Status of Gorilla Safaris in Uganda & Rwanda Post Lockdown
Both Uganda and Rwanda have reopened their primate parks for tourists to visit primates including the endangered mountain gorillas after more than six years under lockdown due to Covid-19. Travelers who are verified and cleared can now visit and trek mountain gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda after the two countries reopening all their national parks for tourism.
What exactly do travellers have to do to trek mountain gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda post Covid-19 lockdown?
Following the reopening of tourism activities in both Uganda and Rwanda after the Covid-19 lockdown, both countries have established some guidelines and requirements for tourist who would like to visit national parks especially those intending to trek mountain gorillas in order to control the spread of Covid-19. The requirements include;
On arrival at the airports, all incoming tourists are required to present a valid certificate with negative test results of Covid-19 taken within 72 hours before arrival. In Rwanda, visitors are retested on arrival at the airport and are required to wait for their results from gazetted areas before proceeding to their destinations. In Uganda, visitors are allowed to proceed to their tour destinations after verifying the validity of their Covid-19 result certificates though under the established standard operating procedures.
After being cleared to travel to their tour destinations, visitors are required to follow the established standard operating procedures which include maintaining social distance, wearing face masks, and to abide with the tourist guidelines at the national parks.
Are there any changes in gorilla safaris at the parks?
Nothing much has changed due to Covid-19 regarding the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking in both Uganda and Rwanda. However, trekkers are encouraged to take extra care while in the presence of gorillas and ensure that they keep the recommended distance between them and the animals in order to safeguard these endangered primates from Covid-19. Tourists are still trekking mountain gorillas in groups of 8 per gorilla group and the time spent in the presence of gorillas is still one hour as established by the management of the parks in both Uganda and Rwanda.
Changes in the prices of gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda
In a move to promote local tourism and as a consideration for the negative financial impact caused by Covid-19, Rwanda Development Board (RDB) reduced the price of a gorilla permit for both Rwandan citizens and foreign residents living in Rwanda up to the end of the year. Until December 2020, Citizens will be paying $200 for a gorilla permit to trek mountain gorillas in Rwanda while foreign residents are paying $500 for the same instead of the usual $1,500 which was uniform for both local and international tourists.
There was a baby boom among mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda during lockdown
One of the few positives in tourism during the Covid-19 lockdown was the baby boom that was reported in mountain gorilla parks in Uganda, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) reported that about 6 baby gorillas were born in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park between January and August 2020. Another baby gorilla was also reported to have been born in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park during the same period. During the “Kwita Izina”, the annual gorilla-naming ceremony in Rwanda, 24 baby gorillas were named meaning that some were definitely born during the six months of lockdown in Volcanoes National Park, the country’s home for mountain gorillas.
Increase of poaching cases in gorilla habitats during lockdown
On the sad note, the reduced monitoring and patrolling of gorillas due to the lockdown increased the exposure of animals to poachers. Uganda’s famous silverback ‘Rafiki’ was killed by poachers in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in June. According to the statement of the poacher who was arrested after the incident, they had entered the park to hunt for small animals and he killed the gorilla in self defence after he had charged at them in the forest.
Despite that unfortunate incident, the number of mountain gorillas has continued to steadily increase and the arrival of the newborns in the parks is the latest success brought about by the intensive conservation efforts undertaken by wildlife agencies and organizations to protect these elusive animals. The previous gorilla census conducted in 2018 indicated that there were about 1,063 mountain gorillas in the wild, and now that the newborns have been added, their population is expected to continue thriving.
Rwanda, Uganda, and DR Congo are the only 3 countries in the world with mountain gorillas. They live in two separate locations in these countries; in Virunga Mountains which have 3 national parks that straddle the borders of the 3 countries and in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwest Uganda. The 3 national Parks of the Virunga Mountains include Virunga National Park in DR Congo, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda.
