Gorilla Families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park : Uganda is one of the greatest safari destinations in Africa For gorilla trekking safaris. Not only is Uganda well-known for mountain gorilla trekking, but it is also the best safari destination to go on a game drive or walking safari through some of the best national parks in the nation, including Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is home to lions that can climb trees, Kidepo Valley National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, and Lake Mburo National Park, to name a few.
About 600 mountain gorillas, which make up a small portion of the world’s gorilla population, live in Uganda. The majority of this population is located in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which has helped the gorillas become accustomed to humans over time and make interactions with them easier for trekkers. When going on a gorilla safari in Bwindi, keep an eye out for one of the 19 habituated families. Here is a sneak peek at the background, make-up, and location of some of the Bwindi impenetrable mountain gorilla families.
Mubare
The Mubare family was the first gorilla family in Uganda to be habituated when habituation efforts began in October 1991. When going gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable National Park, one can visit the burial site of the then-dominant silverback, Ruhondeza. The Mubare hills in the area are where the family gets its name. It is now the smallest gorilla family in Bwindi, with only six members and one silverback.
Habinyanja
There are 17 individuals in this family, including a silverback. Despite being extremely nomadic, it can be found in the Bwindi Buhoma region. The dominant silverback at the time of its habituation in 1997 was Mugurusi. Rwansigazi and Mwirima, his successors, divided the family in two, with Rwansigazi keeping the individuals who make up the current Habinyanja gorilla family. Mwirima afterwards established the Rushegura family.
Rushegura
Mwirima, a silverback who was originally from the Habinyanja family, established the Rushegura gorilla family. The name of the family is derived from the location where the two brothers, Rwansigazi and Mwirima, separated. Twenty members and one silverback are its claims to fame.
Oruzogo
Since June 2011, this family has been welcoming trekkers. This family can be seen anywhere between Buhoma and Ruhija. The name of the family’s silverback is Tibirikwata. There are 16 members of the family in all, including 1 silverback. Kiromba, Katooto, Kanywani, Busungu, Kashundwe, Nyakiina, Bwoba, Kaganga, Karimi, Kakobe, and Buchura are a few of the members.
Bitukura
The Bitukura gorilla family frequently draws a large number of trekkers since it has four silverbacks. Ndahura is the family’s lead silverback, despite the fact that he is the second-oldest silverback in rank. The other three members of the family who are silverbacks are Karamuzi, Rukumu, and Rukara. Two black backs, three adult females, two youngsters, and one child named Kadogo make up the remaining members of the group. The river where the family was initially spotted is where the name Bitukura comes from.
Mukiza
Prior to the division caused by the passing of the chief silverback, Rukina, the group was once referred to as Kyaguriro. Rukina’s sad passing made Mukiza the new head of the family. But when Rukare raided his family, causing a rift in the Kyaguriro family, he was too weak to put up much of a fight. Mukiza is currently in charge of Kyaguriro, which still goes by that name. The gorillas were not exposed to any hikers during their time in residence, which began in 1995, as the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology utilized them to do studies to better understand the larger population of mountain gorillas,Gorilla Families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Kyaguriro
After the death of the dominant silverback, Rukina, Kyaguriro B split off from Kyaguriro A and kept the name Kyaguriro. Rukare put up a battle against Mukiza, who had replaced Rukina, and succeeded in dividing the family and taking some of the members with her. Both facilities, which are now open to the public, were formerly mostly used by scholars. It is situated in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’s Ruhija sector.
Nshongi
The Nshongi gorilla family allowed trekkers access in July 2010. The name of the family comes from a nearby creek called “Omushongi Gwoboki,” which means “stream of honey” in English. Nshongi is the biggest gorilla family in Bwindi, with 25 members and two silverbacks as its leaders. Nshongi is the head silverback in this family. The plot is in Nshongi-Rushaga, which is south of Bwindi.
Bweza
This family was formerly a member of Nshongi, the largest gorilla family, which was led by Mishaya. Bweza, the current dominant silverback, consequently separated from the Mishaya gorilla family to form his own. The family now consists of nine members, including one silverback, and is located in Bwindi’s Rushaga sector.
Kahungye
The family’s final resting spot, a hill in Rushaga to the south of the park, is where the name Kahungye originates. Since the family began to welcome visitors in October 2011. The family once consisted of roughly 27 individuals, but after a split, there are today just about 13 people left. Gwiji is their lead silverback.
Busingye
In 2012, this family split from the Kahungye family, led by Busingye, the current silverback leader of the family. Busingye took 7 members with him when he split off, but as a result of his most recent exploits, he has subsequently added another 3 to the group, bringing the total to 9. The Rushaga area of Bwindi is where the family resides.
Bushaho
Nine gorillas make up the Bushaho gorilla family, which is led by a silverback known as Bahati. Depending on the silverback’s aggression, its capacity to raid new members, and its ability to produce additional offspring to grow the lot, the number of members will inevitably rise. It is located in Nkuringo, in the southern portion of Bwindi. The family was trained to live beside the Bukingi gorilla family and is now accessible to trekkers looking to see gorillas in Uganda.
Bukingi
The family’s home ranges are where the term “Bukingi” originates. The Bukingi Gorilla family was monitored daily by veterinarians who worked with the rangers to eradicate any signs of illness and save the gorillas’ lives when necessary during the habituation process. Currently, the Bukingi gorilla family can be found in the Rushaga area of Bwindi, led by Bukingi the silverback.
Nkuringo
The family was named after the pioneering lead silverback who went by the name of “Nkuringo.” The silverback family’s habituation ended in 2004, and Safari now rules a family of 18 individuals, including 2 silverbacks. The family is situated in Nkuringo, on a gorilla tracking trail that is reputed to be difficult.
Mishaya
The Mishaya gorilla family, which can be found in Nshongi-Rushaga, consists of 12 individuals and a silverback. The origin of the family name was Mishaya, a dominant silverback. The family has a history with the Nshongi family, from which Mishaya led a defection in 2010. Since Mishaya’s passing in 2014, Mwine has dominated the silverback population.
Katwe
2018 saw the addition of the Katwe gorilla group to the gorilla families in the Buhoma sector. This was a positive rise in the number of gorilla groups in Buhoma, from 3 to 4, boosting the number of tracking licenses that are available. It took this group around 3 years to get used to the family. There are currently 10 of them, including 1 silverback, 3 blackbacks, 4 adult females, and 2 young, Gorilla Families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Kutu
The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’s Rushaga Sector is home to the Kutu gorilla family. There are now eight members, including the dominant silverback. Previously, this group was accessible for gorilla habituation, which takes place only in the Rushaga sector. It was eventually prepared to receive visitors while on a gorilla trekking trip after being frequented for a number of years.
Mucugunzi
There are eight members of the Mucugunzi gorilla family. The name of the group is taken from Mucunguzi, the prominent silverback and group leader. In the Bweza group, Mucunguzi made an attempt to challenge the dominant gorilla but was unsuccessful. It was later chased out of the group and began leading a solitary life. Then it created this gorilla family after attacking another gorilla family and fleeing with some females. It is situated in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’s Rushaga sector.
Binyido
The Buhoma region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to the six members and one silverback of the Binyindo family group. The Buhoma region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to several gorilla families, including the most recent addition, this gorilla family. Before it was made available to tourists, it was monitored by researchers and rangers for three years.
Christmas
The Christmas gorilla family is situated in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’s Nkuringo area. Its name comes from a dominating silverback known as Christmas. There are now nine members of the group and just one silverback. However, for some reason, when visitors visit this family, they can only view six members.
Nyakagezi
The Nyakagezi family is the sole habituated family found in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, in contrast to the other gorilla families. Nyakagezi now has nine members, including three silverbacks, and Mark, the dominant silverback, is in charge. NB: The number of gorillas in each family varies for a variety of reasons; it may go up or down. Please be aware that these were the figures that were confirmed at the time this article was written.
Conclusion: If you’re interested in gorilla trekking safaris, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the best park to visit in Africa. Any safari journey to Uganda wouldn’t be complete without a stop at this spectacular hidden gem in Uganda. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is an unforgettable experience and unique in its own right, unlike any other safari that you have ever been on, such as the game drive in the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania or the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.
“For your once-in-a-lifetime safari experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, make Focus East Africa Tours be your guide and let us plan and arrange everything for you, and we can assure you that you will never regret your tour but instead have a spectacular experience”
