Comparing Gorilla Habituation Vs Gorilla Trekking Experience:
Do you know the difference between Gorilla Habituation vs Gorilla Trekking? Find the comparison for gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation in Bwindi.
Gorilla Habituation vs Gorilla Trek are both Adventurous activities carried out from the natural habitats of gorillas ,offering deep and unique insights into the lives of the giant primate species, Mountain gorillas.
Gorilla Habituation vs Gorilla Trek differ in terms of costs and standard time offered to enjoy them, depth of interaction , number of participants and the overall experience.
Rwanda Exclusively Offers Gorilla Trekking and Uganda Offers Both Trekking and Habituation Experiences in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Understanding Gorilla Habituation vs Gorilla Trek Adventures.
Gorilla Trekking is a well-established and a very popular activity carried out in different habitats of the gorillas.
Gorilla trekking activity is famously carried out in Volcanoes national park of Rwanda , Bwindi impenetrable National park and Mgahinga National park of Uganda.
Gorilla trekking Experience;
It involves a group of eight or less individual tourists, taking trails into the dense tropical forests ,accompanied by an experienced park guide, an armed park ranger and porters.
The group tracks down a specific assigned habituated gorilla family for a limited time and when they encounter it, they spend a standard time of 1hour observing it going about its daily activities in its habitat.
What to expect from a gorilla Trek.
A gorilla trek can last anywhere from 30minutes to a couple of hours depending on the location of the assigned habituated gorilla family.
Trackers spend a standard timeof1hour with the gorillas in their habitats observing them as they interact, play, feed, groom and relax.
Each group is always limited to a visit of 8 individual people in a day to ensure less minimal impact to the gorilla behaviors and habitats.
A gorilla permit of Rwanda costs USD 1,500 per person and a Uganda gorilla permit cost USD 700 all only issued by the government wildlife Authority.
Highlights of a Gorilla trek;
Encountering with the mountain gorilla in their natural habitats.
Trekking through dense tropical forests and hiking rugged mountainous terrains.
An experience knowledgeable guide giving deep insights into the behaviors and life of that particular habituated gorilla family members.
Gorilla Habituation
Gorilla habituation experience is only carried out in one of the four sectors of Bwindi Impenetrable national park called Rushaga Sector in Uganda.
It was introduced by Uganda Wildlife-authority in 2014 as a new tour package to help the endangered mountain gorillas get wildlife familiarity in the presence of humans.
A gorilla habituation of a specific gorilla group lasts for a period of approximately 2-3years depending on the behavioral manner of different gorillas in that group.
Gorilla habituation experience offers a more deeper and extended encounter with gorillas. It was specifically designed for wildlife enthusiasts who wished to spend more time the giant primates compared to the standard 1hour offered for a gorilla trekking experience.
Gorilla habituation lasts for at least 4hours offering a tourist deep insights, a more comprehensive observation of the lives of the gorillas.
This experience Is used as a tool by conservationists and researchers to gather facts about these species which they use accordingly to ensure safety and health of of the gorillas.
A gorilla habituation experience is only limited to a group of 4tourists to ensure a more exclusive and less interrupted experience.
The activity is carried out in presence an experienced knowledgeable park guide to offer visitors with further deep insights for example about the animal behavioral, diet, breeding, habitats, behavioral manner , among others.
A gorilla habituation permit costs USD 1,500 per individual.
A Gorilla Trek in Rwanda Vs a Gorilla Habituation in Bwindi; which one is Best?
There are some factors that a tourist might consider when choosing between Gorilla Habituation Vs Gorilla Trek experiences and these include;
Time:
A gorilla trekking experience is an ideal choice for those tourists with a limited time maybe in the country but they would still wish to experience the thrill of encountering the mountain gorillas in their habitats.
The shorter duration of gorilla trekking makes it more desirable and accessible by a wide range of tourists who have got limited time.
On the other hand, a gorilla habituation experience is a perfect choice for wildlife enthusiasts such as tourists very much interested in primates, researchers and conservationists. The extended period for the experiences offers deep understanding of the gorillas and their natural habitats.
Physical Fitness:
Both Adventurous activities are physically demanding requiring at least a minimal level level of fitness as they involve maneuvering through different rugged terrains which include hiking the steep slopes, going over muddy slippery trails especially during wet days for a couple of time.
Budget:
The activities are priced differently in Uganda with a gorilla habituation experience being extremely more expensive than a gorilla trek.
Therefore a tourists can decide to opt for one of the two mostly depending on their personal interests and expectations.
Conservation impact:
Both the activities play a significant role in the conservation of mountain gorillas as most of the fees collected from permits are reinvested into conservation projects and community development projects.
Top 3 Reasons why Gorilla Habituation Vs Gorilla Trek Experience
More time spent with the gorillas:
A gorilla habituation experience typically offers more time compared to a regular gorilla trek.
This time allows you to fully get immersed in the lives of these species and their habitat. It draws you very close to nature through observations and close interactions, observing them going about their daily life adventures for a couple of hours, offers you deep insights in their lives.
A standard gorilla trek can last between 3-5hours but the time spent when you encounter the gorillas is only limited to 1hour.
while a gorilla habituation experiences offers a tourist 4 good hours of observations and interactions with these giant primate species.
The 4 hours spent on a gorilla habituation experience are exclusive of the hours spent trekking to their natural habitats.
Therefore, a gorilla habituation experience can last at least between 7-9hours of a day.
It is important to note with all these hours spent on the Gorilla Habituation Experience, wildlife enthusiasts have no complaint about them because they are driven by their personal interests, passion, the love for adventure to embark on this kind of experience.
Fewer participants:
Some tourists will value the fact that Gorilla Habituation Experience takes in a few people to a specific habituated gorilla family compared to a regular trek. A standard gorilla trek assigns 8 individuals to each gorilla family, inclusive of a park guide, armed ranger and porters which is relatively a bigger group going to encounter one gorilla family.
While a gorilla habituation is half of those people, it avails participants with enough space for uninterrupted views, good camera angles, enough room for questions and answers, enough room for interactions offering tourists a lifetime enhanced experience.
Learning about mountain gorillas
Gorilla habituation experience is beyond the basics of gorilla trekking as it is more of participation than observation. It is more like a wildlife education tour package designed to give knowledge to those seeking it about the endangered mountain gorilla by availing them with deep insights into the lives of these primate species.
During the experience, you get a privilege of becoming part of the gorilla family , you observe them going about their daily activities in their habitats up close.
Matter of fact, you are accompanied by experienced researchers and conservationists who avail you with facts about gorilla behavioral-ways, their diet, feeding, breeding, nesting, habitat among others.
You have enough room to enrich your understanding about these species for example by asking as much questions as you wish so that you are full immersed in the lives of the gorillas.