Gorilla Habituation Experience guide In Uganda

During gorilla habituation experience in Uganda, expect to face semi-habituated gorilla family. Even though these gorillas have met humans before you, they still posses timid characteristics like may go into hiding allover a sudden. Follow the guidelines of gorilla habituation experience explained at briefing to prevent causing mayhem.

In Uganda gorilla habituation experience is happening in the southern sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with so far 4 gorilla families open to the public. Tourists on gorilla habituation experience are escorted by a ranger guide and a team of researchers who have been in contact with the gorilla family so they have prior details about the gorilla family although still under watch.

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Important Details About Gorilla Habituation Experience In Uganda

Gorilla permit is a must prior to confirming the gorilla habituation Experience safari

Duration: about an hour to 2 hours of search or more and 4 hours of viewership

Where to go: Uganda Bwindi Impenetrable National Park specifically the southern sector

Number of Participants: Maximum 4 tourists per day per gorilla habituation Experience per family

Best time: the best time for gorilla habituation experience is the dry season that is normally June to September and December to January.

Age limit: 12 years and beyond

Starting time: Start early morning to do gorilla habituation experience where documents are verified  then briefing then tourists are allocated a gorilla family.

Accommodation: at the moment, secure accommodation in the southern sector of Bwindi as currently gorilla habituation experience is happening in this area. This enables quicker access to briefing point.

Packing list: Do not forget to cross check with the list of gears to pack for gorilla safaris as the jungle is rough so you need to protect your skin for contacting such surfaces.

Altitude: Areas around the southern sector of Bwindi forest are at an altitude of about 1900 meters to 2100 meters above sea level. In case you are affected by altitude sickness seek recommendation from your health worker.

Fitness level: It is better to bear some level of fitness before gorilla habituation experience to enable you move through the jungle which was affected by volcanic forces.

How Safe Is Gorilla Habituation Experience In Uganda

Gorilla habituation experience is safe although this is done in the jungle with no clear routes sometimes or tarmacked trails so you need to wear the right attires. When packing cross check with the list of gorilla safari gears, safari boots, safari hat, garden gloves, long sleeved shirt, insect repellant and more.

Tourists are encouraged not to move in the forest without a ranger guide from Uganda Wildlife Authority. Stay closer to the rest of the tourists so that you are not forgotten in the wilderness.

In case you notice something odd amongst the gorillas, do not panic but remain calm and wait for advise from the ranger guide on how to go about the situation. Every gorilla tour is escorted by an armed ranger guide in case of an emergency.

Attending briefing before gorilla habituation experience is compulsory for every participant as the most recent details about the gorilla family are communicated. Even the details of gorilla habituation rules are communicated as a way to enable you have quality time with these vulnerable yet sensitive primates.

What Are The Rules Of Gorilla Habituation Experience

The rules of gorilla habituation experience include

• No feeding the mountain gorillas because they are wild animals that must depend on supplies from the forest.
• Maintain a distance of about 8 meters from the mountain gorillas when you find them. In case they bridge the gap, slowly move back without causing havoc.
• Do not dump garbage in the jungle
• A void spitting on the vegetation or the ground while on gorilla habituation experience
• In case you wish to eat or drink, do this in 200 meters away from the gorilla family
• No using a flash when with the mountain gorillas because this scares them.
• In case you catch a communicable infection like covid-19, flu, volunteer to stay behind as these primates are highly susceptible to such infections that may end in the gorilla massive deaths.
• Try not to stare in the dark warm eyes of the mountain gorillas because they are shy primates. This may push them into hiding.
• When you locate the mountain gorilla four hours are allowed with them during gorilla habituation experience.
• Provoking the mountain gorillas is forbidden
• Upon noticing something odd about the mountain gorillas during gorilla habituation experience but wait for the ranger guide to recommend how to deal with the situation.

How Easy Or Hard Is Gorilla Habituation Experience Safari

Gorilla habituation experience gets you to semi-wild mountain gorillas that have not get fully acknowledged human presence so they may run into hiding any moment. Follow the guidelines of gorilla habituation as presented by the ranger guide at briefing.

The southern sector of Bwindi forest is quite steep so expect to hike. Mountain gorillas at times spend time in the valleys or on the slopes so you have to follow them too. At times the ground is too wet so you need sturdy safari boots.

Vines creep down the tree trunks or the highlands close by obstructing the path as you on to search for the mountain gorillas. The ranger guide with a machete uses it to trim plants and create a path for you to get to the mountain gorillas.

Do not forget to wear insect repellant, long sleeved shirt, convertible trousers and others to help you explore the forest while protecting your body. Be careful not to touch rough surfaces like stinging nettles as you push through or wear garden gloves.

What To Expect During Gorilla Habituation Experience Safari

• Expect to share gorilla habituation experience with other tourists as maximum 4 persons are expected to accompany a team of ranger guide and researchers for this adventure.
• The trail heads are moist almost all day, the environment misty so wear rain proof gears. Less sunlight sips through the dense leaves to the ground so expect blurred ambience too.
• The mountain gorillas at times move into the deeper ends of the forest so get ready to take a longer time to find these primates. Request for a supporting stick while you explore the rough jungle to find the mountain gorillas.
• Other primates also live in Bwindi forest so you may get the chance to spot some of them. Some other resident primates of Bwindi forest include black and white colobus, red tailed monkeys, olive baboons, grey cheeked mangabey and more. Keen birds have 350 birds to spot in Bwindi forest including Albertine rift endemics.
• The forest where mountain gorillas live is a dense tropical rain forest with luxuriant ever green vegetation including naturally thriving trees, creepers and more.
• Open your mind to gorilla habituation experience because time of finding the mountain gorillas varies from about 6 hours (about 2 hours of searching and 4 hours with the gorillas) to more depending on their location).
• Expect to rise up early morning to attend briefing before gorilla habituation experience. Tourists present their personal documents, gorilla permit to the ranger guide at the station for verification.
• No toilets structures in the forest so before gorilla habituation experience starts, plan accordingly. In case you wish to take a long call as the ranger guide to dig a hole for you 30 centimeters deep and cover everything well.
• Expect rain to fall any time of the day during gorilla habituation experience no matter the season.

 What Are The Chances Of Finding The Mountain Gorillas During Gorilla Habituation Experience

There are 99% chances of finding the mountain gorillas during gorilla habituation experience. To find the mountain gorillas some of the influencing factors include:

• Food location
• Weather conditions prevailing in the day
• Mood of the gorilla family
• Fitness level of tourists.

Each day a team of early risers moves in the forest to find where the gorilla families nested the previous night and estimate the direction they may take for the day. Some of these clues are what ranger guides use to trace the mountain gorilla families.

Tourists are often requested to help with finding the mountain gorillas using the clues they live behind including fresh leftovers, foot prints, listen to their murmurs and more as these are leads to the gorillas.

Following the rules of gorilla safaris helps you locate these primates especially before locating them because they operate a spy system so they get to know about your presence and warn others.

 How To Get To The Southern Sector Of Bwindi Forest National Park

By Road

Several routes lead to Bwindi Impenetrable National park from Kampala or Entebbe but in general the distance is about 530 kilometers drive time is about 8 hours to 9 hours.

Some of the routes to Bwindi from Kampala or Entebbe include

Kampala/ Entebbe to Kabale to Nkuringo

Kampala to Ntungamo to Rukungiri to Kihihi to Buhoma

Alternative route is gorilla habituation experience in Uganda from Kigali to Kisoro to Nkuringo (Bwindi) and this takes about 5 to 6 hours drive crossing via Cyanika.

By Air

Scheduled domestic flights are available from Kajjansi or Entebbe to Kisoro airstrip but do not forget to hire a transfer vehicle to get you to your lodge

Charter flights are available from Kajjansi or Entebbe international airport

What Others Activities To Do With Gorilla Habituation Experience In Uganda

Community Visit In Bwindi

While in Bwindi, you can choose to do a community visit to the locals. The Batwa community who used to share Bwindi forest with the mountain gorillas live on the outskirts of the forest. The Batwa are pygmies who before the early 1990s live in the Bwindi forest with the mountain gorillas.

When conservation of the mountain gorillas took charge, the Batwa were scattered in different parts closer to the forest. Initially the Batwa depended on supplies of Bwindi forest from food supplies, medicines, homes and more.

You get to know about the life of the Batwa while in the forest and how they are copying with life outside their ancestral home.

The Bakiga also live in areas close to Bwindi so you can plan a community visit to know how they survive, participate in some of their daily activities and get to know about them. Some of the activities to do in the Bwindi communities include visit the medicine man, visit local beer brewery, farmlands and more

Birding in Bwindi

Bwindi forest is home to more than 350 bird species including about 26 endemic species. While on a birding adventure in Bwindi, you may spot birds like Rwenzori Turaco, Shelley’s Crimsonwig and more. A well planned birding safari itinerary gets you to some of the best spots where several bird species live in the forest.

Primates search and nature walk

Other than the mountain gorillas, Bwindi forest is home to about 9 other primate species which you may come across when you take a nature walk. Some of the other primates of Bwindi forest include Olive baboons, red tailed monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, black and white colobus and more.

During the nature walk in Bwindi forest, you may get to spot a number plan species including about 200 tree species, ferns, orchids and more.

Hiking in Bwindi

Bwindi forest is located in a heavily volcanic area so you can test your fitness level by hiking some of the highlands around the park. You need a local guide to escort you so that you are not lost. The southern sector of Bwindi gets you to Mgahinga National park which has three of the six Virunga Volcanoes where you can do a guided excursion on Mountan Gahinga, Muhavura or Sabyinyo.

Visit Lake Bunyonyi or Lake Mutanda

For scenic viewing, a visit to Lake Bunyonyi gives you a spectacular view of this fault lake. Several Islands that makeup this deepest lake in Uganda that is about 29 Islands. The most outstanding Island of lake Bunyonyi is Akampene Island where girls who got pregnant outside wed locks were abandoned to death.

lake Bunyonyi is famous for the several small birds that flock its shores and its from this that it gets its name.

Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Find the difference between gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation experience by taking gorilla trekking too. The mountain gorillas open for gorilla trekking are fully habituated and can withstand humans for one solid hour with fewer chances of getting away, not timid, curious so may reach out and more