How many gorilla permits are in Mgahinga national park
How many gorilla permits are in Mgahinga national park: Mgahinga national park is the smallest national park when we talk about mountain gorillas. The national park situated in the southwestern part of Uganda is the smallest gorilla park covering 33.6 sq. km. Mgahinga national park is a mountain gorilla protection area with more than 90 mountain gorillas roaming in the forest.
Mountain gorilla trekking is the main activity done in Mgahinga national park and it has attracted a lot of travelers to this area. Since Mgahinga national park is known to be the smallest national park with mountain gorillas, there are tourists are looking forward to knowing how many permits does the small national park have and the answer is below.
What is the number of in Mgahinga national park?
Mgahinga national park has the least number of trekking permits compared to all national parks that are home to mountain gorillas. Mgahinga national park has only 8 gorilla trekking permits available on a daily basis at Uganda Wildlife Authority. Mgahinga national park has only 8 permits because it has only 1 gorilla family called Nyakagezi.
According to rules and regulations of gorilla trekking set by Uganda wildlife authority, only 8 people are supposed to trek a gorilla family and this is why the park has only 8 permits. The 8 gorilla permits of Mgahinga national park are sold to travelers that are 15 years and above on a first come first serve basis.
With only 8 gorilla permits in Mgahinga national park, travelers are advised to book their permits early in travelers. Travelers that are intending to trek Mgahinga gorillas are safe if they book their permits 3-4 months or more. By this time, there are high chances of finding the permits still available compared to when you book 1-2 months in advance.
Travelers that are intending to visit Mgahinga national park during the dry season from June to September and December to February are the ones that need early booking of the permits because that is when a lot of travelers are intending to visit the park. Low season travelers can get last-minute booking gorilla permits but again this is not a sure deal.
To book the gorilla trekking permits for Mgahinga national park and get a chance to encounter the apes in their natural habitats, you need to use a local tour operator or get them directly from UWA only if you are organizing the safari by yourself. There are so many local tour operators claiming that they book gorilla permits however you need to get the right one.
Africa Adventure Vacations is one of the local tour operators you need to use while booking permits for Mgahinga national park because they are licensed by the Uganda Tourism Board and are members of different tourism associations. To book with us, you will need the dates of the month and year you want to travel and then send them to us via email.
We shall use the information to check for the availability of the gorilla permits with the reservations office at UWA. When permits are available, we shall ask for your personal details and a deposit which we shall use to pay and secure you a permit. When you send the money, you will have to send us a scanned copy of the receipt of payment for proof. After we have confirmed your payment, we shall book your gorilla trekking permit and you will find it with us.
How much do permits for Mgahinga national park cost?
To get a gorilla trekking permit for Mgahinga national park, you need a certain amount of money to pay to Uganda Wildlife Authority. This money is used for the conservation of mountain gorillas, paying workers, and conserving the forest where they do live. Each gorilla trekking permit for Mgahinga national park costs $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for East African residents, and UGX250,000 East African residents.
How much does UWA earn from selling Mgahinga national park permits?
UWA has 8 gorilla trekking permits for Mgahinga national park available every day. This is because the park has only one gorilla family that must be trekked by a maximum of 8 people. Assuming all gorilla permits for Mgahinga national park are bought on a given day, UWA would make $5600 if they are all foreign non-residents, $4800 if they are foreign residents, and UGX2,000,000 if they are East African citizens.
Why are there few gorilla permits in Mgahinga national park?
Mgahinga national park has a few gorilla trekking permits simply because only one gorilla family has been habituated in the park. A gorilla family must be trekked by a maximum of 8 people and this is why the park has only 8 gorilla trekking permits. There is one gorilla family in mgah9nag national park because the national park has a few mountain gorillas that are living there. It’s said that Mgahinga has about 90 mountain gorillas and most of them are still wild.