What To Expect During Gorilla Habituation Experience Safari In Uganda

What To Expect During Gorilla Habituation Experience Safari In Uganda

During gorilla habituation experience safari in Uganda expect to find semi-habituated mountain gorillas that may act in an unusual manner but not dangerously. Naturally, the mountain gorillas are serene primates even though physically they look quite intimidating with a huge dark furred body, walk by knuckle locomotion and much more. Contact Us

As you search for the mountain gorillas, finding the semi-habituated mountain gorillas may be quite challenging but fun too as it is a hide and seek experience sometimes. These mountain gorillas still posses there natural characters and still fear humans too but donot be afraid because you are in company of researchers.

The topography of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park where currently gorilla habituation experience is happening in Uganda is quite rugged resulting from serious volcanic actions that led to the formation of ridges, plateaus and others land forms. The mountain gorillas some time spend time on the slopes of these highlands or deep in the valleys with thick vegetation that has tangled overtime.

Expect the ground to be wet most of the time as Bwindi forest receives untimely rains that may last an entire day sometimes. The forest is a water catchment area with a dense network of rivers that may flood keeping the ground soggy and boggy. The rotting matter of the foliage in the forest keeps the ground slippery too but you can still find your way.

Other than the mountain gorillas, expect to spot other primates as Bwindi forest hosts about 10 primates species including wild chimpanzees, black and white colobus, red tailed monkeys, l’hoest, grey cheeked mangabey and others. Donot be surprised to locate other mammals including forest elephants but you need to be careful with some of them because they may be dangerous as the ranger guide will guide you.

What is gorilla habituation

Gorilla habituation is a process by which a wild gorilla family is helped to get used to humans presence for more than 2 years as the process varies from one gorilla family to another. During the gorilla habituation process, the researchers and habituators try hard to familiarize the top leadership of the gorilla family especially the dominant silverback to humans presence first then he can help bring on board other members.

Sometimes the gorilla habituation process is antagonized by different factors in the forest including attacks from another gorilla f, violating the gorilla safari rules by the visitors, food scarcity, seasons and much more. The researcher may have to pause the process for some time until the situation return to normal so they have to restart the gorilla habituation process using new approaches.

The gorilla habituation process is carried out by professional researchers and Habituators who put down most of the details about the gorilla family, name each individual gorilla, note down the characters of each family members and there general character as a family and much more. Tourists who go for gorilla habituation experience are part of the process that helps the mountain gorilla family to get used to the presence of different humans.

What Is Important When Book The Gorilla Habituation Experience Safari In Uganda

Booking the Gorilla habituation experience permit

Since the number of gorilla habituation experience permits is restricted to maximum 4 per gorilla family and currently Uganda has 4 gorilla habituation families, it is best to secure the permit in advance. During the peak tourism season in Uganda that is June to September and December to February, more tourists book these gorilla permits and so finding one at the last minute may be a hassle.

One need to find availability of the gorilla habituation experience permit first using the date he or has chosen. As soon as the gorilla permit availability is proved positive, purchase it as soon as you can because there status changes and time without warning. First come first served basis is the criteria used to reserve these permits.

Select accommodation to use during Gorilla Habituation experience Tour

Accommodations in Bwindi forest are booked according to areas close to where your gorilla safari is to happen. Gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is in the southern part of the park so it is best to secure accommodation in this area. Options of accommodation in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are categorized into upmarket, mid-range and basic.

Accommodations of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park include Gorilla Forest Camp, Nshongi Camp, Clouds lodge, Trekker’s Tarven, Nkuringo Gorilla lodge and others.

Spending the night close to where your gorilla permit is booked helps you not to panic in the morning as you drive in the dark to catch up with briefing at the ranger station before the gorilla habituation experience.

Reserve Transport To The Gorilla Habituation Experience Destination

The transport to use during the gorilla habituation experience safari is very important as the demand for transport services get scarce as the peak season opens.  Road transport is the main means used to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with a number of routes that led to it. Using a 4×4 wheel drove vehicle in good condition is very important because the roads get messy sometimes and the terrain is rough too.

• How to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

From Kampala or Entebbe the distance to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is about 530 kilometers at drive time of about 8 to 9 hours. From Kampala or Entebbe the distance to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is about 530 kilometers at drive time of about 8 to 9 hours.

Some of the routes to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park include

From Kampala or Entebbe to Kabale to Kanungu to Buhoma or Nkuringo

From Kampala or Entebbe to Ntungamo to Rukungiri to Kihihi to Buhoma or Nkuringo

From Kampala or Entebbe to Kabale to Nkuringo

From Queen Elizabeth National Park to Kihihi to Buhoma

Scheduled domestic flights are available daily from Entebbe airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to Kisoro Airstrip then transfer to Nkuringo or Rushaga areas.

Charter flight arrangements can be made in case you wish to get private.

Have Some Fitness Level Before The Gorilla Habituation Experience

No need to vigorously do exercise for the gorilla habituation experience even though you need to have some level of fitness. This is because the nature of the topography of Bwindi forest where this Uganda safari happens is rugged with several highlands that you may need to hike to get to where the mountain gorillas are.

For exercises before the gorilla habituation safari, you may start with simply strides beyond your normal exercises and progress as your fitness instructor may advise. This will help you not to get muscle pulls when searching for the mountain gorillas in the serried mountains.

If you are not physically capable of doing exercises because of health issues, no worries, you can still do gorilla habituation experience using sedan chair services.

Pack the relevant Gorilla Habituation experience Gears

Gorilla habituation experience includes moving in the dense jungle with thick vegetation and over grown under growth. You need to wear the right attires and other items to use during this adventure. Some of the gorilla habituation experience gears including safari boots, safari hat, safari trousers and shirt, insect repellant, garden gloves and others.

How Much Is The Cost Of The Gorilla Habituation Experience Safari In Uganda

The cost of the gorilla habituation experience safaris varies with category that is luxury, mid-range and basic. The cost of the gorilla habituation experience permit is the foremost items when planning for this Uganda safari. Currently, the cost of the Uganda gorilla habituation experience permits is $1500 for international nonresidents, $1000 for International residents, $ 1000 for Other African and 750000shs for East Africans.

The final Gorilla habituation experience tour cost includes other amenities that vary with budget some of which include accommodation costs, transport costs, personal expenses and much more as you plan.

Are Mountain Gorillas Dangerous During Gorilla Habituation Experience       

The mountain gorillas are not dangerous during the gorilla habituation experience even though they are semi-habituated. In nature, the mountain gorillas are calm primates and no tourists has ever reported an attack from them since opening the gorilla safaris to the public. Even though no one choreographs the mountain gorillas to stay calm while with humans, the process of gorilla habituation helps them to tolerate humans for a certain period.

When with the mountain gorillas, tourists have to abide by the rules of gorilla safaris as explained at briefing because these primates are very sensitive to unfamiliar behaviors in there presence.

Even though they mountain gorillas are calm primates, they can also charge when provoked. Some of the signs the mountain gorillas may show when angry is chest thumping, hooting, pull grass and much more. This however doesn’t mean that the gorilla family has been angered by you so wait for the ranger’s instruction. Sometimes you may be required to pretend eating foliage, show submission and much more in order to calm the situation.

Is Gorilla Habituation Experience Worth The Time And Money

Doing a gorilla habituation experience is worth the time and money as you get chance to spend time with the only few living mountain gorillas in the entire world as according to the last census about 1000 of them are living. Doing a gorilla safari is a life long dream to many adventure seekers but majority are stopped by the limited supply of the gorilla permits.

Four hours are allowed with the mountain gorillas during gorilla habituation experience which is great time for you to immerse into the day life of these gentle primates.

When you purchase the gorilla permit, you support the conservation of the mountain gorillas and continued research about the life of these vulnerable primates. More funds are still need to ensure that these primates are safe.

Standing a few meters from the mountain gorillas taps into your childhood fiction when the gorillas were mapped as quite violent animals as portrayed in some movies and cartoons. Having time with them unveils the true nature of the mountain gorillas.

If you want to calm your fear of wild animals taking a gorilla habituation experience safari may be a good start because even though, you are advised to stay atleast 7 meters away from them, the mountain gorillas may get closer to you because of curiosity a trait they posses just as humans do.

When Is The Best Time To Do Gorilla Habituation Experience In Uganda

Gorilla habituation experience is open all year but the dry season is most desired because the weather in the forest normally favors faster movement. Bwindi impenetrable National Park as its name states is an Impenetrable forest with thick forest cover and a dense canopy. Bwindi forest is a rain forest that receives untimely no matter the season but in the dry season, there is generally less precipitation.

During the dry season which is normally June to October and December to February, the mountain gorillas spend most of the time closer to the ground since up in the trees there is less to feed on. There is competition for some of the foliage that the mountain gorillas share with other forest dwellers.

Note that there is competition to do the gorilla safari from world over in this season creating scarcity of gorilla permits for those who book at the last minute. Even other amenities that support tourism are highly competed for in the high season.

The wet season is great time to do gorilla safaris in Uganda but this is regarded as the low tourism season. The wet season which is March to May and October to November is normally characterized by fewer tourists and in case you wish to have no or less company during this epic African adventure, you may take advantage of this season. Even though with a limited budget but questing to do gorilla habituation experience may take advantage of the season.

Expect to see the mountain gorillas during gorilla habituation experience safari in Uganda, no matter the season. Mountain gorillas may be mobile primates but they donot move so fast because of the bulky size of there bodies so even though they move, it may not be so far unless there is a trigger.