Bwindi Gorilla Families / Bwindi National Park –Gorilla Trekking Uganda Safaris
Bwindi Gorilla Families; Over all, Bwindi Forest national park is the best of other destination where mountain gorillas can be trekked from ,this is because Bwindi hosts the half world’s population of endangered mountain gorillas .Despite the fact ,it boost with over 21 habituated gorilla families which are splintered in four gorilla sectors such as Buhoma ,Nkuringo ,Rushaga and Ruhija sector whereby each sector each day allows only eight people to visit it ,led by the park guide who allocates trackers to the assigned group to track .Gorilla trekking allows eight people only and those who do gorilla habituation experience allows only four individuals accompanied by the researchers ,doctors and park rangers. However, Gorilla trekking activity can take 30 to 6 hours depending on where they last seen the previous day and gorilla habituation is a whole day experience in the midst of the jungle, all these hours are given to spend with this giant gentle while learning from their life style, behaviors, feed, grooming, hunt, play till evening and see them how they built their nest on branches or the ground for sleeping as well as a great moment for taking photography for future remembrance. In Uganda Gorilla trekking goes at USD700 for foreigner nonresident, USD600 for foreign resident and UGX250,000 East African Citizens per person per day.
However, Mountain gorillas are only located in 3 countries Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. Moreover, Bwindi forest national park is located in southwestern region of Uganda which inhabits the half remaining mountain gorillas whose encounter is the most admirable in the whole world. Gorilla trekking is the key selling activity in Bwindi as well as on Uganda Safaris and the park has a total number of 21 habituated gorilla families which are recorded in four gorilla sectors of the Bwindi Forest national park.
Uganda has two gorilla trekking destinations -Mgahinga Gorilla National Park which has two gorilla habituated gorilla families.
Bwindi Forest national park has four gorilla sectors and before head out for tracking on your Gorilla tracking experience their rules and regulations briefed out to visitors. You should keep this in mind that mountain gorillas are wild animals which keep moving and any time a silverback can decide to leave a group and form a new gorilla family.
As you are about to see information touched on some of the mountain gorilla families in every sector listed below;
Rushegura Gorilla Family
Rushegura Gorilla Family is one of the 21 gorilla families with 19 members in total which is led by one silverback Mwirima who is grown in age ‘’20’’ and a brother to former silverback in Habinyanja called Rwansigazi. This group was named after a place these brothers separated to form the Habinyanja group which decided to breakaway and start his only family with a number of 12 individuals including 5 females. By 2010 the number increased from 12 to 19 individuals, the family is led by a friendly and known as the calmest family in Bwindi forest. The group is used to cross over to Congo but always returns back. It also known for wandering in nearby villages and lodges at times meaning it is the calmest gorilla family in Buhoma and among the gorilla families.
Habinyanja Gorilla Group
Habinyanja Gorilla group-family began in 1997 but it was officially opened for tourism in 1999. However, the word Habinyanja derives from a local word Nyanja meaning water, one of the swamp in the forest where this family was found. This consists of more than 17 members with 2 silverbacks and by the time the family was habituated was led by one dominant silver back called Munguris a local word meaning ‘’old man’’ who later passed on due to his old age. Then later on he was inherited by his two brother Mwirima and Rwansigazi who took over power to lead the family but later on the two did not agree on the rule.
This gorilla family has different character Rwansigazi loved travelling well Mwirima loved to stay at a close range with the family individuals thus leading to their separation in 2002.Meaning, the group that stayed with Rwansigazi was named Habinyanja, although Rwansigazi gave up his leadership skills to Makara the Dominate silverback who is now the leader. Habinyanja is located in Buhoma.
Mubare Gorilla Family
Mubare gorilla family is one of the gorilla families found in Bwindi in the Mubare hills which means stone in the local language with 8 members including 1 silverback. The group was officially open for tourism in 1993 by the time of habituation it began with 18 members and Ruhondenza was the leader of the group. For the time of habituation, the group has faced a lot of challenge of raids by mountain gorilla family kidnappers which caused within the family in 2012 when the Gorilla family members were Kidnapped.
Ruhondenza the leader tried to fight the group but because of his old age he was over powered which led to his sadness in his heart. Unfortunately, it dead in his sleep because of his unbearable sadness and his grave can be visited by tourists, the 5 members were left by Ruhondenza have increased to 8 members which are led by alpha the silverback named Kanyonyi.
Bitukura Gorilla Family
Bitukura gorilla family has 14 individuals a group which was first sighted in 2007 with its original number of 24 members near the river were the family was located. The habituation was shorter than any other habituated which took a period of 2 years. The family has a close bond and share together with the Kyaguliro group.
This family is known to be peacefully, playful thus making it easier to be closer and build togetherness with other members, although it has 4 silverbacks but the family is led by the second youngest silverback called Ndagura who inherited the power from Karumazi who is aged now and could no longer fight for the family. Even though the family has faced a lot of trails Bitukura is happier than before and close since in 2013 when they received new members in the family. Bitukura Gorilla family is located in the Ruhija sector of Bwindi.
Oruzogo family
Oruzogo gorilla family hosts with 25 members including 2 silverbacks. It is a family which was established in 2011 by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The group is led by Tebirikwata one of the oldest Gorilla in the family since 2011 the family which has enlarged with more gorilla family members due to increases of child birth by the elder females Ntumurungi together with Musi, another bundle of joy happened to come in 2013 when Kankoba gave birth to twins. However, this group is known of its playful ways and energetic characters. It consists of family members with different names derived from local names such as Busungu which means ‘’short tempered’’ Bwoba ‘’coward’’, Kakanga ‘’giant one’’.
Kyaguliro family group
Kyaguliro family group is one of the most treasured gorilla groups after habituation in 1999. This group was reserved for research and study purpose by ‘’Max Planck institute by evolutional of Anthropology’’. It is also part of the Gorilla family groups found in Ruhija sector. The family consists of 15 members including 2 silverbacks and led by an aging silverback Zeus who was exiled in the forest by Rukina and later died. The family has seen a number of generation since Rukina who the leader after Zeus who was later announced dead in 2015.
He had grown up to the age of 31 years old and later he was replaced by a silverback named Rukara who now leads the group of 15 individuals. The family has helped in a big number of research and conservation through learning about the differences in mountain gorilla with those in Virunga Volcanoes National Park.
Nkuringo Gorilla Group
Nkuringo gorilla group located in the areas of Kisoro and Bwindi the Nkuringo sector which was officially launched in 2004. However, the word Nkuringo derives from the word round hills. This family has the most challenging trailheads of Gorilla trekking activity but one of the most worth trails to trek gorillas.
This family was led by one of the silverback Alpha who was named after the word Nkuringo but later died in 2004 after a successful habituation. Nkuringo died when he heard two elderly sons, Rafiki means friend, and the elder brother who took over power and has been able to hold the family firm through hard times and seasons of happiness, during his reign the group has welcomed two baby twins namely Muhoza and Katungi although Katungi could not live to see his second birthday, he passed on.
Nkuringo gorilla family consists of 19 members including 2 silverbacks.
Mishaya Gorilla family
This family consists of 12 members and 8 people visit it on daily basis. Mishaya is known as fighter because of the leader he has lead for a long period pf time and his name derives after Mishaya the silverback who was known for fighting with other families. He later broke away from Nshongi group with 10 members to start his own family.
Mishaya was known for his fights in 2010 he began a fight which lead to more injuries thus losing one of his infants. Unfortunately, he later passed on in 2014. The gorilla family is now lead by Mwine the silverback this family can be visited in Rushaga sector.
Nshongi Gorilla family
Nshongi gorilla family is the largest group in Rushaga sector to be visited by tourists, however, it was officially launched in 2009 with the biggest habituation group, it was named after River Nshongi where it was first sighted for tourism.
This gorilla family is led by Nshongi the silverback with 36 members who were visited daily but later on division happened in 2010 when Mishaya broke off with 10 members to form his own after two years later in 2010 Bweza the silverback also broke off with some individuals to form his own, then later the family was left with only 26 members.
Kahungye Family Group
Kahungye has more than 13 members with 3 silverbacks a group which is found in the hills of the mountain and one of the newest mountain gorilla group in the Rushanga sector. The group was opened for visitation in 2011 after a successful habituation which had 27 members with 3 silverbacks. The Busingye broke off with some members causing the family to split off thus decreasing in number to 13 members. Kahungye family is now lead by a silverback called Gwigi ‘’door ‘’ in local words.
Bweza Gorilla Family
Bweza Gorilla Family is located in Rushaga sector which broke off from Mishaya to form his own family in 2012, the rangers though the group could get back together thus Bwindi Gorilla Families.
Busingye Gorilla Family
Busingye gorilla family is situated in the Rushanga sector one of Bwindi sectors with the biggest number of Mountain Gorilla groups. This gorilla family is named after the silverback Busingye. The word Busingye is a local word meaning peace. Busingye was a member from the group in 2012 with 7 members. He is known of stealing away females from other gorilla groups, currently he has been able to grow his family of 9 members by stealing females from other males.
Nyakagezi Gorilla Group
Nyakagezi gorilla group is one of two gorilla families found in Mgahinga gorilla national park. It has two young ones Furaha and Nkanda with two females called Nyamwezi and Nshuti and blackbacks Nduguntse and Rukundo. The group is good in entertaining that’s why tourists love its playful nature and character. Gorilla permits of this group in Mgahinga can be purchased in Kisoro and the only place where Gorilla permits can be purchased.
Get started now and vibe into Uganda’s Primitive Destination to have an encounter with the only great mountain gorillas that still exist in the world as you encounter your close related cousin deep in dense thick forest of Bwindi. You can book with us Achieve Global Safari to reserve all the activities needed such as accommodation, meals, transport and activities among others.
