Uganda plans to boost gorilla tourism

There are plans to boost the number of people travelling to Uganda to see gorillas in their natural habitat by preparing more groups of the animals for human contact.

The Wildlife Authority of Uganda is planning to boost the number of people visiting the country to take part in gorilla-watching trips by preparing more groups of the creatures for contact with humans, according to reports.

Tourism is one of Uganda's biggest industries, with thousands of visitors coming to the country's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest every year to see its mountain gorillas.

Four groups of six to seven gorillas have already been familiarised with humans to ensure that they do not lash out or run away when they come into contact with people, Reuters reports.

Rangers and primatologists spent progressively more time around the animals to allow them to get used to the presence of humans and there are plans to repeat this process with more groups.

However Sam Mwanda, deputy director of the Wildlife Authority, stressed that it will be a slow process.

"We plan to start habituating two more groups [in Bwindi] soon, but it will probably take two years before they will be ready to take visits from tourists," he said.

Mountain gorillas are one of the world's most endangered species, with fewer than 750 left in the wild. This is an increase, however, from 650 in the mid-1990s, a recovery that has been boosted by revenue from the tourism industry.

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Uganda Plans To Boost Gorilla Tourism