About UWA, the gorilla permit issuing body

UWA, which is the Uganda Wildlife Authority, is the controlling body that is in charge of all the national parks in the country, including the issuing of gorilla permits in Uganda. The Uganda Wildlife Authority is responsible for issuing, selling, and allocating gorilla permits and gorilla habituation permits in Uganda for all the habituated gorilla families that are found in Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga National Park. UWA is also in charge of regulating all national park safari activities, which include bird watching, game drives, chimpanzee trekking, golden monkey trekking, guided nature walks, sport fishing and boat cruises, among others.

Most Popular Safaris

3 Day Gorilla Trekking safari

8 day Uganda safari via Kigali

5 days gorillas and chimp safari

8 days gorilla tracking tour

19 day best of Uganda safari

15 days Uganda Rwanda safari

18 day Uganda Ultimate Safari

16 day primate game and culture

11 days gorilla tracking safari

5 days gorilla and Nile river source

17 day Uganda birding and wildlife

For one to be able to purchase a gorilla permit in Uganda, there are purchasing policies that have been put in place by UWA especially when purchasing permits for Bwindi because there are four sectors and each person is required to have an overnight stay in the sector they have been assigned and this was set up because sleeping in a different sector would cause disturbances on the morning of the trek.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has a lot of responsibilities when it comes to gorilla trekking and some of these include issuing gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks, allocation of gorilla permits, conservation of the gorillas and their natural habitat and managing the availability of the trekking permits to the different tour operators.

Mountain gorillas in Uganda can only be trekked in their natural habitat, that is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. These two are the only safari destinations in Uganda where gorilla trekking is done and all tourists have to purchase a gorilla permit to be able to participate in the exercise. Gorilla permits have to be purchased in advance because they sell out fast and there are few gorilla permits printed per day.

The cost of the gorilla permit in Uganda

The cost of the gorilla permits in Uganda includes UGX300,000 for East African citizens, $700 for foreign residents and $800 for foreign non-residents. The cost of the habituation permit is UGX750,000 for East African Citizens, $1000 for citizens from other African countries, $1000 for foreign residents and $1500 for foreign non-residents. The cost of the gorilla trekking permit in Uganda The cost of the gorilla trekking safari is a bit high because it covers numerous areas which include:

The Park entry fees: With each national park you visit, the Uganda Wildlife Authority levies park entry fees to contribute to the conservation of the parks. The cost of the gorilla permit in Uganda includes park entry fees.

The gorilla medical fund: Mountain gorillas live in the wild but just like any other wild animal, they do fall sick and require treatment. To be able to fully conserve them, a medical fund collected from the permit cost is set aside, and gorilla vet doctors periodically check on the gorillas by collecting samples to check on their health in cases where gorillas are hurt, doctors are sent out to treat them.

Security: Mountain gorilla trekking is done in vast national parks that are located in remote areas, and to ensure that the gorillas and the trekkers are safe, security personnel, in collaboration with the park rangers, provide 24/7 security to the tourists, locals living around the parks and the gorillas.

Ranger fees: Ranger and guide fees are extremely important as they accompany you on your gorilla trek. They know more about the gorilla families and the characteristics of each individual, and part of the money paid for the permit covers their salaries.

Support to the community: The community living around the National Park is part of where 20% of the permit cost goes. The money is used to support different community projects such as maintaining roads, schools and healthcare among others.

Maintenance of the Park: Part of the money collected from the permit fees is used to maintain and care for the national parks where gorilla trekking is carried out. The money helps with upgrades, fixing of the trek routes and gadgets used by the guides and armed rangers for communication.

How to book a gorilla permit through UWA and tour operators in Uganda

Booking gorilla permits through UWA should be done by tourists who are within the country and not foreign non-residents. The steps taken to book a gorilla permit through UWA and tour operators are similar, but note that if you are a foreign non-resident, it is better if you book and purchase your permit through a trusted tour operator.

First, you will need to have your trek dates ready before contacting UWA and the tour operators. Once you are sure about the trek dates, contact your tour operator with the desired dates and thereafter the operators will check for the availability of the permits with UWA and if the permits are available, you will be notified to make the necessary payments immediately because the permits sell out fast and sold to those who come first.  After meeting the minimum requirements of 12 years and above and being in good health, you will be required to send a copy of your passport with the passport number and name visible. These details are used when booking the gorilla trekking permit.

After payment of the required fees is made and the right personal details are submitted, the gorilla permit is purchased on your behalf, and a copy of the purchased permit is sent via email. You will be required to present this confirmation when you get to Uganda and on the day of the trek.

Permits can be purchased by tourists 12 years and above, and tourists in good health condition with proof of payment. Foreign non-residents can purchase up to five gorilla permits for any family member in the EAC community.

Does the gorilla permit become mine after purchase?

Yes, to an extent the permit belongs to the person who has purchased it from the time of the purchase to the day of the trek. Each permit that is printed and purchased has a unique number with your details, which shows the owner of the gorilla permit. After you get to the national park on the trek day, the permit ceases to belong to you and is taken to the Uganda Wildlife Authority offices by the park officials.

The gorilla trekking experience in Uganda

Gorilla trekking starts early morning after trekkers have had breakfast and they meet with the guides at the park headquarters for the mandatory briefing. As you attend the briefing, trackers and armed rangers will be sent out to search for the last seen location of the Mountain gorillas, and when it is found, they will communicate with the guides using a radio call, and tourists use this to find the right direction to take when trekking gorillas. During the briefing, you will be required to state any ailments or physical inabilities so that you are allocated the right gorilla family to trek. The briefing is all about trekking rules and regulations, the division of tourists into groups of 8 and the allocation of gorilla families. After everyone has been allocated a gorilla family, the trek will officially begin.

The gorilla experience cannot easily be explained and each person has to experience it on their own. Depending on the location of the gorilla families you have been assigned, the trek can between an hour to 6 hours and during this time, you will be able to spot different wildlife species including bird species, black and white colobus monkeys, Golden monkeys in Mgahinga, L’Hoest monkeys, vervet monkeys and red-tailed monkeys among others.

During the wet/rainy season, there is plenty of food for the Mountain gorillas which makes it easy to locate them. However, expect to have rainipper and muddy routes. And Itduring this period the national parks receive few visitors because of the weather conditions. Note that Uganda is in a tropical area and rains can be experienced throughout the year.

Locating the allocated gorilla family can be between 1 to 6 hours and this depends on the physical fitness of the trekking group and the location of the Mountain gorillas. Note that when the guides find that the gorillas are agitated or if there is something wrong with them, the time with the Mountain gorillas is cut short to protect the trekkers and the gorillas.

Rules for gorilla trekking in Uganda

When planning a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda, know that UWA rules are in place to ensure that the gorillas and trekkers are safe throughout the exercise. The gorilla trekking rules and regulations in Uganda that are to be followed by trekkers in both Bwindi and Mgahinga include the following:

• Feeding of the mountain gorillas is not allowed and this is because although they are habituated, they are still wild animals and have to look for their own food in case of emergencies. This rule also reduces the risk of poisoning the Mountain gorillas and when you feel like eating, this has to be done at least 300 meters from the gorillas.
• Use of flash photography when taking photos of the Mountain gorillas is forbidden and this is because the gorillas don’t like the flash and are agitated by it.
• The age limit for tracking Mountain gorillas in Uganda is 12 years because of the many rules that are to be followed and the topography of the trekking areas. It is hard for children 12 years and below to trek for hours and follow the rules.
• One hour is allowed to be with the gorillas after locating them. Once you trek and locate the gorillas, you have an hour in the presence of the Mountain gorillas.
• When you feel the need to sneeze and cough, turn away from the gorillas and sneeze into your elbow while covering your mouth and nose at the same time to avoid spreading diseases to the Mountain gorillas.
• Spitting on the vegetation during the trek and when with the Mountain gorillas is not allowed as this is seen as contaminating the food that the gorillas feed on. Tourists should assume that all the vegetation that is found within the national park is eaten by the gorillas and should not be contaminated at all times.
• Noise-making is not allowed in the wilderness when trekking the Mountain gorillas. When you make noise, you will not be able to observe the gorillas and other wildlife species found in the national parks. Avoid disturbing the forest and other wildlife species.
• Always keep a distance of 8 meters from the Mountain gorillas after you have located them. This is a conservation measure where the distance kept reduces the risk of diseases and avoids disorganizing the Mountain gorillas from their daily routine.
• When there is a need to use the toilet, request the rangers to dig a hole of about 30cm deep and cover it well beyond recognition so that the gorillas do not dig it up. There are no toilets within the national parks and this is the only option that you have as long as you do it away from the group.
• If you catch any diseases, especially communicable ones like flu and cough, please volunteer to stay behind so that you do not spread the same infections to the Mountain gorillas.
• Smoking, eating and drinking are only allowed when you are 300 meters away from the Mountain gorillas. Smole greatly affects the Mountain gorillas and this should be avoided at all times.

Where best to go for gorilla trekking in Uganda

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is best carried out in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park, both found in southwestern Uganda. Both national parks have different habituated gorilla families that are open for trekking, but one needs to first purchase a permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority.  Bwindi has four sectors where gorilla trekking is carried out and these are Ruhija, Nkuringo, Buhoma and Rushaga.

Contact us at Encounter Africa Safaris for more information about UWA and gorilla trekking in Uganda. they may be quick to locate.

During the wet season mountain gorillas feed from the slopes making it challenging to hike and locate them while during the dry season, they feed closer to the slopes.

In case they lose a battle or a family member, they go into a sad mood and retreat into hiding making it hard to locate them.

Contact us for more information.