Gorilla habituation in Bwindi Forest for 2024 to 2025
Gorilla tracking is at the top of the list of most tourists visiting East Africa. Standard gorilla tracking lasts for one hour once you find them. However, Kisoro Tours Uganda organizes gorilla habituation in Bwindi Forest to take part in a four-hour gorilla habituation experience with these gentle giants in their natural habitat.
Unlike standard gorilla tracking for an hour, gorilla habituation in Bwindi Forest allows tourists and other visitors to spend up to 4 hours with the gorillas in the impenetrable jungle of Bwindi. Gorilla habituation is a unique experience in the way that tourist walk along with well-experienced trekkers, rangers, and researchers who take part in taming the gorillas that are under the habituation process. What is gorilla habituation all about? Habituation experience is all about familiarizing wild gorillas to get used to the presence of human beings before the gorilla family can be opened for tourism so that tourists can start visiting it. The habituation/taming process takes about 3 years before the particular gorilla family that is under habituation is ready to be opened for tourism and trekkers and rangers must visit that gorilla family daily till they are used to human presence.
Where to go for gorilla habituation in 2024 to 2025
The thrilling mountain gorilla habituation experience can only be done in one country in the whole world which is Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park-Rushaga sector. Currently, Uganda has two gorilla families undergoing process/training in Bwindi forest-Rushaga sector. This mountain gorilla habituation experience is a newly introduced product in Bwindi Forest that has progressed to be the most exciting tourism activity in Bwindi Forest because it allows more time with travelers.
What is the cost of a habituation permit for 2024 to 2025 and where to get it?
Like all other standard gorilla tracking tours, gorilla habituation also requires every participant to have a valid habituation permit which costs $1500 per person while the standard gorilla tracking permit cost $700 per person for one hour with gorillas. However habituation permit is quite more expensive but it allows you four hours to encounter them, and travelers are advised to book in advance at least 6 months to a year and pay a deposit to secure their habituation or standard permit.
Permit booking can be easily made directly from Uganda wildlife authority headquarters in Kampala or at their office in Kisoro town or through trusted tour operators like us Kisoro Tours Uganda, we offer affordable packages. The age lime for both standard gorilla tracking and habituation is 15 years and above.
What is the gorilla habituation time?
Yes, there is a specific time for gorilla habituation. Habituation starts daily very early in the morning at 7:00 am from Rushaga sector headquarters in the southern part of Bwindi Forest, this activity with a short briefing from the park rangers regarding the rules, dos, and don’ts to follow while in the jungle, after briefing you embark on the hike into the Bwindi jungle lead by trekker, rangers, and researchers.
The actual habituation time is unpredictable because it all depends on the movement of the gorillas but once you allocate them you are allowed to spend four hours with them from the moment see them, during this experience expect to learn a lot about the mountain, you will see how gorillas make their nests and how each family member plays a different role in their respective family. The silverback gorilla is the supreme leader of the family and it determines all family movements, adult females nurse the young ones while the juveniles entertain the family keeping it alive and secure.
What are the Rules and regulations for 2024 to 2025 gorilla habituation in Bwindi Forest?
Yes there are do’s and don’ts that one must follow while on gorilla habituation experience or on the normal standard gorilla tracking, among the rules is a seven-meter distance rule to keep away from the gorillas to protect them from catching the human disease, the age limit is 15 years and above, only 4 tourist/people are allowed to take part in habituation process, do not feed or touch the wild gorillas, do not leave rubbish in the forest, avoid coughing or sneezing while facing gorillas to avoid the spread of communicable disease to them, keep your voice low while with gorillas, do not smoke, drink or eat when with gorillas, do not touch gorillas, turn off flash on your camera when taking photos of gorillas, the habituation maximum time is four hours with gorillas and no one will be allowed to go for habituation or tracking if you show symptoms of cold or any other infectious diseases
What is the dress code and what to pack for 2024 to 2025 gorilla habituation?
Yes, there is a dress code for both standard gorilla tracking and habituation experience, you must dress right for the jungle since you are spending more than half of the day hiking up and down in the forest. What to pack for the gorilla habituation experience include proper hiking boots suitable for slippery and muddy jungle, facemasks & hand sanitizer, gardening gloves to protect your hands from the rush vegetation, a rain jacket, energy-giving snacks to keep you going in the continuous hikes, insect repellent (bug spray), a pair of trousers, a long-sleeved shirt (t-shirt), and long socks, we also recommend that you hire a porter who will help you to carry baggage making it easy to hike during trekking, porter costs $15 per person.
