How Many People Allowed to Trek a Gorilla Family – Bwindi Safari – Uganda
How many people allowed to trek a Gorilla Family; In Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park there are two popularly done activities that is Gorilla trekking and Gorilla habituation experience and each activity has a capacity of tourists allowed to be part of the activity as explained below;
How many people allowed to trek a Gorilla Family; To many this is a common asked question, as they keep on wondering how many people are allowed to trek a gorilla family / group. Note this, only ‘’8’’ people per day are allowed to trek a gorilla family-group in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Rwanda’s Volcanoes National park and Congo’s Virunga National Park or Visit Kahuzi Biega National park in Congo a home of Low Eastern Gorillas. The trek can take 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on their movements and once you meet the assigned gorilla group trackers are given one hour to spend with mountain gorillas.
Gorilla Habituation Experience is an emotional activity done whole day with your delicious packed lunch served from the lodge. To those who wish or who have already practiced in Gorilla habituation it’s an activity done in a group of four people. And only 4 hours are allowed to visitors to visit the habituate a gorilla group, which goes at a cost of USD1,500 per person per day. After allocating them before they nest out, you will be given a great opportunity of about 4 hours to interact with them, watch them as they play, feed as well as taking clear photos of gorillas for your future remembrance.
Gorilla habituation experience is a unique activity which can be done only in Uganda among the three countries where mountain gorillas exists. In Uganda, it can be done in Rushaga and Buhoma regions of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Reasons why gorilla trekking is limited to 8 people per group for those asking how many people are allowed to track a gorilla group are as follows;
To reduce behavioral disturbance to the gorillas; This is because too much people around gorillas may cause discomfort and stress to gorillas which is against conservation measures.
To minimize the risk of gorilla exposure to human borne diseases; Since gorillas share 98% of the DNA to humans, meaning there is high susceptible of getting human diseases but do not have same immunity we do.
They want to conserve the forest by reducing the damage to the forest.
The same question goes to Gorilla habituation experience in Uganda, that allows 4 people to engage in the activity and 4 hours to spend with mountain gorillas under habituation.
Uganda’s gorilla habituation is currently carried out in Rushaga sector in the southern parts of Bwindi Impenetrable National park.
Habituation experience before re-introducing it to the public, gorillas are first undertaken into training of about 3 to 4 years depending on how they are used eye contact with people or feeling comfortable in the presence of human. Along your activity, visitors are accompanied by the researchers, trackers and rangers.
Reason why gorilla habituation experience is limited to only 4 people per group as listed below;
Gorilla habituation experience is a whole day activity with 4 hours allowed to watch gorillas, so a large group of people might not be appropriate for safety and conservation reason. Due to a large group of people, it makes gorillas uncomfortable.
Since the gorillas are semi-habituated, they don’t need a lot of common from the people as they can easily charge negatively against the visitors.
Below are the Gorilla Families found in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest;
Uganda has over 21 habituated gorilla families with 19 individuals living in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Mgahinga gorilla families is called Nyakagezi and Hirwa
Gorilla families –groups in Bwindi Impenetrable include;
Muyambi Gorilla Group
Mubare Gorilla Group
Rushegura Gorilla Group
Katwe Gorilla Group
Muyambi Gorilla Family
Habinyanja Gorilla Family
Christmas Gorilla Group
Nkuringo Gorilla Group
Mucunguzi Gorilla Family
Rwigi Gorilla Family
Kutu Gorilla Family
Bikyingi Gorilla Family
Busingye Gorilla Family
Bweza Gorilla Group
Nshongi Gorilla Group
Mishaya Gorilla Family
Bitukura Gorilla Family
Oruzogo Gorilla Group
Rwanda’s Volcanoes National park has 12 habituated gorilla families including;
Susa Gorilla Group
Amahoro Gorilla Group
Karinsimbi Gorilla Group
Umubano Gorilla Group
Sabyinyo Gorilla Group
Titus Gorilla Family
Agashya Gorilla Group
Bwenge Gorilla Group
Igisha Gorilla Family
Muhoza Gorilla Family
Bwenge Gorilla Family
Ugende Gorilla Family
Hirwa Gorilla Group
Kwitonda Gorilla Family
Sabyinyo Gorilla Group
Virunga National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo has 8 habituated gorilla groups including;
Rugendo Gorilla Family
Munyaga Gorilla Family
Humba Gorilla Family
Mapuwa Gorilla Group
Lulengo Gorilla Family
Kabirizi Gorilla Family
Bageni Gorilla Group
Nyakamwe Gorilla Family
