and some visitors when the interview is passed these gorillas are then set free trekking and this activity normally takes place from Rushaga, visitors willing to do this activity should book as early as possible. And only 4 people are allowed in the bush for this activity.
Best time to go for gorilla habituation
Gorilla habituation can be done throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season in the months of July, June, December and February, the reason to visit during these months is that these months the weather is pleasant with less rainfall which makes the experience more interesting and fun.
Age limit for gorilla habituation
The minimum age limit for participating in gorilla habituation is 15 years old and above if the visitors are always advised to wait in case, they have kids below that age until they are 15 years old.
What to pack while going for habituation in Bwindi national park
As you are going for gorilla habituation in Bwindi national park, you must prepare for the weather and here is a list for what to pack when going for gorilla habituation.
Carry a mosquito repellent because there are a lot of mosquitoes, wasps and other insects in the jungle, you need to carry it so that you keep smearing it to avoid mosquito bites and insects.
Pack the sunscreen in case you are not comfortable with the sunlight during the dry season
Hiking boots are very essential over steep mountainous terrain and steep slopes, the hiking should be comfortable, and should be covering your ankle to prevent you from sharp thorns.
Pack long sleeved trousers and shirts, because when searching for gorillas you pass through thick forests and rough vegetation so to avoid being injured you can put-on long-sleeved clothes.
Pack rain jackets Uganda’s weather is un predictable, so to be on a safer side carry your rain jacket in case it rains you won’t be hit by rain.
Binoculars in case you are bird lover do not forget to carry your binoculars because Bwindi national park has a variety of birds so as you move while looking for the gorillas to habituate you may find some birds though in a further distance.
How hard and challenging is gorilla habituation in Bwindi national park
Gorilla habituation in Bwindi national park, conditions vary tremendously. This is because the gorillas move continuously through the forest so some times it is hard to find them making the gorilla trekking a bit difficult and hard activity.
Why would you book gorilla habituation experience with African vacation safaris
African vacation safari has an experience in organizing amazing gorilla safari experience in Bwindi national park, because we can combine gorilla habituation safari with other activities that can be done in Bwindi national park. Feel free to contact us about Bwindi gorilla habituation experience tour.
Difference between gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation
Gorilla trekking refers to an activity that involves walking through the dense forest in search for gorillas these gorillas be wild but habituated while gorilla habituation experience is the activity that involves staying with the gorillas for long while getting used to humans, it entitles fluent interaction with primates in in order to make the exposed to human beings.
Activities you can do in Bwindi national park while on gorilla habituation experience
Gorilla trekking
This is one of the major activities done in Bwindi national park, it is done in different sectors that is Rushaga, Nkuringo, Buhoma and Ruhija. Gorilla trekking takes 2 – 3 hours and when you find the gorillas visitors are allowed to spend 1 hour with them and have a look at them.
Birding
Bwindi national park is one of the parks the best birding places in Uganda with over 350 bird species inclusive of the Albertine rift endemics noted to be living in Uganda, and best birding is done from Ruhija sector where you will number of birds like over 100birds and some the birds to spot include black bee eater, Rwenzori Batis, canopy and mid-storey flock to mention but a few.
Game drives though this can be a combined trip from Bwindi to Queen Elizabeth national park
Game drives in queen Elizabeth national park will give you an opportunity to see variety of animals like elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, lions, hippos, Queen Elizabeth has variety of wild animals with the big 4 animals so game drives are always fun and interesting.
Visiting the Batwa people
These are people who leave near the forest. The Batwa are also known as pygmies and their natural habitat was forest, visiting these people will give you an opportunity to witness their way of life like gathering of fruits for food, hunting, fire making and many other things.
How to get to Bwindi national park
Bwindi national park can either be accessed by road or air
By road
This is the cheapest way to Bwindi national park, that is from kamala via Mbarara to kabale then Kanungu and you move to the park headquarters in Buhoma and the distance is about 9-10 hours. Or either way from Kampala kabale to Nkuringo or Kampala kabale to Ruhija the distance is the same.
By air
There are flights from Entebbe in kajjansi that fly to Kisoro airstrip or kihihi then transfer to your sector or lodge by car.