Gorilla habituation is one of the interesting activities that travelers to Uganda, the pearl of Africa endeavor to try out because of its extraordinary experiences. The activity provides visitors with an opportunity to participate in interesting research activities about the gorillas and exploration of the jungles of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Gorilla habituation is done in the Rushaga sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Rushaga gorilla sector is located in the southwestern part of Bwindi and is home to five fully habituated gorilla families while those that are not yet habituated are still in the jungle. There are gorilla habituation processes ongoing and tourists can get to participate in them.
How is the gorilla habituation done?
Gorilla habituation is an interesting scientific activity and it involves visitors traveling to densely forested areas to participate in the familiarization of the gorillas with human presence. Gorilla habituation is quite a long process and it usually takes three to five years depending on the adaptability of the primates. Gorilla habituation is done due to different reasons however; the major reason is to make sure that the gorillas are familiar with human presence in their natural habitat such that they do not charge at them. The second reason is to win the dominant silverback’s favor since it is the one that leads the others and therefore when convinced that human beings don’t pose a danger to the gorillas, it can allow other gorillas to be free with them. Therefore, it’s easy for the other gorillas to follow suit when they notice that the silverback, their leader has no problem with man. Gorilla habituation is carried out by various professional people such as experienced researchers who are knowledgeable about the gorillas in particular, rangers of the National Park who provide extra protection to the tourists, conservationists and the trackers who have deep information about the movement patterns of the gorillas. A visitor is in the right hands when in the company and guidance of these people.
How is gorilla habituation different from gorilla tracking?
It is important for a tourist to know that there are several differences between gorilla habituation and gorilla tracking. The main difference is in the time allocated to humans to spend with the gorillas. In normal gorilla tracking, when a gorilla family is encountered, a visitor is only allowed a maximum of 60 minutes to interact with the gorillas in their habitat while in the gorilla habituation activity, a visitor is allowed a maximum of four hours that are full of observation and interaction with the gorillas as they are in their natural habitat. They also use this time to capture better moments during photography and videography, collect a lot of information from the researchers and the conservationists to know more about the ways of life of the gorillas and how they adapt to the forests.
How much does gorilla habituation permit cost?
The gorilla habituation activity costs only $1,500 per person. This fee covers the service of a tourist guide, the rangers and researchers who provide a deeper understanding of the gorillas and therefore make the experience sensational and more educative.
Best time to do gorilla habituation experience in Uganda.
The best time when travelers can go for this exhilarating gorilla habituation activity is normally in the long dry seasons accounting for the period between June to late September and the short dry seasons that normally start in mid-December up to February. These periods are characterized by steady grounds that are not slippery like in the wet seasons and therefore visitors get to maneuver through the forests with no hindrance.
Rules and regulations governing the gorilla habituation experience in Uganda.
The number one rule is to listen to the researchers, tourist guides and rangers of the National Park. This is because they know more about the gorillas than most of the visitors and have the authority to stop any activity that could be dangerous to the habitat and the gorillas themselves.
People are further advised to move in smaller groups. It is advisable for the visitors not to move alone since a gorilla might not attack a group but it can easily attack an individual. Visitors are also not allowed to move aimlessly in the jungle since they may bump unexpectedly into gorillas that are not yet habituated and therefore not familiar with human presence in their environment hence a dangerous encounter as the gorillas might attack the visitors. Visitors are advised not to go for gorilla habituation experience when suffering from contagious diseases especially cough, colds and flu which may potentially be passed on to the gorillas and risk their life which may lead to death and eventually extinction.
