How many gorilla families are in Uganda?
How many gorilla families are in Uganda? There are 20 habituated mountain gorilla families in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park – available for trekking every day. Uganda has the highest number of habituated mountain gorilla families – among the three gorilla trekking countries (Uganda, Rwanda, and D.R Congo). Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has more than half of the remaining mountain gorilla population and up to 19 habituated mountain gorilla families live in the Park. There are four sectors in Bwindi, each sector has its share of the habituated mountain gorilla population, the sectors include; Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park on the other hand has one large habituated mountain gorilla family which you can trek during your visit to the park – all year round. The Habituated Gorilla family in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is known as the Nyakagezi Gorilla Family, named after the Nyakagezi are within the park where they were first sighted. This Gorilla Family in the past was unpredictable and used to move across Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, the group has permanently settled in Uganda and you are guaranteed to encounter it during your gorilla trekking adventure in Uganda. This complete guide is designed to help you understand How many gorilla families are available for trekking in Uganda and Where to see the habituated gorillas in Uganda.
Habituated gorilla Families in Uganda: How many gorilla families are in Uganda?
Habituated mountain gorilla Families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the southwestern part of Uganda has the highest number of habituated mountain gorilla families per gorilla national park, 19 families. What are habituated gorilla families? The Habituated gorilla families are gorilla groups that have undergone a habituation process, making them accustomed to human presence. The mountain gorilla habituation process involves slowly introducing gorillas to human presence. The process usually takes many years (about 5 years) before a gorilla family is opened for trekking by the visitors. You may wonder ‘‘How many habituated gorilla families are in Bwindi?’’ There are 19 habituated gorilla families in Bwindi, found in the four gorilla trekking sectors (Nkuringo, Buhoma, Ruhija, and Rushaga). Here are a complete guide to gorilla families in each sector of Bwindi;
Buhoma Sector – Habituated gorilla families in the Buhoma sector
The Buhoma Gorilla Sector is located in the northern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Buhoma is relatively accessible compared to other sectors in the park, and takes about a 1-2 hour drive from Kisoro Town. By the 1990s and early 2000s the Buhoma was already a prominent area for gorilla tourism. This area boasts lush, dense forest and rich birdlife, making it a superb destination for both gorilla trekking and bird watching in Bwindi.
- Mubare Gorilla Group
The Mubare Gorilla family is one of the oldest habituated gorilla families found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – specifically in the Buhoma Sector. The habituation of the Mubare gorilla family started in early 1991 and by 13th October 1993, it was fully habituated and opened for trekking by visitors. The group derives its name from ‘‘Mubare’’, a local word used to refer to ‘‘the places with many stones.’’ It was named so because the first time this family was sighted, they were in a place with so many stones.
Ruhondeza the dominant male then played a significant role in the history of this gorilla group. The family consists of about 9 members including male adults, juveniles, and adult females. They can be sighted near the Buhoma Park headquarters however, occasionally wander deep in the forest. Trekking adventure to see the Mubare Gorilla Group in Bwindi guarantees an excellent gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi.
-
Habinyanja Gorilla Group
The Habinyanja Gorilla Family is another popular habituated gorilla group in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi. This gorilla group has more members than the Mubare group, there are about 18 members in the Habinyanja group. Visitors planning to visit this gorilla family should prepare to trek for about 5 hours to a full day in the forest. Although this group currently has about 18 members, the number is subject to change due to different factors. This Habinyanja group was first discovered near a swamp in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The Word ‘‘Nyanja’’ where the group derives its name means water.
The Habinyanja group gave birth to other new splinter gorilla groups like the present Rushengura Family, which split from the Habinyanja Gorilla family.
- Rushegura Gorilla Family
The Rushegura Gorilla Family is one of the large habituated gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, consisting of about 16 members. This gorilla family lives in the Buhoma Sector of Bwindi and usually takes less time to track. Tracking to see the Rushegura gorilla family may take a few hours since they usually dwell near the park Headquarters.
It is usually allocated to visitors who wish to have a short trek or those who are elderly and have no physical requirement to trek deeper in the forest. Like so many other groups, this gorilla group split from the Habinyanja group.
-
Katwe Gorilla Family
The Katwe Gorilla group also dwell in the Buhoma sector – an exciting group to visit in Bwindi during your Uganda Gorilla trekking tour. This gorilla group was opened for tourism in 2018 and since then many visitors have visited it for life-changing encounters. The Katwe group has one dominant silverback, 03 blackbacks, 04 adult females, and 2 infants. Sometimes members in this group move in and out of the group and the numbers can be speculative.
Habituated gorilla families in the Ruhija Sector – How many gorilla families are in Uganda?
The Ruhija Sector of Bwindi is located in the Eastern part of the National Park and boasts another incredible biodiversity. The Ruhija region encompasses lush montane forest and mountainous terrain. This sector is also a great place to visit for nature walks, hikes, and birding while in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park during a Uganda Safari holiday tour. There are several habituated gorilla families in the Ruhija Sector that you can trek during your visit to Bwindi.
- Oruzogo gorilla family
The Oruzogo gorilla family dwells in the Ruhija sector of Bwindi and is one of the popular habituated gorilla families in Bwindi. This group is one of the largest gorilla families in the Park, consisting of about 22 members. Pas trekkers of this group have highlighted its playful juveniles and toddlers that exhibit unique energy that keep visitors entertained during safaris.
This group first received visitors in 2011 and since then, each year round, many travelers have visited the Oruzogo gorilla family in Bwindi and have all testified to have experienced unbeatable gorilla adventures in Bwindi. Trekking the Oruzogo gorilla family is not very strenuous however requires a moderate fitness level.
-
Kyaguriro Gorilla Family
The Kyaguriro Gorilla family is also another large gorilla family with up to 20 members in the Ruhija Sector of Bwindi. Apart from its large number of individuals, this gorilla family is also renowned for its unique history. The Kyaguriro Gorilla Family is split into two, Kyaguriro A and B. Then the dominant Silverback Rukina led this group however on 7th April 2018, this silverback lost its life as a result of lightning.
The young and inexperienced male then Mukiza took over the leadership of this gorilla group however his reign was short-lived over the entire 20 members. Rukara a fully grown and experienced silverback from the Bitukura gorilla group raided the Kyaguriro Gorilla family, leading to a split of this group into two; Kyaguriro A that is led by Rukara, and Kyaguriro B, led by Mukiza. This group was split in 2016 and up to date, these families are led by separate silverbacks as mentioned earlier.
- Bitukura Gorilla Family
The Bitukura Gorilla Family is a popular gorilla family in Bwindi, especially for its faster learning and adaptive nature thus categorized into group ‘‘A’’ type students. Usually, it takes a minimum of about 03 years for a gorilla family to fully get accustomed to human presence however, the Bitukura Gorilla family was only habituated for about 15 months and they were fully ready for trekking. This group consists of 15 individuals; with adult males, adult females, and juveniles.
This gorilla group initially had about 24 members however, some other members of the group were recruited into the new gorilla groups.
Habituated gorilla families in the Rushaga Sector of Bwindi
The Rushaga Gorilla sector is located in the southwestern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, one of the most developing sectors with the highest number of accommodation options. Rusjhaga is characterized by rugged terrain and lush greenery. There are several habituated mountain gorilla families in Rushaga that you can trek during your gorilla trekking safari to Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
This sector is also easily accessed from neighboring Rwanda as it only takes you about 5 hours to drive from Rwanda’s Capital Kigali.
- Nshongi Gorilla Family
The Nshogi Nshongi was one of the largest habituated gorilla groups in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, with up to 18 individuals before the splint of the Mweza Group. This consisted of adult males, adult females, and juveniles. This gorilla group was named after the Nshogi River where they were first sighted, located in the Rushaga area of Bwindi. The area near the Nshogi River where this gorilla family usually dwells is a forested area with several other forms. A safari here allows you to see other resident primates in the forest, birdlife, butterflies, and different tree species.
- Mishaya Gorilla Family
The other gorilla family in the Rushaga sector is the Mishaya gorilla family. The Mishaya Gorilla Family has a large number of members and is an exciting group to visit. This gorilla group is an amazing group to visit while on your gorilla trekking tour in Bwindi.
-
Kahungye Gorilla Family
The Kahungye Gorilla family in Rushaga is a popular gorilla family. This group recently split to form the new Busingye Gorilla group. This gorilla family is popular and most visitors prefer visiting it while in Rushaga Sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
This Gorilla family was first opened for visitors in 2011 and since then thousands of visitors have been able to trek this group. The family was named after the prominent hill within Rushaga where they were first sighted. Trekking to see the Kahungye gorilla family in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be done all year round.
- Busingye Gorilla Family
This gorilla family is a splinter from the Kahungye Gorilla Family. The group split from the Kahungye gorilla family in 2012 and since then, it has been dwelling within the Rushaga region of Bwindi. This group consisted of about 9 members and among them are the infants and sub-adults.
Trekking to see this gorilla family creates unmatched excitement as it is full of youngsters that usually exhibit unmatched energy. If you are interested in trekking to see this gorilla group, you can book your gorilla permit with the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
-
Bweza Gorilla Family
This group just like many other groups split from another gorilla family. The Bweza gorilla family broke off from the Nshogi Gorilla family. The Bweza family comprises about 7 members including adult males, adult females, and infants. It dwells within the Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Habituated gorilla families in the Nkuringo Sector – How many gorilla families are in Uganda?
The Nkuringo Sector is located in the southern part of Bwindi, renowned for its gorilla trekking tours, guided nature walks, and birding adventures. The most popular habituated gorilla family in this sector is the Nkuringo Gorilla Family.
Nkuringo Gorilla Family
This Nkuringo gorilla family is the hardest to trek in Uganda’s Bwindi and requires a good physical fitness level and energy. Although this group is challenging to trek, many visitors that have trekked it have been able to successfully accomplish the trek. This group is most accessible from neighboring Rwanda and can be trekked all year round.
Habituated Families in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the second safari destination for gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda. Unlike Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which inhabits many habituated gorilla families, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has one large habituated mountain gorilla family known as ‘‘the Nyakagezi’’ gorilla family. However, there are also two other gorilla groups in this park that are not habituated. This National Park is also known as a place where silver meets gold because of the presence of the golden monkey.
Nyakagezi Gorilla Family
The Nyakagezi Gorilla family is a large habituated gorilla family in Mgahing Gorilla National Park. In the past, this gorilla family used to migrate across Uganda Rwanda and D.R Congo however, it settled in Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in 2012 and has stayed there since then. It is possible to trek this gorilla family while on mountain gorilla safaris in Uganda.
In 2019, the Nyakagezi gorilla group invited their neighbors the ‘‘Hirwa Group’’ from Rwanda’s volcanoes for a week-long stay however, this group spent almost a month in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park before they returned to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. There are still speculations that the Hirwa group may at one point return to the park.