How Many People Go for the Gorillas Every Day?

How Many People Go for the Gorillas Every day? – Unveiling Uganda’s Prized Wildlife Heritage

How many people go for the Gorillas every day? – Uganda, often referred to as the Pearl of Africa, stands proudly as one of Africa’s premier tourism destinations. It is home to nearly half of the world’s total population of endangered Mountain Gorillas. The allure of Uganda lies in its prime destination for Gorilla tracking, housed in the majestic Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Nestled in the extreme southwestern corner of the country, at the tip of the Albertine Rift, these National Parks collectively form the expansive Bwindi-Mgahinga Conservation Area.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, the larger of the two, spans approximately 331 square kilometers and is divided into four major Gorilla tracking regions. These regions, namely Buhoma sector in the north, Ruhija sector in the east, and Rushaga and Nkuringo in the south, each host a rich diversity of habituated Gorilla families, open for tracking every day.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, the smallest in Uganda, is part of the extensive Virunga Conservation Area, along with Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Despite its size, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to the Nyakagezi habituated Gorilla family, comprised of 10 members, available for trekking on a daily basis. However, the mountain Gorilla tracking activity in Uganda is carefully regulated, allowing a maximum of 8 individuals to visit each Gorilla family per day.

Gorilla tracking permits, allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, are essential for travelers, granting access to the enchanting world of Gorillas. These permits, exclusively issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority, the governmental body responsible for conserving and preserving protected areas in Uganda, can also be secured through the assistance of Trek Africa Expeditions.

Each Gorilla permit provides a day of tracking, spanning 1-9 hours, depending on the time required to locate the designated Gorilla family. Within the permitted time, visitors can spend a maximum of 1 hour engaging in photography and observation. Due to high demand, especially during peak seasons from June to October and December to February, advance booking is paramount for securing Uganda Gorilla permits.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park boasts a remarkable population of over 550 Mountain Gorillas, surpassing any other Gorilla destination globally. With 19 habituated Gorilla families available for daily visits, a total of 144 individuals engage in Gorilla tracking across the four sectors of Bwindi Forest each day. Meanwhile, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park welcomes 8 visitors daily to the Nyakagezi habituated Gorilla family, bringing the grand total of daily Gorilla trackers in Uganda to 152 individuals.