21 Apr Gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi Gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi is a slow and gentle process of making wild mountain gorillas get used to human presence around them. Mountain gorilla habituation in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is done for about 2-3 years and it’s done by a team of trekkers, researchers, conservationists, and rangers. Gorilla habituation experience takes you to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park to have a 4-hour encounter with the semi habituated mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas do attract thousands of people to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park simply because they are said to be closed relatives to human beings with 98 % DNA. Mountain gorilla habituation is only done in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park on 2 gorilla families. Bushaho and Biking gorilla families are the ones currently going through habituation in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. The two gorilla families live in Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors of the park. To habituate any of the gorilla families in Bwindi, you need a gorilla habituation permit from Uganda Wildlife Authority. The national park can be accessed in a single day and gorilla habituation can be done at any time of the year. Gorilla habituation experience in Uganda Gorilla habituation experience starts with a briefing at the park offices early in the morning. The trekkers must wake up early in the morning and have breakfast. The drivers transfer the trekkers to the park offices where they meet other participants for a briefing from the park wardens. During the briefing, the trekkers are taught about the rules and regulations of the habituation activity before being grouped. After grouping, the trekkers are led by armed ranger guides into the jungle. Locating mountain gorillas might take 2-7 hours in Bwindi and this depends on the speed of trekkers as well as the location of the mountain gorilla family. During the search, the trekkers are able to meet different park mammals, primates, and birds. When the trekkers locate the semi habituated gorilla family, they have been looking for they are given 4 hours to be with these endangered apes. In the time given, the trekkers are able to move anywhere with the gorillas, learn about their habits, take photos and do all possible things to win their trust. A silverback in Bwindi Gorilla habituation permits for Bwindi impenetrable forest national park Habituation permits for Bwindi impenetrable forest national park are $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for foreign residents, and shs750,000 East African citizens at Uganda Wildlife Authority. The habituation permits can be got direct from the Uganda Wildlife Authority offices or a trusted local tour operator at the same fee. There are only 8 gorilla habituation permits in Uganda and only 4 people are allowed to trek a single semi habituated gorilla group. Africa Adventure Vacations helps to book gorilla habituation permits for travelers that want to visit Bwindi. We advised the travelers to book the permits in advance to avoid inconvenience the fact that Bwindi has 8 gorilla habituation permits on a single day. To book gorilla habituation permits, you will send us an email containing the dates of the month and year you want to travel, and using these dates we shall check for the availability of the permits with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. When the permits are available, we shall send you an email containing banking details and once we have received the money, we shall book the permits for you. What to pack for Bwindi gorilla habituation? What to pack for Bwindi gorilla habituation includes waterproof hiking shoes, a pair of gardening gloves, cotton stocks, a rain jacket, long-sleeved shirts and pants, a camera, a pair of binoculars, a hat, sunscreen, a drinking water bottle, energy-giving snacks, insect repellents, facemask, sanitizer, and first aid kit. When to visit Bwindi for gorilla habituation Bwindi impenetrable forest national park can be visited at any time of the year for mountain gorilla habituation but there are certain months that are better than the rest. The dry months from June to September and December to February are the best for a gorilla habituation safari in Bwindi. They are characterized by little or no rainfall that makes the trekking trails less muddy or dry, vegetation is short with clear views of the park animals and the roads leading to the park are passable. Travelers can still visit Bwindi impenetrable forest national park for habituation in the rainy season of March to May and October to November to enjoy huge discounts on accommodation facilities. Travelers however need to know that in the rainy season there is plenty of rainfall that makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, vegetation is tall giving unclear views of park animals and the roads leading to the park are impassable. Stay at Trackers Safari lodge in Bwindi Accommodation on a gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi Accommodation in Rushaga sector: Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Bwindi Jungle Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge, Nsongi Camp, Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Resort, and Wagtail Eco Safari Lodge. Accommodation in Nkuringo sector: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Heights Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Backpackers Lodge, Mutanda Eco Community Centre, Nshongi Camp, Crested Crane Bwindi Hotel, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge, and Virunga Campsite Accessing Bwindi for gorilla habituation experience Travelers going to Bwindi for gorilla habituation can access the park in so many ways. The frst one is by driving from Entebbe or kampala to masaka to Mbarara to Kisoro or kabale takimg 9 to 10 hours. The other alternative is driving from Kigali through Cyanika border or Katuna border taking 4 hours and lastly one can fly from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to Kihihi Airstrip or Kisoro Airstrip where they will drive for a short distance to the park. 0 news