Is the covid19 vaccination a requirement for primate trekking
Is the covid19 vaccination a requirement for primate trekking : Since the covid19 pandemic outbreak in 2020 that affected the whole world taking many lives, causing loss to many families and affecting several economic sectors, scientists have been rapping their heads towards creating a cure or a treatment that can heal the disease and also a vaccine or jab that can prevent the disease.
The good news is that a couple of vaccines have since been developed and are now available for different persons to take. Hence the question does one need to be covid19 vaccinated to get a primate trekking permit? Better still does one need to be covid19 vaccinated to go for a primate trekking experience?
The reason for this question is because as the tourism sector reopened and primate trekking resumed it became a prerequisite for one to have tested covid19 negative before going for any primate trekking activities; for reasons that primates that is the mountain gorillas and the chimpanzees both share about 95 – 98% of their DNA with humans which means they can easily catch the coronavirus from humans if they came in contact with covid19 positive humans. It’s from that point of view that we now wonder if being covid19 vaccinated is a prerequisite for primate trekking.
At the time of writing this article the Uganda wildlife Authority had not yet issued any new or adjusted primate trekking requirements, so I would be safe to say that covid19 vaccination is not necessarily a requirement for primate trekking. However having a covid19 negative test is still a huge requirement for you if you would like to go primate trekking; which means whether you are vaccinated or not you should have tested covid19 negative at least 48 hours before the primate trekking experience or before going on an experience to interact with the primates.
As stated you being covid19 negative is mainly for the conservation of the primates that can easily get the virus from you.
Primates are the second most sought after animals after the big five in the wild by tourists that visit Uganda. Uganda is home to several primates but the most famous primates are the mountain gorillas and the chimpanzees.
Mountain gorillas in Uganda are found in south-western Uganda in the four sectors of the impenetrable bwindi forest in Bwindi National Park and in the terrains of the Virunga massifs in Mgahinga National park. The mountain gorillas can be trekked throughout the year at both parks at mountain gorilla permit fees that are 700 USD per trek person; however is you are going mountain gorilla trekking between now and June 31st you can enjoy a Uganda Wildlife Authority discount on all mountain gorilla trekking permits that is 400 USD for foreign trekkers and 300 USD for foreign trekkers that are residents.
Chimpanzees in Uganda are spread in a number of wildlife protected areas but most of them are found in Kibale National Park; Kibale National park was once called the capital of primates because of the many number of chimpanzees that made their home in the Kibale rain forest. Though the numbers of the chimpanzees in the rainfall have seen a significant decrease because of different factors, Kibale National Park still harbours the largest number of chimpanzees in the region. These famous chimpanzees are trekked whole year at the chimpanzee trekking permit fee of 200 USD but as mentioned above the Uganda Wildlife Authority has offered discounts on primate trekking activities so if you plan to have a chimpanzee trekking experience between now and June 31st you will pay 150 USD for a chimpanzee trekking experience.