Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has increased Mountain Gorilla Tracking Fees come next year. For the past few years, Gorilla Tracking Permissions have been at $600 for foreigners as well as $450 for Foreign East African Residents.
However starting 1st July 2020, for one to see these critically endangered species in the two national parks of Bwindi Forest and Mgahinga would require a bulging quote of $700. There are reports this website has received that Park entrance fees have also been raised, with the new tariffs to be published here in the due course.
The trail of increase in the Gorilla tracking fees follows that of Rwanda, a neighboring country that doubled their initial $750 tracking prices to $1500 even to local citizens. The prices of tracking Gorillas in DR Congo remain at$400.
Meanwhile, the increment of just $100 has been welcomed by many including conservationists, hailing it as a brilliant move to keep demand for the activity in Uganda at peak levels.
What are Mountain Gorillas?
The Mountain Gorillas are one of a few creatures world widely known to be on the verge of extinction, only found in the neighboring countries of Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo and more interesting, in almost the same geographical region.
According to the last census, only 1005 individuals remain.
They are the star tourist attraction of Uganda that boasts of harboring more than half of them, with only Bwindi Impenetrable National Park estimated to be a home to over 510 individuals.
These are grouped into 18 habituated families (groups) that are distributed into four tracking sectors of Buhoma, Rushaga, Nkuringo and Ruhija. Mgahinga National Park has only one Gorilla family of Nyakagezi and is part of the famous Virunga Conservation area (VCA).
