Bwindi is undoubtedly shelters the largest number of habituated Gorilla families in the world with over 19 habituated groups ready for visiting. The Gorillas have been used to the presence of human beings and are safe for tracking. Bwindi was gazetted in 1991 as a national park and this led to the eviction of the Batwa people who originally depended on the forest for their entire livelihood. Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) took charge of this park and has overtime found ways to make peace with the surrounding communities as a way of conserving the mountain Gorillas in this forest. Some of the benefits of Gorilla tracking to the surrounding communities include the following;
The community gets 20% from every gorilla permit sold by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). This helps to develop the villages around the park in terms of infrastructure in these communities.
The pygmies and other local people are employed as park rangers, guides, porters to the park doctors. This helps to elevate their living standards and also to help conserve the forest from these former poachers that used to depend on the forest for food and shelter.
Craft shops
The locals have established craft shops where people coming to track the Gorillas can buy the souvenirs as memories for their time at Bwindi Impenetrable forest. This has led to improved standards of living of these people causing them to conserve and preserve the forest since they benefit from its existence and the Gorillas.
Employment
Employment in the surrounding lodges. The community benefits by getting employment at the lodging facilities as waiters, waitresses, chefs, bar attendants, security and other kinds of Jobs around. This gives them more reason to love and preserve the Gorillas since the visitors that come to see them are their clients at the same time.
Infrastructural development
Infrastructure such as hospitals and roads have been established in the area to cater for the communities, UWA staff and the emergency cases of the gorilla visitors in case of minor illnesses that may not need referral. This is a great development in the communities and makes the people have more reason to conserve the impenetrable forest for the Gorillas.
