Gorilla Habituation Experience is only done in Rushaga – the southern sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Gorilla Habituation Experience (GHE) was introduced in Rushaga, Bwindi Forest in 2016. It is simply an activity whereby a visitor in the company of specialist / researchers gets involved in the habituation process with a family of gorillas. It is a 4 – hour’s session in which only 4 visitors along with researchers / specialists get deeply involved in various activities done by a gorilla troop.
The difference between gorilla trekking and Gorilla habituation experience
Gorilla trekking focuses on a gorilla family which is fully habituated. In this case such gorillas are used to human presence. Visitors can even get closer to gorillas. 8 visitors are allowed to visit a gorilla group on a particular day.
However in Gorilla Habituation Experience (GHE) gorillas are very shy and thus uncomfortable with human presence.
Conducting Gorilla Habituation Experience (GHE)
- The guests converge at the park headquarters in the morning for briefing by the park warden. He / She takes visitors through do’s and don’ts while habituating the gorillas.
- Then the park ranger leads the visitors to the forest in search for the gorilla troop. This is done earlier than the teams heading for gorilla trekking. Visitors follow the nesting trail as per the previous night. On encounter with the gorillas, the rangers begin making gorilla calls and grunts. They even cut some shrubs and tree branches as they make some conversations in an effort to make gorillas get used to human noise and actions.
At this point in time, the rangers introduce each individual gorilla’s habits and names to the guests. The level of shyness of the gorillas depends on how long they have been exposed to human presence. Gorilla habituation activity offers guests the most authentic wildlife experience. Thus the 4 hours one spends with gorillas nesting and engaging in various activities, are incomparable to no other wildlife experience ever.
The mountain gorilla habituation started far back in 1991 when gorilla tourism was first introduced in the national park. Since then, 15-habituated gorilla families have been so far habituated in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and are available for trekking. This year, gorilla habituation experience is only done in Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and is a great experience for every traveler to take part in.
Just like in the gorilla trekking, a mountain gorilla habituation experience permit is a must have for every traveler taking part in the activity.
There are two gorilla families being habituated in Bwindi. A maximum of four people are allowed to interact with the mountain gorillas for four hours. This extensive time spent with the gorillas, provides travelers with intensive knowledge about the endangered species, which, in turn, provide them with a phenomenal experience.
Bushaho gorilla family
Bushaho, originally part of Nkuringo group, is one of the two gorilla families undergoing the habituation experience. The 8 members – family is led by a dominant silverback Bahati. It is situated in the Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. These include I silverback Bahati, 3 adult females, 1 blackback, I infant and I sub adult. The family is named after the site (bushaho) at which the family was first sited and is still under the habituation experience.
Bikyingi family
Bikyingi Gorilla Family is located in Rushaga sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. It was comprised of 22 newborn babies as on 10th/9/2016. The members include 9 infants, 9 adult females, 1 silverback, and two sub adults. The family was named after Bikyingi area where it was first sited before its habituation process was started. Bikyingi, the dominant silverback, leads the family. He is so unique and friendly compared to other silverbacks in other gorilla families in the region. The two families are not yet open to formal gorilla safaris as they are still undergoing habituation. Travelers interested in interacting with these families must pay 1500 USD so as to enjoy the 4 hours experience.