Gorilla Trekking vs Gorilla Habituation | Which to Book

Gorilla Trekking Vs Gorilla Habituation

Gorilla Trekking Vs Gorilla Habituation :  An encounter with the endangered mountain gorillas is a thrilling wildlife experience which is a must do once in a life time, visitors can encounter mountain gorillas on two experiences that is gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation experience.

Note: Gorilla Habituation Experience is only offered in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the whole wide world.

The difference between gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation is that during gorilla trekking, you visit gorillas that are already accustomed to human presence, whereas during gorilla habituation. You visit gorillas that are not accustomed to human presence.

When comparing gorilla trekking and gorilla habitation, there are several factors to consider such as price, experience, length or period of time among other factors.

This article goes deep in details about gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation.

While gorilla trekking only allows a group 8 tourists to visit a particular habituated gorilla family for 1 hour in their natural habitat, gorilla habituation allows only 4 visitors to take part in familiarizing with the wild gorillas so as to make them friendly to human interaction as well as presence.

In comparision, gorilla habituation is a newly introduced gorilla experience started in 2014. It was done a response to a demand from Uganda Wildlife Authority for visitors to spend more time with mountain gorillas. On this experience, visitors get to spend 4 hours with the gorillas and can participate in the habituation activities such as making calls, collecting and testing stools, naming gorillas and learning more about gorilla behaviors such as when and how gorillas became happy, tired and when they no longer want to see people around in their natural habitat.

Gorilla Habituation

Gorilla Habituation is a long-term process through which researchers and scientists train gorillas in the wild to become accustomed to humans, in this way they do not get to harm the humans when they are in their presence for tourism purposes.

A team of experts, researchers, primatologists, researchers and staff from the conservation areas where the habituation process is taking place may visit the gorillas one at a time for two to three years until they the gorillas are ready to entertain visitors.

Some of the gorilla groups/families may take a long time to become habituated to humans whereas others may take only a short period of time.

Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda was introduced in 2012, this activity is only takes places in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’s Rushaga and Nkuringo Sectors.

On this experience, visitors in groups of 4 people are allowed to spend 4 hours with the semi-habituated mountain gorillas.

Gorilla Trekking

Gorilla Trekking is the most popular activity in Africa on which visitors get to see gorillas, this activity allows visitors to see a habituated mountain gorilla family and in the same way contribute to the conservation of mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

Half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas love in Uganda and the rest, which is the second and rest of the gorilla population is found in Virunga National Park in Congo and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park offers the highest chance of seeing mountain gorillas which is 96%

In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, mountain gorillas are found in four sectors including Nkuringo and Rushaga sectors in the South, Ruhija in the north and Buhoma sector in the west.

Depending on the movement of the gorilla family you are trekking and your physical fitness, gorilla trekking can take about 30 minutes to 7 hours.

To take part in gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo, you must obtain a gorilla trekking permit. To secure a gorilla trekking permit you must book for it in advance. There are a total of 8 gorilla permits issued per habituated gorilla family in Mgahinga gorilla National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Volcanoes National Park as well as Virunga National Park.

Gorilla trekking experience begins with briefing at the park headquarters where you are taken through the rules and regulations to follow while in the jungle, it ends at the same place where you receive a certificate for successfully participating in the gorilla trekking safari.

To participate in gorilla habituation experience, you need to have a gorilla habituation permit.

These permits are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority and are obtained through a licensed tour operator.

Cost of Gorilla Trekking and Gorilla Habituation

Gorilla trekking permit costs USD 800 while a gorilla habituation permit costs USD 1500.

Note: it is advisable to book for your gorilla permit earlier in order to avoid missing out on the day you intend to track the gorillas.

Time Spent with the Gorillas on Gorilla Trekking and Gorilla Habituation

Time spent with mountain gorillas is limited on each of these activities, after searching and following a particular mountain gorilla family. You are allowed to spend only one hour with a habituated gorilla family on gorilla trekking experience, whereas on gorilla habituation experience you are allowed to spend 4 hours.

Visitors participating in Gorilla Habituation Experience must be accompanied by trained researchers because they endangered species are still learning and may end up behaving in ways that scare humans. In case of gorilla trekking, trekkers are escorted by a knowledgeable guide and an armed ranger.

Regions Where These Activities Occur

Gorilla trekking is done in 4 gorilla parks in the whole world that is in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in DR. Congo.

Bwindi has 4 sectors where gorilla trekking is done that is Rushaga, Nkuringo, Ruhija and Buhoma. Whereas, gorilla habituation experience is only restricted to Rushaga region.

Gorilla Families available for Gorilla Trekking and Gorilla Habituation

Uganda has 21 gorilla families found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, there are only 2 gorilla families set aside for gorilla habituation experience and are found in Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The rest are available for gorilla trekking.

Number of Participants for each activity

In gorilla habituation experience, only 4 people are permitted to take part in the experience while gorilla trekking only allows 8 people to visit a habituated gorilla family in the jungle.

Best Time for Gorilla Trekking and Gorilla Habituation Experience

Both experiences can be done throughout the year, however the best time is during the dry season which offers the most conducive conditions for these experiences. Uganda experiences two dry seasons that is from December to February and June to July, the wet seasons are from September to November and March to May.