Two New Gorilla Groups Opened for Gorilla Tourism

Gorilla tourism is thriving in Uganda, a country with more than half of the total remaining world’s population of the mountain gorillas. The good news coming from Uganda states the number of gorilla groups open for gorilla tourism have increased in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park. The two new gorilla groups are Bukingi and Bushabo Gorilla groups located in the Rushaga Sector. The two newly habituated gorilla groups is expected to solve the problem shortage of gorilla permits – this is because gorilla permits are on a very high demand and they are booked in advance to be secure.

As part of the on-going process to increase visitor and tourist numbers at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has habituated two more groups of mountain gorillas at the Rushaga Sector, Kisoro, in Southwestern Uganda.

The opening of the two gorilla families for tourism has to increase in the number of gorilla groups that can be visited by tourists from 12 groups to 14 groups. Today, the two groups are ready for tourism – this was proven after the first group of tourists accompanied by the Uganda Wildlife officers successfully conducted a gorilla safari to the group and watched these mountain gorillas with out any harm. This is good news to tour operators who sell packaged gorilla trips and tourists who are looking to watching the mountain gorillas in the wild.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage site. The 331-square-kilometer park also provides a rich diversity in one of Africa’s richest and most dense montane and lowland forest. In addition to mountain gorillas, it is refuge to chimpanzee, forest elephant monkeys, various small antelope, 220 species of butterflies, and 348 species of birds including 23 bird species restricted to the Albertine Rift.

The habituation process of Bukingi and Bushabo Gorilla group started two years back and the process involves training gorillas to get used to human beings without changing their natural habitat. The number of visitors trekking Uganda Mountain Gorillas is expected to increase and the countries revenue. Lodges around the park will get more visitors hence increasing their revenue too.

Bwindi has 10 habituated gorilla groups, which are tracked from four trailheads. Eight permits are available for each group, giving a daily maximum of 48 permits. An addition gorilla group can be tracked on the Virunga volcanoes in the nearby mgahinga gorilla national park. Tracking the mountain gorillas takes two to eight hours depending on the location of the group.