Gorilla habituation can only be done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda.
Gorilla habituation permits for habituation cost $1500 per person.
The activity was introduced to Uganda on the 1st of January 2014, and this gives clients an opportunity to spend 4 hours with the great apes, unlike gorilla trekking, which takes only 1 hour.
It can easily be accessed via Kigali to Bwindi gorilla trekking tours.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park consists of four regions: Ruhija sector, Buhoma sector, Nkuringo sector, and Rushaga sector.
Gorilla habituation can be done in the Rushaga sector of the park, where two gorilla families are undergoing the habituation process.
The challenge of gorilla habituation is that the gorillas can sometimes behave in an unpredictable manner because they are not used to human presence.
Researchers and rangers observe each individual in the group daily and later give them names based on their behaviors and personalities.
After habituation, the gorillas undergo a mock exercise, and if they pass, they are opened for trekking.
The mock exercise involves researchers and rangers being joined by other people to trek mountain gorillas.
The gorilla families being habituated in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi National Park are the Bikingi and Bishaho gorilla families.
Mountain gorillas live in high elevations, so tourists will need to be physically fit to trek or participate in gorilla habituation.
Tourists should come prepared with waterproof hiking boots, garden gloves, plenty of drinking water, energy snacks, sunscreen, insect repellents, and long-sleeved clothes.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park has four sectors: Nkuringo sector, Ruhija sector, Buhoma sector, and Rushaga sector for gorilla habituation.
Therefore, you should book accommodation in the Rushaga or Nkuringo sectors of Bwindi when going for gorilla habituation.
