Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is among Uganda’s smallest park and it is blessed with quite a number of tourist attractions with so many different tourists’ activities with Golden Monkey Habituation Experience as one of the most amazing activities that you can do there. Besides the golden monkeys, there are lots of other attractions that you will find in Mgahinga national park and these include so many bird species therefore it is great birding destination, there tree species, so many other primate species like the Mountain Gorillas, the Chimpanzees, other monkey types, among others. Within Mgahinga Park alone, you can find more than 5000 Golden Monkeys living in those shadows of the popular Virunga Mountains. Although there is no really accurate census done to determine the exact number of golden monkeys living in this park, it is very clear that they are reproducing and so their population keeps increasing every year but not overwhelmingly.
Normally, the golden monkeys don’t move to greater heights like the mountain gorillas do, they like living within the Bamboo Zones of this Virunga Forest after all they can find food and shelter in those zones. In spite of the proximity, tracking them is no easy task which is why you have to be reasonably fit so you can hike up through the forest just before you get to their habitat. This hike is one of the most rewarding experiences anyone should given the opportunity to go for it
You can go track the habituated Golden monkey family which are already used to the presence of human therefore will not run back into the forest once they see humans. For most of these primates watching exercise in Uganda, even in Rwanda, you are often given time to stay close to these primates once you meet them. You are given an hour both in the morning and in the evening session together with your park ranger who will be guiding your way through the bamboo forest. Only a limited number of people 6-8 are allowed to visit a particular primates group/family at a time.
A standard fee was set by the responsible wildlife board that every one interested in golden Monkey Habituation has to pay and that is $100 and this fee includes the Park Entrance fees. This is a little bit cheaper than the chimpanzee or gorilla tracking therefore it is the most affordable experience compared to the other two experience.
There is a particular dress code that you have to follow if you are to be comfortable during the trek since you will be pushing through creeping plants, thick under growth in the jungle. It is always best to wear light-hiking boots since you will be hiking for a long time, need trousers most preferably jeans, long-sleeved shirt is the best option, hat and rain-jacket as it can rain any time. Other stuff to carry include 1 liter of water, something for you to eat when you are hungry and the camera and binoculars of course.
You can always combine both golden Monkey tracking with other activities when you visit Mgahinga Gorilla Park. This experience can be done along with gorilla tracking or mountain hiking, you can take a nature walks or visit the Batwa communities who are the indigenous people of this forested area.
To engage in the actual habituation Experiences in Uganda, booking has to be done prior since a limited number of people are allowed to go for any kind of habituation per day. For Mountain Gorilla Habituation, that takes place in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest which is the home for the largest population of gorillas in Uganda. When you go for the Mountain Gorilla habituation, you have 4 full hours together with the researchers to spend with that particular family. In this case habituation exercise is a whole day activity therefore from the jungle, you head back to your lodge.
Then the Chimpanzee-habituation-exercise is done from Kibale Forest national park because this park is the best place where anyone can ever for the Chimpanzee Habituation exercise in the whole of East African region. Just like the case is with habituating the gorillas, you will spend the whole day in the jungle with the rangers, other trackers and the researchers trying to train these chimpanzees how to get used to human presence. Chimpanzee however is not only done in Kibale in Uganda but in so many other places like in Ngamba island sanctuary, Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth park, in Budongo Forest located near Murchison Falls National Park. Habituation is also done in Budongo during the low season in tourism business.
During your chimpanzee habituation exercise, you will not only be able to see the chimpanzees but also the other primates like different monkey species, lots of birds, there are butterflies, different trees and also mammals.
Habituating these animals gets them ready to act as tourists attractions. Once they are habituated, they become part of the groups that are visited by the tourists and the more habituated animals the country gets, the more tourists you can expect since they will not be limited by the number of habituated animals are available for tracking per day.
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