Uganda boasts of more than half the all-living population of mountain gorillas worldwide. The fascinating rare species share an almost similar DNA with the humans thus often termed as our close relatives. With reference to this, they often exhibit more human like behaviors in their natural habitats. In Uganda, the gorillas can be best tracked and seen in the southwestern part of the country covered by the Mgahinga and Bwindi national conservation area.
On the centrally, these apes have been listed among the world’s primates under critical threat. Currently, the mountain gorillas are the largest living apes. They are covered with black fur, have a broad chest and arms most especially a fully grown male gorilla popularly known as a silverback.
These rare primates are considered to be among man’s closest relatives and similar to humans, they live in families that are led by a dominant silverback. The gorilla family also comprises of juvenile gorillas, young gorillas as well as females
As earlier noted, the remaining mountain gorilla population lives in only three countries on the entire planet in the forested mountains of southwestern Uganda, Northwestern Rwanda and the eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo in the four major gorilla national parks of Mgahinga Gorilla Park, Bwindi impenetrable national park, Volcanoes National park and Virunga National park respectively with Bwindi impenetrable forest National park having the highest mountain gorilla population.
A happenstance with the mountain gorillas in the forested mountains of Bwindi as described by many is “Breathtaking, Once in a lifetime experience, Amazing Experience, Unforgettable! Awesome Experience, name it all! Above all, it gives that human feeling of meeting your long lost friend or relative, the ape.
The southern sector of Bwindi has a unique gorilla experience referred to as the Mountain Gorilla Habituation Experience. This is the ultimate experience that comes with 4 full hours in the presence of the gorillas. The gorilla habituation experience just as normal tracking starts with a briefing in the morning though takes a full day as clients participate in the behind the scenes of what rangers go through to make gorillas get accustomed to human being’s presence in their midst.
From there, tourists are lead back to the park headquarters from where they are awarded their certificates of participation and then can be driven back to their lodges or to their next destinations depending on schedule.
A mountain gorilla-tracking permit currently costs $600 per person and a gorilla habituation permit costs $1500 per person. Note that a gorilla permit is only valid for a day and anyone seeking more time with the gorillas can buy another gorilla permit and track or habituate on another scheduled date.
The gorilla permits are strictly sold at the Uganda Wildlife Authority and can be purchased from there or can be got through the different tour operators who get them from the wildlife authority on behalf of their clients. Important to note though is that these are very scarce due to high demand and therefore anyone seeking to undertake a mountain gorilla safari should ensure to secure the gorilla permit in advance before they are fully booked
Given that Bwindi is covered with a tropical rain forest, rainfall can occur at any time of the year and its therefore always better to have a waterproof jacket just in case it rains. For a great trek, one is also advised to wear strong hiking shoes or boots, long-sleeved shirts, and trousers to avoid skin irritation and scratches from the vegetation. Hiring a porter can also be useful as some times the trails get rough to hike and you might need a hand.
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