What to Expect During a Gorilla Trek and Habituation Safari.
What to expect during gorilla trekking and habituation?
Gorilla trekking and Habituation are among the best things to do when visiting Uganda, offering the chance to meet the critically endangered species of the Mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. The activities take place in the incredible Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the southern part of the country; the conservation area hosts half of the world’s remaining population of Mountain gorillas; these live freely in the 4 sectors of Nkuringo, Buhoma, Ruhija, and Rushaga without being captured. Both activities are exciting and thrilling to experience; what to expect during a gorilla trek and habituation sums up all the experience of a lifetime!
Gorilla trekking and habituation begin with a briefing from the park rangers from the Uganda Wildlife Authority on how to conduct yourself while in the forest in the morning. A normal gorilla trekking briefing starts at 7:00 am before guests head out to the forest, while the gorilla habituation starts earlier at 6:00 am. Some of the sectors present to guests a traditional dance from the local community members before the beginning of the great experience.
Prepare for the terrain of Bwindi, the region is quite diverse and can be challenging, it is characterized by steep hills, slopes, dense forest, and rugged trails which can be physically demanding as much as you will see an angelic flora and fauna, meet the gentle giants, and other primate species like the L’hoest monkeys, black and white colobus monkey, all this is a process which requires good physical fitness it is recommend to consider wearing water proof hiking boots, and a walking stick for support.
There are set rules and regulations for gorilla trekking; these will be communicated these including keeping a 7-meter distance rule, human waste to be buried 12 inches in the ground, and guests with a communicable disease like flu or cough are not allowed to track, flash photography is prohibited as this can easily trigger the gorilla fusion, visitors are expected to keep minimum noise when tracking, eating and drinking near the primates is not allowed and individuals below the age of 15 years are strictly not permitted to do the gorilla activity.
Expect to spend an hour with the gorillas; this is the standard time set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to enjoy, interact with, and have a good moment with them. When the hour ends, guests are guided back to the park headquarters for an award of completion and return to respective facilities for overnight stays.
Expect to meet the local community, gorilla trekking goes far beyond the gorillas, the surrounding communities keep for example the Batwa community is a must visit while in Bwindi, they are the last remaining group of short people pygmies in Uganda, they used to live in the forest freely together with the primates, however due to conservation these were evicted from the forest and continued living in the surrounding areas of the park,
What to pack for gorilla trekking and habituation includes long-sleeved shirts and trousers, waterproof covers for phones and cameras, T-shirts, proper hiking shoes, water bottles, walking sticks, gardening gloves, insect repellents, hats, sunscreen, ponchos, gaiters, and any other important personal items.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be visited anytime, but is best during the dry season in June, July, August, September, December, February, and January; during this time, the trails of the forest are less slippery and easy to walk. That said, even in the dry season, it can rain anytime, and gorillas can be tracked anytime of the year.
In conclusion, gorilla trekking and habituation provide a great opportunity to meet the gentle giants within their natural environment.