The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has successfully habituated more 2 gorilla families in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park for tourism. In a memo sent to tour operators and the press, the two families that have been habituated for gorilla visits are; Christmas found in Nkuringo and Katwe families in Buhoma Sector. The two groups are now open for tourists interested in gorilla trekking in Bwindi.
Buhoma and Nkuringo are two of the four visitor centers in Bwindi where tourists go for gorilla trekking safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
This is good news for tourists and tour operators alike who have experienced disappointment over low availability of gorilla permits especially in the peak season due to high demand for gorilla trekking safaris. Since Rwanda increased its gorilla permits, Bwindi has been the most visited gorilla park in the world this year and some tourists who did make prior booking have been bounced off, something that is annoying. Tourists are advised to book gorilla permits in time so that such disappointments of sending away clients cannot happen anymore in the park.
With the 2 newly habituated gorilla families, the number of gorilla permits available everyday for gorilla tracking have been increased by 16. To remind you, one gorilla family is visited by a maximum number of 8 tourists. For the two families, it means 16 gorilla permits have been now added. Tourists can now book for tracking these newly habituated gorilla families through a tour operator or Uganda wildlife authority reservations desk. he increament in gorilla permits is expected to reduce on the lack of gorilla permits.
However, since gorilla tourism has been built along sustainable gorilla tourism guidelines, the park is still strict on the number of tourists visiting the park.Toursists are also encouraged to travel during the low season months incase they fail to secure the gorilla permits other than gambling by driving to the park briefing points to try out their luck. In the memo, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has also stopped reservation of gorilla permits from the tracking centres and all gorilla permit bookings are to be done at the Uganda Wildlife Authority Offices at Kampala.
The successful habituation of the two gorillas has increased the number of gorilla families that can be visited for tourism in Bwindi to 17 families in total.Therefore a total of 136 gorilla permits are available per day.
Today, Bwindi is the unrivaled gorilla trekking destination and the favorite for most travelers. With almost half of the world’s remaining gorilla population in the world, this park offers the amazing opportunity to meet the mountain gorillas in the wild. The park is also hosting the highest number of habituated mountain gorillas.
The Christmas group is a family of 9 individuals found in Nkuringo sector. This sector has been having one gorilla family but they are now two. Thanks to UWA, this shall balance gorilla tourism since Nkuringo will welcome 16 tourists per day.
The Katwe gorilla family is found in Buhoma the headquarters of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. Katwe is added to the three families making a total of 4 habituated gorilla families in the sector of Buhoma.