Is gorilla trekking safe in Uganda?

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is an activity worth undertaking and its safety is a priority for any tourists. Is gorilla trekking safe in Uganda, is one of the most searched questions for most travelers who would like to take gorilla safaris in Uganda.

Mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda is generally safe for humans as the gorillas are habituated and there are ranger guides who protect the tourists in case of any threats in the forests.

For assurance of the safety of the people who are trekking gorillas in Uganda, the Uganda Wildlife Authority ensures there are trained rangers who check through the forests each day.

The tourism policy ensures the jungle is free from any kind of threat to tourists either from the wild animals, poachers, or guerilla groups.

This is done by making sure rangers visit the forest early enough before the tourists are brought in. The process is known as tracking and this is done alongside identifying where the gorilla groups are spending their day.

t is after tracking that the rangers who earlier went to the jungle reach out to those who are going with the tourists in order to inform them of where the gorillas are spending their day and can be found.

To ensure tourist security, each group of 8 tourists is accompanied by 2 armed park rangers to ensure the safety of those trekking.

The rangers carry along with firearms just to ensure safety in case wild animals behave in an unsafe way to the tourists. When there is a need for the rangers to shoot in space to scare away animals.

It is therefore very safe to go gorilla trekking in Uganda’s forests. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Is gorilla trekking safe in Uganda in 2024?

The primate tracking rules and regulations are set to ensure that tourists are safe and may not carry on any contagious diseases to the primates.

These primates share more than 90% of their DNA with humans and therefore can catch these human diseases and even die from them.

Mountain Gorillas must be carefully protected during these times to prevent the possibility of losing a population that has steadily increased following great conservation efforts. Here are the set tracking rules and regulations in Uganda for the mountain gorillas.

i) Mandatory temperature screening using non-contact infra-red thermometers at the key tourism gates of the different protected areas.
ii) Mandatory hand washing / sanitizing at the entrances of all UWA premises and protected areas.

iii) Wearing a face mask while inside the protected area

iv) Observing social distance
v) All tourists going for primate tracking activities should carry at least two N95 masks or surgical masks or double-layered cloth masks with filters.
vi) Government guidelines of carrying half capacity in order to observe social distance shall apply to the use of vehicles and boats in the parks. These include concessionaire delivery vehicles.

viii) Visitors going to the parks are encouraged to carry their own hand sanitizer.

Do not worry whether is gorilla trekking safe in Uganda in 2024. It is surely safe to go gorilla trekking in Uganda just as Rwanda gorilla tours are also safe with the set guidelines.