Is Mgahinga national park safe to visit?
Is Mgahinga national park safe to visit?: We often get questions from our visitors to Mgahinga national park concerned about their safety while on a safari. Yes, Mgahinga national park is very safe to visit. Mgahinga national park has enough security by the armed ranger guides and it’s located in a very peaceful country. Mgahinga national park is located in Kisoro southwestern part of Uganda which is one of the areas that receives a great number of visitors throughout the year from across the world.
Safety from wild animals inside the jungles of Mgahinga national park is guaranteed if you follow the rules and regulations that govern the park. You don’t only read the rules and regulations but you also get to learn from the rangers who teach and guide you while inside the national park. Among these rules include keeping voices low and keeping in your group while in the jungle.
Mgahinga national park is one of the safest national parks in the world harboring endangered mountain gorillas. If you get a chance to visit Mgahinga national park for mountain gorilla trekking or any other activity carried out in the park don’t miss it for safety reasons because the area is very safe.
Mgahinga national park is managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority which has deployed well-trained wildlife and park rangers. Most of these rangers have been given firearms which they move around the park with. The role of firearms is to scare away animals which could be dangerous while inside the jungle. If a ranger shoots in the air, a dangerous animal or any that could have armed you does run away or cool down.
Mgahinga national park was gazetted in 1991 and from then Uganda Wildlife Authority started to control and manage all activities in the park. It was in 1991 when the government asked all people that were living inside the park to exit the area. This was done for the safety of the wild animals that were inside the park as well as the tourists that visit the park.
Batwa people were the locals living inside Mgahinga national park and they were full time forest dwellers who spent their day and night inside the jungle. They fed on plant leaves, honey, and meat from different animals among others. When they were evicted from the jungle, it was safe for the animals to move around the park freely without being killed and it was also safe for tourists to visit the jungle without being scared.
Mgahinga national park is located near the borders of two countries which are DR Congo in the west and Rwanda in the south. Rwanda is a very safe country but DR Congo is not as safe as Uganda. You could have heard rumors about DR Congo’s safety and the fact that it’s near Uganda and so close to Mgahinga national park we would like to assure you that there is tight security at the borders and areas around there are safe including the locals.
To further ensure security in Mgahinga national park, normally all lodges, and camps that accommodate tourists have armed guards who move around their premises to monitor the movement of the wild animals which sometimes come inside or move around the properties. When the rangers are around seeing the animals, they do chase them away for the safety of the guests staying at the lodge.
Every day, month, and year tourists visit Mgahinga Gorilla park , but it’s rare to come across safety or security related incidents. The good management of the park by the Uganda Wildlife Authority has enabled Mgahinga to stay a very safe area for visits from different people across the world. The armed ranger guides play a very important role in protecting the guests and the national park itself.
Accessing Mgahinga national park
When visiting Mgahinga national park, the safest way to get there is through air. There are airline companies in the country offering flights to different tourist destinations among which include Mgahinga national park. Aerolink Uganda and Bar Aviation Uganda have gotten daily morning flights to Kisoro airstrip which is so close to the park.
The flights do start from Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe international airport and land at Kisoro airstrip in 1 hour and 25 minutes. Tourists who fly normally find their safari guys at the airstrips waiting to transfer them to Mgahinga Gorilla park which is located less than an hour’s drive from Mgahinga Gorilla park . Flights to Mgahinga national park are very affordable to luxury travelers and those that hate traveling for long distances.
Even road transport to Mgahinga national park is safe because the roads are well constructed and the driver guides are licensed to carry out such activities. Mgahinga national park is located in Kisoro district and can be accessed from Kampala/Entebbe via Masaka, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Ntungamo, and Kisoro where the park is found.
