The Gorilla Habituation experience in 2023 still remains one Of the Private Gorilla experiences with a maximum of 04 tourists allowed on a daily to trek and photograph a group of Wild Mountain gorillas. This experience can only be done in Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable forest National Park. A gorilla Habituation experience Permit costs $1,500 per person for Foreign Non-Residents, $1,000 for Foreign residents, or UGX750,000 per person for east African Citizens.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Gorilla Habituation experience in 2023
- What is the Gorilla Habituation experience?
Gorilla habituation is the process of “taming” a group of extremely wild gorillas and getting them to be less aggressive to human visits. Upon the discovery of gorillas, human interest to visit and see them (up close) was birthed. However, because wild gorillas can be very aggressive, a plan to slowly get them accustomed to human visits (habituation) was necessary before humans could risk being attacked and killed by the gorillas – it’s this process that we now call Gorilla Habituation.
The habituation process usually lasts a period of 2-3 years and involves a team of qualified researchers and veterinarians (accompanied by the locals for extra support). The team sets out on a long-term mission to visit a selected wild gorilla group whilst closely studying its behavior and getting used to humans getting gradually closer and closer till the group accepts and gets tolerant to visits. It is after confirming that the group is accepting human visits that it is considered ready for gorilla trekking.
Gorilla trekking is however limited to strictly 01-hour with the Gorillas to try and limit the human interferences that may arise with staying too long with the gorillas.
Learn more about How the gorilla Habituation experience compares with Gorilla Trekking.
- What is the Cost – the price of a Gorilla Habituation Permit in 2023?
A gorilla habituation permit for 2023 – 2024 costs $1,500 for foreign non-residents, $1,000 for residents, and UGX750,000 for East African Citizens per person per trek. These permits can be purchased 02 years in advance. Learn more about Gorilla Habituation permits in 2023
- When is the best time to plan a gorilla Habituation Safari?
June, July & August – June and July are the driest months in most of the south, but it can still rain. Average temperatures hover around 27°C/81°F in the afternoon and 16°C/61°F in the morning. …
December, January & February – Most of the south has less rainfall, but still more when compared to June and July.
If our opinion matters, we would recommend June and July as the Best time for Gorilla Habituation Experience Safaris in Uganda. Much as the gorilla habituation exercise is generally physically demanding, it’s a lot easier to trek up and down the steep slopes (tangled with vegetation) during the drier months as opposed to the rainy months when the grounds get extremely slippery.
However, for enthusiastic travelers, Gorilla habituation is an all-year-round activity – making any time okay for you to travel to Uganda for the Gorilla Habituation Experience. Browse our Gorilla Habituation Safaris.
Learn more about the Best time to go on a Gorilla Habituation Safari to Uganda.
- When is the best time of the year to purchase your Gorilla Habituation Permit?
With over 10 years of organizing Gorilla Habituation safaris in Uganda, we have learned that last-minute – gorilla habituation permit booking can be a disaster to planning a successful gorilla Habituation Holiday. Our recommendation is that you book your gorilla habituation permits at least 06 months in advance. Remember Gorilla Habituation permits available on a daily are only 04…meaning there are Only 1,460 Gorilla Habituation permits available for the entire year versus the 473,085 tourist statics that visited Bwindi in 2022.
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