Gorilla Tracking Permits in Uganda
-International Tourists pay USD 800.
-East African Residents pay USD 700
It’s advisable to book gorilla permits well in advance prior to your visit.
Booking for all gorilla permits in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park is done at the Uganda Wildlife Authority Headquarters in Kampala : http://www.ugandawildlife.org. You can also contact a local Tour Operator for assistance.
How to Book Gorilla Permits
To track/ trek the endangered Mountain Gorillas, you need to obtain a valid gorilla permit as a pass to trek the Gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National park. Prior, the Uganda Wildlife Authority used to allocate gorilla permits on a first come first served basis and her one had a choice to buy permits which belonged to any Gorilla family of his/her preference. In case you wanted to track the Rushaga and the Rushegura family located in Buhoma region of Bwindi Impenetrable national park, you he would go to Uganda Wildlife Authority and purchase a gorilla permit for that particular Gorilla family.
Allocation of Gorilla Permits/ Gorilla Permit allocation
During the time 2014 to Uganda Wildlife Authority began issuing out Gorilla permits not on a basis of gorilla families. The National park of Bwindi has four regions and each region has got different gorilla families which include; Buhoma in the North of Bwindi, Ruhija in the East of Bwindi, Rushaga and Nkuringo in the south of Bwindi Impenetrable National park. You will need to choose the region and you will be given a permit.
What happens at Bwindi during Gorilla trekking
After you have arrived at Bwindi Impenetrable National park on the day of gorilla trekking, you will be allocated to a gorilla family depending on your physical fitness and interest. The interests include trekking a given gorilla family of your choice and if there is space, they will have you in that group. You may wish to trek your friends on families whom you came with. This is possible if there is space and you may wish to have, medium or hard trek and depending on availability they will allocate you accordingly.
Some of the regions to track/trek gorillas
Some of the most interesting regions to tack gorillas are Bwindi in the North of Bwindi Impenetrable National park and this is the most preferred region that has three gorilla families which include; Mubare Gorilla group which has the first gorilla family to be habituated, Rushegura Family and the Habinyanja, Ruhija Region of Bwindi National Park and has three families which include Butura,Oruzongo and Kyaguriro, Rushaga region in the south of Bwindi, Kahungye gorilla family, Nshongi Gorilla group, Mishaya gorilla family, Busingye Gorilla group and the Bweza gorilla family. Nkuringo region in the south still has one of the gorilla family called Nkuringo. Most genuine tour companies will book for our clients, advice on availability of permits and which region one should choose depending on your interest.
Food of the mountain Gorillas
The food of the endangered mountain Gorillas usually depends on their habitat during the time of the year. They mainly usually feed on green plants as opposed to the low land Gorillas which eat a lot of fruit. In the dry seasons only a few juicy fruits are available and so the animals have to eat more seeds and tree bark instead. Usually the fruits grow on trees; gorillas of all ages climb these trees to harvest them. Although western Gorillas eat a higher percentage of fruit than leaves, stems, pith and shoots; they still eat markedly less fruit than do chimpanzees and orangutans. However the food range of the western gorillas is a broad since they eat about 200 plant species and they particularly like plants belonging to the ginger and arrowroot families. In the contrast, the mountain Gorillas in the Virunga Volcanoes eat only 38 different species mainly Gallium, thistles, celery and nettles. Gorillas do not kill big animals; they just regularly eat small animals which constitutes far less than 0.1% of their food.