Gorilla Tracking in Uganda
Uganda is among the few gifted nations in the world to house the endangered mountain gorillas. Uganda is a land located country located in the East Africa and has no sea port, it’s sometimes referred to as the pearl of Africa due to many incredible features it houses and one of them is the endangered mountain gorillas. Uganda has become famous in terms of tourist attractions as very many people all over the world leave their beautiful homes and office to come to this small country to spend at least one or two days in the wild with these incredible features who shares almost 95% of human DNA make-up.
Uganda houses almost a half of the world population, over 480 species live in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Both parks are located in the south western part of Uganda. Mountain gorillas are listed as endangered by the IUCN. Unlike other wildlife species that can be seen in zoos, the endangered mountain gorillas are only found in their natural habitat very deep in the forest. Over 60% of travelers to Uganda go gorilla tracking and this has generated a lot of revenue needed for the conservation of Uganda’s wildlife. Gorilla tourism has also improved the well-being of the people in the country particularly those live near the park.
Many trackers in Uganda prefer tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The chances of sighting the mountain gorillas are very high! Chances are over 96% and above. The park houses over 24 gorilla families and some gorilla groups are reserved for research purpose only. All these gorilla families are habituated to human standards and are ready to receive visitors every day. This means that 192 members can track in Bwindi national park every day and only eight members are allowed to track in each gorilla family guided by a ranger guide.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has only one gorilla family that has been habituated for gorila tourism. This family is known as Nyakagezi and it is known to roam around the nearby territory of Rwanda and DR Congo. The leader of the group likes traveling, they normally cross borders to DR Congo and Rwanda in search for new adventure. Therefore before booking tracking in this area it’s better to first confirm the gorilla availability before booking to avoid missing sighting.
No tourist is permitted to track the mountain gorillas without a gorilla permit. A gorilla permit costs a fee of US$800 per person. It is important to book a gorilla permit well in advance most especially if you are looking at gorilla tracking during the high seasons. At times, there are low season discounts for travelers looking to mountain gorillas during the months of April, May and September.
You are also advised to book in advance at least 2-3 months prior to your tracking dates to avoid disappointments most especially for the months of July to October and December to March. Please note that Uganda gorilla permits are offered on first come first served basis. Therefore the earlier you make your booking the better. And it’s very better to book your permit through a tour operator or travel company organizing your gorilla safari as they have easy access to these permits than an individual.
Tracking begins very early in morning and it can go for a half or full day since meeting them depends on where they spent their last night from, a reasonable degree of fitness is needed as well as tracking gears like sturdy pair of tracking gears and shoes, ,long sleeved shirts or blouses among others. The one hour you are allowed to stay with these apes is a memorable one. On a Ugandan safari trail you can still see gorillas and wildlife at a very affordable rate together with transportation and accommodation wrapping up your experience in Africa.
