In Uganda, mountain gorillas are found in both Bwindi impenetrable forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National park. Bwindi Forest alone hosts 420 of the 900 mountain gorillas left in the whole world.
Gorilla tourism is a great winner to the development of tourism and conservation of the endangered mountain gorillas. Today Bwindi is a great place to track the endangered mountain gorillas – there are 14 habituated gorilla groups in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and these include Mishaya, Bweza, Nshongi, Nkuringo, Habinyanja group, Rushegura group, Mubare, Oruzogo, Bitukura, Kahunje, Bushaya and the newly habituated groups known as Bihingi and Rushaho.
On the other hand, Mgahinga Gorilla National park protects only one gorilla group known as Nyakagezi however, it is a mobile group which sometimes cross to Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Within Africa, in the 1970s, many conservation projects were failed by the local communities; national parks, forest reserves were encroached upon and many acres of land were lost! This scenario was the same with Uganda! Degradation of natural resources was witnessed – animals hunted, locals settled on forest land and more. Though this happened in many areas, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Park are one of the few places that have faced less resistance from the local communities and this is largely due to gorilla tourism which was developed basing on the guidelines of ecotourism.
The local communities around Bwindi and Mgahinga national park are dominated by the Batwa, Bafumbira, Bakiga and some few Bakonjo among others.
These people have contributed both positively and negatively in promoting Gorilla tourism in Uganda;
Conservation Activities;
Some residents are participating in conservation activities that have helped in protecting the gorillas. There are several community based organizations that have been started. The locals participate in activities such as reafforestation programmes. The locals have also helped in reporting sick gorillas, reporting poachers and so on.
Tourism Programme;
Some locals have been employed in guiding tourists taking tours within and outside the parks. All gorilla tours are guided by locals given that they have vast knowledge about the area. These locals were first trained by the Uganda Wildlife Authority so that they can be in position to guide international tourists.
Residents do entertain tourists in terms of music, dance and drama. After gorilla trekking in the morning, tourists relax with afternoon music performed by the Batwa people.
Residents make art and craft materials from local materials. Such crafts are sold to tourists.
Residents plant food stuffs that feed visitors in Bwindi impenetrable forest and Mgahinga forest.
Some local residents work in lodges as cleaners, guards, cooks among others.
Residents in Bwindi and Kisoro do accommodate tourists outside the parks. Some Lodges outside the parks are owned by local residents.
It has been reported that after the local communities realising benefits from gorilla tourism, poaching activities have greatly reduced in Bwindi Forest and Mgahinga National Park. Local communities share the profits from gorilla tourism in form of services like clean water, health centres, and schools among others.
On the other hand, residents near the parks have also contributed negatively to the development of Gorilla tourism in Uganda; some part of Bwindi forest is settled by the Batwa which has interrupted the well-being of Gorillas. The batwa set fire when cooking, cut trees for firewood and they clear some bushes to get space for settlement. The encroachment of Bwata in the forest has forced gorillas to extend in far areas inside the forest which makes trekking complicated.
Residents near the parks sometimes set snares/ traps while hunting but unfortunately, some gorilla are also trapped leading to death of some gorillas.
There are still a few instances where some local residents deliberately kill gorillas claiming that, gorillas are a threat to their lives of people.
Residents around the park collect fire wood from Bwindi and Mghinga forest which interrupt with the natural habitat of Gorillas.
Some residents do hunt animals from the forest.
Residents around the parks depend on the fruits from the forest. Such fruits would have been eaten by Gorillas for their survival.