Two new gorilla groups have been habituated for gorilla tourism in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. These two groups that have been undergoing the mandatory habituation process are now available and open to tourists who would like to meet the mountain gorillas in the wild of Bwindi.
The news for the habituation has been well received by tour operators organising gorilla safaris in Uganda given the high demand for the gorilla permits most especially in the peak months of June to September and December to March.
The two new families of mountain gorillas that have been habituated for tourism are within the popular Nkuringo Sector in the South of the park. The groups have been established by the Uganda Wildlife Authority as Bushaho and Bikingi that are named for their home ranges and contain some individuals from previously habituated groups.
Both groups were led by former Nkuringo group silverbacks, Bahati and Bikingi. There are 8 babies between these two groups (6 in Bikingi and 2 in Bushaho)!
Now that the two groups have been fully habituated for tourism and added into the Uganda Wildlife Authority gorilla permit database, the total number of gorilla families in all four regions of the Bwindi Impenetrale Forest has now increased to 12 families. This means that there are more gorilla permits readily available for tourists leading to a total of 96 gorilla permits in Bwindi and 8 gorilla permits for Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Therefore if you are planning a gorilla trekking safari, look no further than Bwindi National Park, a haven for almost half of the world’s remnant population of the mountain gorillas.
The Habituation Process
The gorilla habituation allows veterinarians to visit the groups regularly so that they can become used to human prescence. The process takes between 2 to 4 years and it becomes easier if the gorilla family used to live in a formely habituated family. During the process, the veterinary doctors also known as “Gorilla Doctors” closely monitor them for any sign of illness or injury – and intervene to save a life when it is necessary.
The process also allows the rangers to monitor the group on a daily basis and report a gorilla who has become caught in a poacher’s snare so that veterinarians can intervene and administer the necessary treatment immediately.