Gorilla trekking in Uganda is the most superb wildlife experience that all travelers from all over the world desire to have. All tourists intending to have a gorilla safari in Uganda must possess a gorilla permit to allow them to track the Gorillas on the intended date.
In Uganda, gorillas can only be tracked in the Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga national park, which are homes of over 500 mountain gorillas, nearly half of the world’s remaining total population of these gentle apes. However, there is still a lot of demand for Uganda’s gorilla permits than the available ones causing their scarcity. Uganda is the first target for all gorilla trekkers all over the world and so the demand for gorilla permits has risen beyond the capacity to cover up the prospective visitors.
Chance of seeing Gorillas
There is a 98% chance of seeing the gorillas in the wild. 2% is left out because the mountain gorillas are nomadic animals that keep moving from one place to another. Therefore on a fateful day of tracking, the gorillas may be hiding in the very far forests hence not seeing them and also it might rain so heavily in that the forest is inaccessible. However, chances are very high in Uganda due to the high number of habituated gorilla families in Bwindi. Travelers all over the world find Uganda more secure to see the Gorillas with many Gorillas compared to any other parts of the world. This results in a high demand for permits causing scarcity of the Gorilla permits.
The abrupt increase of Rwanda’s gorilla permits
In the urge to make Rwanda a luxury destination, a gorilla permit was double raised from $750 to $1500 which made it difficult to afford the abrupt double increment by most of the midrange and budget travelers. Uganda’s permits remained at only $600 which is much less than the cost in Rwanda and yet you get a similar experience for the Gorillas. Most budget and midrange travelers find it easy to track the Gorillas in Uganda than Rwanda where the cost of a permit is almost 3 times the cost of a Ugandan Gorilla permit.
The high number of Gorilla habituated families
Uganda has a total number of 20 habituated mountain Gorillas in Bwindi and one of those families lives in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The high number of habituated Gorilla families makes it gives some level of confidence to trekkers with a high chance of seeing the Gorillas. So many traveler see Uganda as the best place to go gorilla safaris as there are high chances of meeting the gorillas when in the forest.
Insecurity in D. R. Congo
The political instability in DR. Congo also contributes to the high demand for gorilla permits in Uganda leading to scarcity. Travelers are so conscious about their safety and wouldn’t want to be in a country where their lives are in danger. They, therefore, find Uganda more secure than the rest of the countries though these countries have also stabilized. Despite Congo having the cheapest gorilla permit at only $400, gorilla trekking is not so active as due to the continued kidnaps and killings of the game rangers by an unknown group of rebels.
A limited number of people to see a Group of Gorillas
A group of only 8 people is allowed to visit a gorilla family per day. This is meant to conserve these endangered apes and to avoid stressing them which would make them feel threatened. 8 people per group means is a small number yet the number of people that wish to do this activity is overwhelming each day. This number, however, cannot be changed due to conservation purposes by Uganda Wildlife Authority
Easy access to Bwindi National Park near Kigali airport
Most travelers that have limited time for gorilla tracking access Uganda through Kigali which is very close to Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks hence making gorilla trekking trips rather short and more affordable in Uganda. This also greatly contributes to the high demand for Gorilla trekking permits resulting in scarcity. The easy accessibility of gorilla homes of Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks from both entries in Uganda’s Entebbe airport and Rwanda’s Kigali airport. From Kampala to Bwindi, it’s an 8-hour’ drive-by road, however, trekkers that don’t wish to behold the adventurous secrets of Uganda by road can also take a chartered flight to one of the nearest airstrips in Kisoro or Kanungu districts.
Conclusion
The demand for permits is overwhelming in Uganda each day as more travelers seek to have this experience in the impenetrable fires. We recommend booking your permits months before your travel date and have an eye to eye contact with the largest primate in the world.
