Safety during gorilla trekking in Uganda : The different safety measure to be followed during gorilla trekking in Uganda are the rules and regulations put in place to ensure safety of both the gorillas and tourists as they visit the gorillas in their natural habitat.
These rules and regulations put in place for gorilla trekking experiences in Uganda are put in place by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) which manages the national parks where gorillas can be seen in the country such as Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga national park.
To ensure a safe experience for both the mountain gorillas and the tourists as they take part in the gorilla trekking activity in Uganda it is important to follow the rules set aside by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
The gorilla trekking experience in Uganda can be done in Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park and tourists enjoy spending time with the gorillas in their natural habitat and observing their behavior.
Some of the safety measures put in place to be followed during gorilla trekking tours in Uganda includes the following;
- Medical checks prior to the gorilla trek
Before visiting the mountain gorillas of Uganda, tourists are encouraged to do medical checkups to ensure they do not affect the gorillas with any diseases such as flu.
This helps to keep the gorillas safe since the tourists who are sick are not allowed to visit the gorillas in their natural habitat.
- Following the age restrictions
Another safety measure put in place to be followed during gorilla trekking experiences in Uganda is that children below the age of 15 years are not allowed to engage in the activity.
Tourists are required to present forms of identification such as passports for foreigners or national IDs for East African citizens to verify the age of the visitors before they are allowed to engage in the gorilla trekking experience.
The children below the required age for gorilla trekking in Uganda can take part in other activities such as guided nature walks, bird watching and community tours as they visit Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park.
- Issuing limited gorilla permits daily
A limited number of gorilla permits are issued daily for visits to the gorilla families in Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park.
This helps to avoid overcrowding the gorillas in their natural habitat since only 8 people are allowed to visit 1 gorilla family daily during gorilla tours in Uganda. It is for this reason that tourists are advised to book their gorilla permits in advance to avoid missing out on the activity.
The gorilla permits in Uganda cost 800 USD for foreign nonresidents, 700 USD for foreign nonresidents and 300,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens visiting Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park.
- Attending gorilla trekking briefing
Tourists are also expected to attend a briefing on gorilla trekking at the park headquarters when visiting Uganda.
The briefing on gorilla trekking is done by park officials and information about rules and regulations to be followed during the activity is provided and tourists are also informed about safety precautions to follow as they visit the gorillas in their natural habitat.
In Bwindi national park, briefing on gorilla trekking is done across the different park headquarters in the sectors such as Buhoma, Rushaga, Nkuringo and Ruhija.
- Maintaining a safe distance from the gorillas
Tourists are encouraged to keep a distance of about 7 meters from the mountain gorillas during the gorilla trekking experience in Uganda.
By keeping the distance between tourists and gorillas, the activity is done safely and there is no contact with the gorillas which keeps them safe from any diseases.
- No eating in presence of the gorillas
When visiting the gorillas in their natural habitat, tourists are discouraged from eating in the presence of the gorillas.
This helps to keep the gorillas safe by not interfering with their feeding habitats since they rely on the forest for survival.
- No use of flash photography
The use of flash photography is also discouraged during gorilla trekking tours in Uganda and this helps to avoid scaring away the gorillas and tourists can still enjoy taking photos of the gorillas after finding them in the forest.
- Avoiding noise
Another rule put in place for safety of tourists during gorilla trekking experiences in Uganda is avoiding noise.
This ensures that the gorillas are not scared away by the noise making it easier to see them and also avoids any potential threats caused by making noise when searching for the gorillas in their natural habitat in Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park.
- Staying with the group when exploring the forests
Tourists are divided into groups of 8 to search for the gorillas in their natural habitat and for safety purposes; they are encouraged to stay with the group when engage in the gorilla trek.
This is because the forests are dense and the ranger guides who lead the way are knowledgeable of trails to follow making it safe to engage in the gorilla trekking activity.
- Trekking with ranger guides
Gorilla trekking experiences in Uganda are done with ranger guides who ensure tourists are safe during the activity.
The ranger guides are also armed to protect tourists during their search for the gorillas in their natural habitat and also knowledgeable about the gorillas and their behavior and the routes to follow. The rangers are assisted by trackers who also help with the gorilla trekking experience.
- Wearing right clothing for the gorilla trek
Packing the right equipment and wearing the right clothing is also important to ensure a successful gorilla trekking experience in Uganda.
Some of the clothing to wear for the gorilla trekking experience in Uganda includes long sleeved shirts, long trousers, sun glasses, good hiking shoes, rain jackets, garden gloves, long socks and tourists can also pack enough drinking water and energy giving snacks for their gorilla trek.
Tourists are also provided with trekking poles to assist them during the gorilla trekking experience in Uganda.
