All national parks in Uganda have rules and regulations governing them. All travelers are advised to read, understand and adhere to the rules and regulations of respective parks if they are o have a memorable and enjoyable stay in the Pearl of Africa. These rules are put to promote wildlife conservation and ensure the safety of both travelers and wild animals in their natural habitats promoting sustainable tourism in the Pearl of Africa. These rules apply before entering the park, during your stay in the park and when in the presence of animals. If you are trekking to see mountain gorillas in Bwindi Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks, gorilla trekking rules and regulations are given during the pre gorilla trekking briefing. The rules and regulations of national parks in Uganda include:
Park Rules & Regulations
1. Retain all official receipts for inspection
2. Do not camp or make campfires except at designated
3. Do not litter in the park
4. Do not drive off the tracks
5. Don not bring dogs or other pets into the park
6. Do not pick flowers or any plant in the national park
7. Do not use sounding motor horns which disturb animals
8. Do not drive beyond 40 kilometers
9. Driving in the park must be between 7:00am and 7:00pm
10. Do not use firearms in the park
Gorilla trekking rules and regulations
If you are visiting to trek gorillas in Bwindi Forest or Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks, there are special rules and regulations, which you must follow. These are meant to protect the endangered mountain gorillas, conserving them for future generations. The rules and regulations of gorilla trekking are divided into two as follows:
Gorilla Trekking Rules before you set out
• Do not visit the gorillas when sick of cold of flu. Mountain gorillas share 99.9% of human genes, which make them susceptible to human illnesses especially the communicable diseases.
• Minimum age to trek gorillas is 15 years. All children aged below 15 years are not allowed to trek gorillas. However, if a child is almost celebrating his/her 15th birthday, the parents write a consent letter to Uganda Wildlife Authority, asking permission for their children to trek gorillas. They however take full responsibility for anything that happens to a child during gorilla trekking.
• Do not litter in the park If you want to ease yourself, the human waste must be buried 30cm deep to keep the natural environment clean and fresh.
• Each gorilla family is visited by a group of eight travelers maximum or less
• If you are doing gorilla habituation, only four people are allowed to visit a gorilla family
• Keep within your groups, do not move alone in the jungle
Rules and Regulations when you are with the gorillas
1. Keep a distance of seven meters away from the gorillas. This is to prevent the spread of human-wildlife diseases.
2. Do no eat in the presence of the gorillas
3. Do not smoke in the presence of gorillas
4. Do not drink while with the gorillas
5. Do not use a flashlight camera
6. The time to spend with gorilla is strictly 1 hour
7. Do not touch the gorillas
8. Do not run when a gorilla charges
9. Do not look direct into the eyes of the gorillas
10. Speak at a low tone voice
11. Turn back your faces when sneezing or squeezing.
Make sure you follow the cautions of park rangers with whom you go for gorilla trekking. The dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking are similar to those of chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National park and other chimpanzee habitats in Uganda
Other useful information to know when visiting Uganda National Parks are:
• Park entrance fees are valid for 2 hours. Beyond this, a traveler is asked to pay again for another day
• Must carry identification documents for clarification. Any client without clear documents may be denied access to the park
• The only currencies accepted for park entrance and park activities are US Dollars or Uganda Shillings. No other currency is accepted
• Tourist activities in the park such as lunch cruising, lion tracking are paid separate from Park entrance fee
• Children below 5 years are exempt t pay park entrance fees
NOTE: all tariffs in Uganda are set by Uganda Wildlife Authority and are subject to change without prior notice.
