About Uganda Wildlife Authority

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is an agency of the government in charge of protecting the wildlife in Uganda. It oversees 12 wildlife reserves, 10 national parks, 13 sanctuaries, and 5 community wildlife management areas.

 

Important things to note

Before you start your Ugandan safari, there are some important things that you need to note, and these include the following:

• All persons who are 5 years and below are exempt from the fees.

• Children are persons from the age of 5 to 15 years.

• All tourists are required to present valid identification, residents need to show proof of their residency, foreign non-residents a valid passport, and East African citizens a valid national ID.

• Any extra time that is spent in the park after the 24 hours is an extra day.

• Fees are quoted in either United States dollars and Uganda shillings.

• The entrance fees are independent of activities like bird watching, gorilla tracking, mountain climbing, chimpanzee tracking, and many others.

• A tour company driver is an individual who works for a recognized tour company that drives tourists to their destination and around the national park.

• A safari guide is an individual who guides tourists through the parks as they carry out different activities.

 

Park rules and regulations

UWA set up the following park rules and regulations:

• Ensure that you keep all the receipts for inspection.

• Making campfires is not permitted unless when you are in designated areas.

• Avoid littering the national parks.

• Driving off the designated tracks is not permitted.

• No firearms and ammunition are allowed inside the national parks.

• Do not destroy any vegetation found within the national park.

• No dogs are allowed inside the national park.

• The speed limit for driving within the national parks is 40km per hour.

• Do not hoot at the animals or make unnecessary noise.

• No drones are allowed in the national parks.

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Chimpanzee tracking rules and regulations

For the safety of both the chimpanzees and tourists, you need to follow the rules and regulations set for chimpanzee tracking in Uganda.

• The minimum age for tracking chimpanzees is 12 years.

• You must not track chimpanzees if you are sick because chimpanzees can easily catch diseases that can affect the whole pack.

• You need to keep at least 8 meters from the chimpanzees when you locate them.

• Make sure that you do not leave any litter in the national park.

• Eating near the chimpanzees is not allowed.

• Do not at any one point try to vocalize like the chimpanzees because you might not know what you might be communicating.

• All human waste should be buried 30cm deep off the trek trail.

• Ensure that you keep quiet as much as possible because this is when you will see more.

• Never use flash photography when taking photos of the gorillas.

 

Gorilla tracking rules and regulations

Below are some of the rules and regulations to follow when gorilla tracking in Uganda.

• The minimum age for tracking gorillas in Uganda is 15 years.

• The maximum number of people to trek gorilla families is 8.

• Never trek the gorillas when you have a cold or any other infections.

• Carry all the receipts for proof of payment and permits.

• Make sure that you maintain a distance of 7 meters from the gorillas when you locate them.

• All human waste should be buried 30cm deep off the trek trail.

• When sneezing or coughing, cover your mouth and nose and turn away from the gorillas.

• Never use flash photography when taking photos of the gorillas.

• You only get to spend an hour with the gorillas after locating the family that you have been assigned to.

• Eating, drinking and smoking are not permitted when tracking gorillas.

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