Gorilla Habituation in Uganda During COVID-19
Gorilla Habituation in Uganda During COVID-19: Gorilla habituation in Uganda is carried out in Bwindi impenetrable national park the home to half of the world’s mountain gorillas that can be seen when you either take part in gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation all of which are rewarding activities that will give you the chance to spend time with the gorillas observing their interesting behaviour in the wild. Bwindi impenetrable national park has four sectors namely Nkuringo, Buhoma, Ruhija and Rushaga where you can get to see the habituated gorilla families but for tourists interested in taking part in the habituation of the gorilla species, they can only visit Rushaga sector, the southern part of the park where the activity is only carried out.
It should be noted that just like other tourism destinations in the world, Uganda was also affected by the covid-19 global pandemic which led to the emergence of new safety precautions at different destinations and also a number of rules and safety precautions that tourists have to follow to be protected from covid-19 and also to protect the primates from contracting the virus since they are highly vulnerable species. With the different safety protection and compliance of the tourists when they visit the park, it has made gorilla habituation in Bwindi during covid-19 one of the most sought after activity because of its safety and a number of rewarding experiences.
Safety precaution during gorilla habituation covid-19
- Regular sanitizing is emphasized to avoid the spread of covid-19 this is because tourists can get in contact with a number of contaminated surfaces that can easily spread the virus but with regular sanitising t will minimise the risk of spreading the virus to the tourists and the primates.
- Maintaining social distance is also encouraged during gorilla habituation because it a form of avoid the easy spread of the virus
- Regular disinfection of surfaces that are regularly touched by tourists should also be emphasized to avoid the spread of covid-19. It should be noted that the virus is believed to live up to 12 hours on surfaces and this can be a threat to the primates in case you don’t disinfect because it can lead to the exposure of the primates to the virus.
- Regular use of a mask should be emphasized during gorilla habituation in Uganda during covid-19. It should be noted that the primates are highly vulnerable species that can contract any disease and because covi-19 is airborne it is safe for tourists to put on their masks to avoid any incidents. These and other safety precautions like avoiding the touching of facial openings, limiting of the number of people that take part in the activity have also helped to avoid the spread of the virus to the tourists and the primates.
Price of a gorilla habituation permit
It should be noted that gorilla habituation is quite different from gorilla trekking which involves tourist observing and taking part n the training of the mountain gorillas to get used to human presence which takes four hours daily training the gorillas and therefore making the gorilla habituation permit a bit pricey compared to gorilla trekking permit. For tourists interested in the activity, you can acquire a gorilla habituation permit from the Uganda wildlife authority or from a trusted tour operator or tour guide at a fee of 1500USD.
Guidelines for gorilla habituation
- While taking part in the activity, it is advisable that you follow the lead of the guide who will take you through the safe routes of the park in order to get the habitued families safely. it should be noted that the park is a home to a number of wild animals that can easliy attack you in case you wander around.
- When you get to the habituated gorilla family, you should avoid smoking in the presence of the primates because exposure of the primates to the smoke can cause a number of diseases like respiratory failure, lung cancer, and pneumonia among other diseases this is because the primates are highly vulnerable species.
- Unnecessary noise in the park during gorilla habituation in Bwindi Impenetrable national park during covid-19 park will trigger the mountain gorillas as threats which can lead to fatal attacks
- Covid-19 is believed to be transmitted through air an also through droplets of an infected person coming in contact with the eyes, mouth of a healthy person therefore eating in the presence of the gorillas should be avoid because it can lead to the spread of the virus among the primates in case the tourist had just got the virus
Packing list during gorilla habituation in Uganda
- A Camera should be packed if you’re interested in capturing beautiful moments of the gorillas taking part in the habituation process. This will give you the chance to capture authentic moments of the gorillas’ reactions to the different training sessions while in the wild.
- A Rain coat during gorilla habituation should be packed because the weather in the park is quite unpredictable in a way that it can rain during the dry season which can hinder your movements in the park but with a rain coat it will ensure that you carry on with your activity without any hindrances.
- Long sleeved shirts and trousers should also be packed to avoid being scratched by tree branches and being pricked by nettles which can make your activity quite uncomfortable.
- Hiking boots for easy mobility while in the park should also be considered because the park tends to get slippery during the rainy season and also because of the fact that it is characterized with a number of drainage features which makes it impenetrable without comfortable hiking boots.
- Insect repellent should also be carried because the park is a habitat to a number of disease-spreading insects that can make your activity quite discomforting in case of their bites. Some of the insects include mosquitoes, tsetse flies and black flies among other insects that can cause irritation with their bites.
