Habituation - Why do gorillas tolerate us?
To “habituate” a gorilla means getting it used to humans, for tourism or research purposes. This process can take 2 years. A tracker explains: “a group of wild gorillas is assigned to us and we set out every day, rain or shine, to follow them. When we find “our” gorillas, we spend the day sitting in the forest, making calmig vocalasitions or even pretending to eat leaves to show them that we are not a threat. After a few months, the gorillas still remain hidden in the bush, but we will cautiously peep through the vegetation at us. For many months, all we see is the hand or face of a carious gorilla poking through the bush. It can be hard to determine the group’s size or composition! When the siliver back feels more comfortable about our presence, he leads the rest of the group to feed in the open, still keeping a distance.
Eventually, we can approach as close as 5m (15ft) from the gorillas without them running off. Then gradually, we allow tourist to see the gorillas. We continue to monitor our group every day. Since they have lost their fear of humans, we are now responsible for protecting them! The whole process is long and grueling- it demands dedication and love for the gentle giants”.
Gorilla Safari Main Page
Gorilla Tour Packages
What are Gorillas?
Gorilla Trekking Rules
Growing up as a Gorilla
Visitor Information
What to Bring
Gorilla Habituation
Gorilla Tracking Uganda
Ecology of the Gorilla
