When is the best Time To Do Gorilla habituation Experience in Uganda

The best time to book gorilla habituation experience in Uganda is the dry season. Even though gorilla habituation experience is open all year, the dry season is most preferred. Gorilla habituation experience is an adventure where tourists in company of ranger guides spend four hours with a semi-habituated gorilla family.

 Bwindi impenetrable National Park is so far the only destination in Uganda where gorilla habituation experience is happening with far four gorilla families open. During gorilla trekking, only one hour is allowed with the fully -habituated mountain gorillas but four hours are open to gorilla habituation experience.

You must have a gorilla habituation permits from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The gorilla habituation permit is a ticket that allows you entry into the park. Each day maximum 4 gorilla habituation experience permits are open to the public.  

During the dry season, walking in the jungle is much easier because you can navigate through the soggy and slippery trails of this forested park. The mountain gorillas and other primates also feed closer to the ground giving you an opportunity to navigate the forest.

How To Book A Gorilla Habituation Experience Permit

When booking a Uganda gorilla habituation experience permit, select the date of starting the adventure and the number of people travelling with. Upon receiving the enquiry, our safari consultant checks for gorilla permit availability from the list of Uganda Wildlife Authority.

It is best to secure the gorilla permit as soon as possible because they sell out fast and in first come first served basis. No gorilla permit is ever reserved without payment because of the limited number of permits open to the public. 

After booking the gorilla habituation experience permit, forward some personal details like your full names as presented on the passport, date of birth, nationality. These are added to the gorilla permit card for identification on the day of gorilla safari.

How much is the cost of gorilla habituation experience permit in Uganda?

At the moment, the cost of gorilla habituation experience permit in Uganda is $1500 for foreign nonresidents , $1000 for foreign residents and others African countries and 750000 shs for East African residents.

The cost of gorilla habituation permits in Uganda is inclusive of park entrance fees, ranger guide fees, gorilla habituation for four hours, mountain gorilla conservation, community support and much more.

Is the Cost Of Gorilla habituation Permit worth the Safari?

Who wouldn’t like to be among the lucky tourists for the day to have four hours with the mountain gorillas in the jungle. Gorilla habituation experience is a dream come true African safari adventure. Mountain gorillas are some of the highly endangered primates in the world that can only survive in the Virunga area composed of Uganda, Rwanda and D.R.Congo.

World over the population of mountain gorillas is about 1000 as of the recent population census. The plight of these Mountain gorillas was first recognized by American Philanthropist Dian Fossey who had dedicated the rest of her life to protecting these vulnerable primates. Her work was cut short after she was brutally attacked and murdered by unknown assassinators.

When you purchase a gorilla permit, you support the mountain gorilla conservation campaign. More money is still required to continue researching and protecting the habitats were the mountain gorillas live.

Are mountain gorillas under gorilla habituation experience dangerous?

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The mountain gorilla under habituation experience are not dangerous even though they are semi-habituated. In nature, the mountain gorillas are calm primates and despite there fierce outlook, they are serene.

Physically, a mountain gorilla has a large body covered with dark fur and sunken brown eyes that seem intimidating however, that is not there reality. Mountain gorillas are cowards that may retreat into the deeper forest when agitated. At a glance, the first impression about the mountain gorillas shows them as being aggressive.

 Despite the calm nature of the mountain gorillas, they can also charge when provoked. When agitated, the mountain gorillas may react by pulling vegetation around them, do chest thumping, hoot and walk on one leg.  

Not all the time that you see them act this way that the mountain gorillas are angry but wait for the ranger guide to establish the possible genesis of the matter. Sometimes the mountain gorillas are trying to trying to provoke you, are having family issues, trying to put off a violent group and much more.

Try to stay calm and follow the example of your ranger guide.

Is Gorilla Habituation Experience Easy Or Difficult?

Gorilla habituation experience is quite challenging given the nature of the topography of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This area was affected by volcanic action that led to the formation of several highlands including ridges and plateaus.

From the starting pint of the search for the mountain gorillas, you may have to slope to the starting point. The vegetation of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has survived over a number of years and is now tangled and with creepers dangling down the tree trunks.

Sometimes to get through to the location of the mountain gorillas, you have to creep under this vegetation or the ranger guide uses a machete to trim it. Navigating through the dense network of rivers may be quite challenging to most tourist especially when the ground is flooded. You need to wear safari water proof safari boots in order to get through.

When Do You Locate The Mountain Gorillas During Gorilla Habituation Experience.

Time taken to locate the mountain gorillas during gorilla habituation is quite hard to determine as the movement of these primates is not bound by any barriers. The mountain gorillas live freely in the wilderness and during some seasons they may spend the day up on the slopes while others time at the ground.

Some tourists have locate the mountain gorillas in two hours while others spend more time. Seeing the mountain gorillas is all about being patient and knowing that you will finally face them.

You need to bare some level of fitness before the gorilla habituation experience as this helps with the prolonged period search for the mountain gorillas.  Open your mind to see other forest dwellers like the olive baboons, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey and others that the forest hosts. An array of birds find home in Bwindi forest so keep your mind busy until you finally locate the mountain gorillas.

Finally, when you locate the mountain gorillas, four hours are allowed with them during the gorilla habituation adventure. During this time, you may assists with collecting some samples, watch out for the characters of the mountain gorillas, take photos and much more. Gorilla habituation is once in lifetime adventure on an African safari holiday.

How Safe Is Bwindi Forest During Gorilla Habituation Experience?

During gorilla habituation experience, on ground in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are ranger guides who protect the mountain gorillas and other forest dwellers plus there habitat from law breakers. The rangers do untimely routine patrols in and around the forest.

The ranger guides co-ordinate security matters with other Uganda security agencies to keep law and order in and around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

 Before starting any gorilla safari, all tourists must attend briefing a moment when they are given more information about the status of the mountain gorillas and what to expect while with the gorillas.  \

Tourists are advised never to walk into the jungle without an escorting ranger guide or else they may encounter some dangerous forest dwellers yet you may bare no defense weapon.

When is the best time book Gorilla habituation Experience permit to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

The best time to book gorilla habituation experience is atleast 6 months to a year upfront. The number of gorilla habituation experience permits is limited to maximum 4 permits per gorilla family yet only four gorilla families are so far open for this adventure.

 The peak season gorilla safari permits sell out early creating scarcity for last minute bookers. The Peak tourism season in Uganda is normally June, July, August, September, October, December and January when demand for permits exceeds. Normally the supply of these gorilla permits is constant and the permits are also limited to reduce on the effects of mass tourism.

Note that demand for other logistics that support gorilla habituation experience safaris is also high in this season so advance booking is required in order not to run out of options.

The wet season that is March, April, May and November may be the low season too but gorilla habituation experience is still open. This is also quite suitable time for those conscious with the budget because other than the gorilla habituation permit, some service providers like accommodation may also discount there costs.

In case you wish to share the gorilla habituation tour with no or less people without spending extra money to close off other permits, the low season may be the right time to test your luck.

Can Children Travel For Gorilla Habituation Adventure In Uganda?

The age limit for gorilla habituation adventure in Uganda is 12 years and over so children below this age are not allowed to visit. This is because of the nature of the terrain of Virunga area that was affected by volcanic action that led to the formation of different landforms including ridges and plateaus.

The time taken searching for the mountain gorillas may be quite hard to determine which is sometimes prolonged so children below this age may be incapable of completing the entire adventure.

At a glance the body structure of the mountain gorillas is quite scaring to children which may cause them to shout, Noise making is not allowed in the forest when with the mountain gorillas because this makes you look suspicious before these easily intimidated primates.

When you travel with children on a gorilla habituation safari, make sure you brief them about what to expect when searching for the mountain gorillas and the possible time to take during this adventure. Brief them about the looks of the mountain gorillas and the condition of the forest where they dwell.

On ground are some activities that are eco related that children under the age limit of gorilla habituation experience can be part of to help them also enjoy the fun of this vast forest. This can be arranged privately.

Accommodation To Use On Gorilla Habituation Experience In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

A wide range of accommodations are available in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park but you need to note the area where the gorilla habituation adventure happens. The southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park that is Nkuringo and Rushaga area are the gorilla habituation experience areas of Bwindi.

You need to book accommodation of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park situated in the southern part. This is to avoid having to wake up early morning to catch up with briefing in the southern part.

Accommodations for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are categorized in to Luxury, mid-range and budget.

Bwindi accommodations include Rushaga Gorilla Safari Lodge, clouds Lodge, Nkuringo Gorilla lodge, Nshongi camp, Trekker’s Tarven, Bwindi Backpacker’s Camp and others.

What are the rules of Gorilla Habituation Experience  in Uganda

In nature, mountain gorillas are gentle, serene and shy but this doesn’t mean you provoke them. mountain gorillas charge when agitated by thumping there chests, hooting, walking on one leg, grab the grass around them and much more.

Keep a distance of about 7 meters from the mountain gorillas when you locate them to avoid chances of passing an infection to them.

Donot panic upon noticing such odd behavior about the mountain gorillas. Wait for the ranger guide to establish the root cause of the matter as sometimes they are having family discontentment, may be teasing you, an attack from another gorilla family and much more.

At a glance the look in the eyes of the mountain gorillas may send a chill down your spin but as get comfortable with the gorilla family, you realise how vulnerable they are.

In case you have a communicable infection like flue, covid-19 and others, volunteer to stay behind. Mountain gorillas are highly susceptible to human infections. No feeding the mountain gorillas when you locate them because they are wild animals that must search for there own food, the forest must be there sole provider and not depend on humans.

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