Golden monkey habituation experience in Mgahinga national park
Golden monkey habituation experience in Mgahinga national park: Golden monkey habituation is a process where wild golden monkeys slowly get introduced to the human presence around them. In Uganda, golden monkey habituation is only carried out in Mgahinga national park where these endangered primates can be found. Golden monkeys are endangered species of primates only seen in the Virunga conservation area.
Just like mountain gorilla habituation or chimpanzee habituation, golden monkey habituation is a 4-hour experience where golden monkeys are trained to make them get familiar with human beings around them before they are open for trekking. This golden monkey experience can’t be done in Rwanda or DR Congo but only in Uganda and specifically Mgahinga national park.
The golden monkey habituation experience
Golden monkey habituation experience is carried out every day in Mgahinga national park. The activity does start in the morning at Ntebeko Visitors Center where the rangers teach the rules and regulations of the activity. The group going for habituation is led by ranger guides with firearms as well as a team of researchers, conservationists, and doctors.
The search for golden monkeys to be habituated goes through different trails and bamboo areas where these primates normally hang. It takes 2 to 4 hours to locate these primates and during the search, tourists are always able to see different wildlife of the park as well as vegetation. The moment you see the golden monkeys, you are given a maximum of 4 hours to be around them.
The time total time given to spend with the golden monkeys is 4 hours but time in the jungle does go beyond that because it starts with the searching and later getting out of the jungle. When trekkers are around golden monkeys, they are allowed to watch them do daily activities, move along with them, and take photos. Trekkers are allowed to join researchers when it comes to activities that make these beautiful primates get used to the human presence around them.
The cost of golden monkey habituation experience permits.
To be part of the golden monkey experience in Mgahinga national park, you do need a golden monkey habituation permit. The golden monkey habituation permit is obtained from Uganda Wildlife Authority which manages and controls park activities. UWA does sell chimpanzee trekking permits at a fee of $100 for foreign non-residents, $80 for foreign residents, and UGX100,000 citizens of East African member states.
What to pack for the golden monkey habituation experience?
To have the best of golden monkey habituation experience you need to make sure you get the right packing list. Tourists that are visiting Mgahinga national park for golden monkey trekking need to pack long-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved shorts, a rain jacket, a hat, a sweater, a hat, waterproof hiking shoes, long cotton stocks, a pair of gaiters, insect repellents, a camera, a pair of binoculars, energy giving snacks and a drinking water bottle among others.
Best time for golden monkey habituation experience
Golden monkey habituation experience can be done all throughout the year in Mgahinga national park. Travelers who are looking for the best time for the activity need to look at the dry season when the park is recovering little or no rainfall. The dry season occurs from June to September and December to February in Mgahinga national park. During the dry season, the trekking trails are dry and easier to navigate, vegetation is short with very good views of wildlife, and roads leading to the park are in good condition.
The rainy season can also be used to carry our golden monkey habituation in Mgahinga national park and this favors budget travelers. From March to May and October to November, the lodges are cheaper and the local tour operators do reduce tour packages. What makes golden monkey habituation not favorable in the rainy season is that the trekking trails are muddy and slippery, vegetation is tall with unclear views of wildlife, and roads leading to the park are slippery.
Where to stay
During your golden monkey habituation safari in Mgahinga national park, you have a lot of accommodation facilities where you can spend a night or more before or after the habituation. The lodges in Mgahinga national park range from budget to mid-range to luxury options and they include Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle Lodge, Musasa Mountain Safari Lodge, Tiloreza Volcanoes Lodge, Mgahinga Safari Lodge, Mountain Gahinga Rest Camp, Mount Gahinga Lodge, and Mutanda Safari Lodge among others.
Getting to Mgahinga for golden monkey habituation experience
Travelers can get to Mgahinga national park for golden monkey habituation experience in a single day by using either road transport or air transport. The quickest means of transport which is used by luxury travelers and those that hate traveling for long distances is by using chattered flights to Mgahinga. There are airline companies such as Bar Aviation Uganda and Aerolink Uganda who do organize flights to Kisoro airstrip so close to Mgahinga national park.
