Is There Gorilla Habituation In Rwanda?
Is There Gorilla Habituation experience In Volcanoes national park Rwanda? Gorilla habituation can be described as the process of training mountain gorillas to get used to human presence, this usually takes a period of 2-3 years by researchers, conservationists, scientists, and rangers who keep monitoring and study each individual in the group and later baptize them according to the behaviors and personalities of each individual. Before mountain gorillas are opened for trekking, they undergo a mocking exercise and if they pass it they will be ready for trekking.
Rwanda is one of the three countries where mountain gorillas live in Africa, but Rwanda offers only gorilla trekking but not gorilla habituation. This fascinating activity can only be done in Rushaga sector located in the southern part of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in Uganda.
Gorilla habituation offers a thrilling experience compared to gorilla trekking because you will spend four hours with the giant apes unlike mountain gorilla trekking and the number of people doing gorilla habituation is also less compared to gorilla trekking. There are currently two gorilla groups undergoing gorilla habituation in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and these are Bikingi and Bushaho gorilla families.
The advantage of gorilla habituation in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is that the mountain gorilla families being habituated are located in the southern part of the park which is close to Rwanda being about 4-5 hours drive from Kigali. Tourists can therefore fly to Rwanda and travel by road to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park for gorilla habituation.
Gorilla habituation in Uganda can be done in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, the gorilla families undergoing habituation are Bikingi and Bishaho. Although gorilla habituation is expensive it’s worth it to spend a maximum of 4 hours with mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
Gorilla habituation permits in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park cost only $1500 and this is equivalent to the gorilla trekking permits of Rwanda. You are advised to buy your gorilla permit in 3-4 months before the actual gorilla trekking date because of high demand, especially during the peak season.
People under the age of 15 are not allowed to take part in gorilla habituation and the same applies to people with infectious diseases such as flu, cough, and diarrhea and these can be easily transmitted to mountain gorillas the fact that they have a weak immune system.
