Gorilla habituation is a training process for gorillas with an aim of getting them familiar with human presence in their jungle forests. (Natural environment). It is a process involving gorilla adaption. The process involves researcher/tourists visiting an identified gorilla group on a daily basis. They get to learn more about individual gorillas and the way they behave. With time, these gorillas get used to these researchers/ tourists and in the long run, each individual gorilla is given a name. The major aim for habituation is to promote mountain gorilla tourism by making sure gorillas live in harmony with human visitors, and don’t attack tourists who go gorilla trekking. This 4 hour experience of being with a Gorilla Family is only available in Uganda and only in the Bukingyi and Bushaho in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Due to the steep terrain, dense vegetation and high altitudes, a high level of fitness is required.
However, this is only done by gorilla researchers and well-experienced rangers who meet with the gorillas every single day to train and monitor their progress. Habituation involves giving names to each gorilla and training them to acknowledge these names, while closely observing their behavior. This is very challenging at the beginning as gorillas tend to run away from researchers moving deep into the forests. This needs fitness since it is a very slow process that can take years. When these gorillas get used to researchers/ tourists then they are ready to be visited by trekkers. Only a total of 8 visitors allowed.
Gorilla habituation vs Gorilla trekking
- A gorilla permit costs $600.00 in high season and $450.00 in low season. A gorilla permit allows tourists to spend one hour with habituated mountain gorillas once found. Included in a gorilla permit are park entrance fee and a guide/ranger. For gorilla habituation experience, the price has not been fully established but it is in the range of $1500 per person and inclusions are same as for gorilla trekking except that you will spend time with researchers whose work is to habituate wild mountain gorillas.
- One hour is spent with gorilla family while Gorilla habituation experience gives four hours to whole day experience with semi habituated mountain gorillas. Therefore you get to spend more time with gorillas if you book gorilla habituation experience.
- Gorilla trekking takes place in all regions of Bwindi Impenetrable National park since all four regions of Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushaga and Nkuringo have habituated mountain gorilla families. On the other hand, gorilla habituation experience only takes place in Rushaga region where two gorilla families are under habituation.
- Gorilla habituation experience is booked on ground while gorilla trekking permits are booked at UWA head office in Kampala.
Gorilla habituation rules:
Just like gorilla
trekking, even gorilla habituation has rules which include;
- Always follow the guides’ and rangers’ instructions.
- Keep in the group to avoid getting lost.
- Don’t make noise in the presence of the mountain gorillas.
- Keeping at least a distance of 7 meters away from the mountain gorillas.
- Not imitating the mountain gorilla habits.
- Not using flash photography while taking the mountain gorilla pictures.
- Not going for the habituation experience while sick as you can easily pass on the disease to the mountain gorillas.
- Whereas gorilla trekking safaris can be done in all other mountain gorilla destinations, gorilla habituation is limited to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the Rushaga region, and can only be done with the Bushaho gorilla family and Rushaga group.
Memorable experience once you encounter with these gentle apes.
Gorillas are very relaxed and peaceful animals. There is no denying that being in the company of these great and gentle apes with eyes in a face that seems to reflect your own, is a memorable experience. Today the endangered mountain gorillas are confined to the Virungas, a cluster of forested volcanoes that straddle the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Come and share memories with the Terrain Safaris Uganda in this interesting gorilla habituation safari holiday in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, planted high on a ridge looking towards the volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains. For inquiries and comments, visit our website or send us an email at (info@terrain-safaris.com)
