Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda
Uganda is home to approximately half of the world’s endangered mountain gorilla population, and Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda or Gorilla trekking in uganda is one of the most incredible wildlife experiences on the continent.
Standard gorilla treks give you the chance to spend up to one hour in the company of the gorillas in their natural habitat. This has been made possible by gently introducing the gorillas to human presence, a process that takes between 2 and 5 years. This is essential for the continued research, care and conservation of the gorillas.
For those wishing to take a more active role in the protection and understanding of these gentle giants, you can join the rangers and conservationists in the habituation process of two more gorilla families in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
During a Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda, you can spend up to 4 magical hours with these highly intelligent and emotional animals.
It is an incredibly humbling experience, and the habituation process is fundamental to the continued protection of the gorillas.
Gorilla Trekking vs Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda
A standard gorilla trek in Uganda involves hiking through dense forests in search of habituated gorilla families, and then spending up to an hour observing the group.
By contrast, the gorilla habituation experience involves spending four hours with a group of gorillas and is only available in the Rushaga sector in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
A standard gorilla trekking permit costs $800, while the gorilla habituation experience costs $1,500 at the time of writing.
The gorillas observed during the Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda are less used to humans than those seen on the standard gorilla treks (they are still being ‘habituated’). The experience is still completely safe, and the benefit of spending more time with gorillas is that you can better understand their behavior’s and social dynamics, as well as get incredible photographs, without being rushed.
A Typical Day on a Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda
The first part of any gorilla excursion in Uganda is a (sometimes lengthy)trek into the forest with an expert team of guides and scouts, looking for tracks left by the gorillas.
The strongest clue that you’re near a group is finding the gorilla’s ‘nest’ from the previous night. It can take up to 6 hours or more to locate a gorilla family.
Once contact is made, you can spend up to 4 hours with the gorillas. A habituation experience gives you an insight into the lives of these amazing animals that few get to experience.
It’s important to be aware that for us humans with short attention spans, 4 hours can be a long time, so you’ll want to be sure the Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda is right for you.
As you observe the animals up close, interacting with each other in their small familial groups, you’ll start to draw parallels between the gorillas and us – the similarities are often striking, and humbling.
It’s a full day affair, and returning to the lodge for dinner and a warm shower/bath will be much needed and well deserved!
4 Days Savannah Wildlife Safari to Uganda
These 4 Days Savannah Wildlife Safari Tour package gives you an opportunity to visit two national parks in southwestern Uganda. These parks include Lake Mburo
5 Days Wildlife & Gorilla Trekking Safari
This 5 Days Wildlife & Gorilla Trekking Safari specifically gives you a chance to enjoy/Explore Queen Elizabeth National Park.
7 Days Best of Uganda Safari
This is another fun 7 Days Best of Uganda. Take Uganda’s best7 Days Best of Uganda tour to the world’s thundering waterfall and find the nearest great ape, the chimpanzee.
14 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari Experince
The 14 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari, covers the Western Uganda safari circuit for big game viewing, boat cruise, mountain gorilla tracking, and primates tour.