Is gorilla trekking in Uganda safe!!!!!!! When one thinks of a gorilla trip, safety becomes an area of concern! But the truth is that this primate adventure is indeed a wonderful one and remarkably a lifetime experience that any traveler needs not to miss to take part while on safari in Africa. Mountain gorillas is one of the great source of income to the government of Uganda, eight visitors are allocated per group each paying US$600 for a permit to increase to US$700 as of 1ST JULY 2020, and four visitors for habituation experience each person paying US$1500 per trek.
Given the fact that the sector contributes a lot to the national GDP a number of prevention measures have been developed by the government with the regulatory body in the country and due to its safety for the last 30 years we are able to say that gorilla tracking in Uganda is safe. Among the safety precautions that have been availed can be described as below for your safety upon your adventure within and outside the jungle in Uganda.
First, to ensure that visitors are safe while on actual trek, there are set rules and regulations that every trekker must observe at all times and these are briefed to visitors before they depart in search of their assigned habituated gorilla family.
Gorilla families to be visited are habituated to human standards which means they can be tracked safely in their natural habitat without any harm caused to human. The process takes between 2-3 years which makes it safe as these primates will have been trained to adhere and relate to human beings once you encroach them in their natural habitat.
Armed park rangers have been as well provided to visitors whereby each group undertaking this experience is assigned to armed rangers due to a variety of primates in the forest. There a number of un habituated gorillas, chimpanzees and other forest primates thus these rangers will offer enough protection from any encroachment upon your safety in the jungle.
Amidst armed park ranger guides is tourism police which was introduced by the government with measures of preventing any human encroachment to tourists and life of the protected primates in the jungle. The tourist police patrol the entire communities around the park day and night and are placed in all parts of the country. They at times camp within the forest to ensure that there no rebels or criminals are hiding in the jungle thus once you encounter them never be scared as they are as well providing safety within the region.
Is gorilla trekking in Uganda safe amidst neighboring communities?
Neighboring communities have as well been sensitized on how to handle travelers and thus different community projects have been developed to benefit from the industry and more so from the money collected from permits 20% is diverted to promote the lively hood of the natives to ensure that there is improvement in their standards of living and access to services.
Far more your safety with local tour operators is paramount since they as well also benefit from the tourists visiting the mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla forest national park. Therefore with our clients rate on our trip advisor and safari booking you need not to book with any tour operator as we are recognized in the industry and highly recommended to ensure that your planned trip goes on well without fraud.
So far, Uganda Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park as well as Rwanda Volcanoes National Park are very safe destinations unlike the DR Congo which is still recovering from insecurities.