Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

The Gorilla Habituation Experience is a form of experiential tourism introduced by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) since 2014 in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to give visitors an in-depth understanding about the Mountain Gorillas.  The Gorilla Habituation Experience gives a person more time to visit and see the Gorillas as opposed to gorilla tracking, and time allowed to see these great Apes is 4 hours while in their presence whereas on a normal gorilla tracking safari, once visitors meet the Gorillas, they are only allowed one hour to watch them. Gorilla habituation experience is a stupendous moment those seeking to meet and stare at the Mountain Gorilla should take on during their African Holidays particularly Uganda Safaris. Mountain Gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable This form of tourism (experiential), gives tourists/ visitors a clear and more understanding about wildlife (Mountain Gorillas) and its behavior. Habituation is an activity aimed at getting wildlife used to human /visitor presence without altering its natural environment.  For Gorilla Habituation process, Habituators and researchers visit the identified wild Mountain Gorilla group usually on a daily basis to monitor it/ them from the morning hours through the day till the process is completed. Before any group of Gorillas is made available for tracking by tourists, it is first habituated, a process that can last for 2 and more years. The first group of the Mountain Gorillas to become available for tracking by visitors in Bwindi was in 1993 and as of December 2018, the park has a total of over 18 families in the four locations of Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushaga and Ruhija. Therefore, to increase on visitor experience while on a Gorilla trip, UWA introduced Gorilla Habituation at a cost of 1500USD a permit per person and only 4 people are allowed per day. There are only two groups in Rushaga the southern sector of Bwindi that are available for habituation for the moment and this means a total of only 8 Habituation permits in a day, this therefore means if you are to participate in the Gorilla Habituation Experience, you need to reserve your permit well in advance. Meeting the Mountain Gorillas on a gorilla tracking safari is an emotional experience, now imagine being behind the scene process of the gorilla habituation experience. To prepare for this activity, one needs to be reasonably fit since it is a full day adventure involving trekking through the misty mountain forest. One needs to wake-up early enough and assemble to the park headquarters with a confirmed permit where you meet the guides (researchers and/or habituators), receive briefing on the etiquette, with your packed lunch boxes, you enter the forest at dawn, the morning sights, sounds and scents make the experience remarkable.  You can reserve your permit well in advance since meeting these Great Apes is one of the most highly sought-after wildlife experience and as a result permits sell out quickly. Contact Us or UWA directly to reserve your permit. At Avens Travel World, we arrange gorilla habituation experience safaris both pre planned and custom made. For a seamlessly curated Gorilla Habituation Experience and Gorilla tracking safari, please browse www.safaris-travel.com or contact us at atwholidaysafrica@gmail.com or safaris@avenstravelworld.com to customize your safari