Gorilla Families in Bwindi: Which Sector to Choose for Trekking.
Embark on a captivating journey into the heart of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with Anthill Safaris. Known for its dense foliage and rich biodiversity, Bwindi is a haven for mountain gorillas. Join us on a virtual expedition as we delve into the details of the gorilla families that call Bwindi home, offering a glimpse into their fascinating lives and the immersive gorilla trekking experiences that await.
Mountain gorillas move to new places every day and never stay in one place twice. There is a thing like the closest or furthest gorilla family. Trek terrain may be different, but the time taken is unpredictable. A 2 or 3-hour trek today could be tomorrow’s 6 or 7 hours.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Gorilla Families in Bwindi: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda is one of the world’s premier destinations for gorilla trekking, home to nearly half of the global population of endangered mountain gorillas. Within its dense rainforest, visitors can trek to habituated gorilla families in one of four trekking sectors. Each gorilla family offers a unique experience, making Bwindi a must-visit for wildlife enthusiasts.
A Pristine Wilderness: Anthill Safaris welcomes you to the enchanting Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southwestern Uganda. With its lush greenery and rugged terrain, Bwindi is renowned for its population of endangered mountain gorillas.
The Rarity of Mountain Gorillas
A Conservation Triumph: Learn about the significance of mountain gorillas and the conservation efforts that have contributed to their survival in Bwindi. Anthill Safaris sheds light on the success stories and ongoing initiatives aimed at protecting these remarkable primates.
Gorilla Sector and Families Found in Bwindi: Gorilla Families in Bwindi
A Dynamic Population: Authills Safaris unveils the diversity of gorilla families in Bwindi. As of the latest information, there are several habituated gorilla families, each with its unique characteristics, hierarchies, and territories.
Buhoma Sector
Gorilla Families in Bwindi: This is the pioneer and most famous gorilla sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Because of this, it attracts the highest number of tourists within the park.
It’s the first sector where mountain gorilla tourism began in this park and Uganda at large. This followed the successful habituation of the Mubare Gorilla Family in 1992. Being close to Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of the routes to Buhoma crosses the Ishasha sector, which is well-known for its tree-climbing lions. This, therefore, allows visitors moving to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to view the elusive tree-climbing lions.
The Buhoma Sector gorilla families that can be visited by tourists;
- Rushegura Gorilla Family with 17 individuals
- Mubare Gorilla Family with 8 individuals
- Muyambi Gorilla Family with 6 individuals
- Katwe Gorilla Family with 7 individuals
- Habinyanja Gorilla Family with 12 individuals
- Binyindo Gorilla Family with 9 individuals
- Kanywanyi Gorilla Family with 5 individuals
Habinyanja Gorilla Family
The Habinyanja gorilla family has 18 members, including 2 silverbacks, and it’s located in Buhoma. However, the group was first visited by tourists in 1999. This name comes from a local word referring to Nyanja, meaning a body of water. It also refers to the swamp in Bwindi where the group was first sighted. The Habinyanja is also a fascinating family that has a lot of commotion and drama. Also, when they do, they retain the brotherhood and cannot fight against former family members in case they meet. The tourists tracking this family need from 3 to 8 hours, and it can make sense if they stay at any lodge in the Buhoma area of Bwindi.
Mubare Gorilla Family
It has a family size of 9 members, including 1 silverback located in Buhoma. The group started with 12 family members led by the dominant silverback, Ruhondeza. In a few years, the group grew to 18 individuals. Unfortunately, due to fights with other wild groups, it lost several members, including the Ruhondeza, who used to take care of everyone else in the party. The group remained 5 members for several years until March 2013 when 4 other members, including a new dominant silverback, joined, and it’s now an interesting group to visit.
Rushegura Gorilla Family
Rushegura Group was established in 2000 for tracking and received tourists in 2002. It is a huge group within the Buhoma area. It comprises 19 members, including 1 silverback located in Buhoma. They started with 12 individuals, including 5 females. In addition, this ‘Habinyanya 2 group’ quickly received a new name that derives from ‘Ebishegura. ’ A tree species that was abundant in the home area of the new family. The Rushegura group is a calm family. In the past, they used to cross the border and venture into neighboring DRC now and then, but returned and have always been in Buhoma village, and sometimes even wander through the gardens of Gorilla Forest Camp.
Katwe Gorilla Family
Katwe Gorilla Family has 7 Members (1 Silverback, 2 Adult females, 2 Blackbacks, 2 Sub-adult females) updated Dec 2019. The fourth and latest habituated gorilla group in the Buhoma Sector is the Katwe gorilla family.
Kanywanyi Gorilla Family
This is one of the new gorilla families that has been habituated for gorilla tourism in the Buhoma Sector. It is composed of five individuals. It is a stable family, and it has not yet been integrated into the Gorilla Booking System.
Ruhijja Sector
Gorilla Families in Bwindi: The Ruhija sector is found in the southeastern part of Bwindi National Park. The Ruhija sector is mainly known for its 6 gorilla families, i.e., the Oruzogo Gorilla Family, the KyaguriroA&B Gorilla Family, the Mukiza family, the Bitukura Gorilla Family, and the Happy Gorilla Family. After all, this sector is the coldest in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It therefore provides an opportunity for hiking.
The Ruhija Sector has six gorilla families, namely;
- Kyaguliro A Gorilla Family with 7 individuals
- Bitukura Gorilla Family
- Mukiza Gorilla Family with 22 individuals
- Oruzogo Gorilla Family with 12 individuals
- Kyaguliro B with 8 individuals
- Happy Gorilla Family with 5 individuals
Bitukura Gorilla Family
Bitukura Group is among the newest groups in the forest. It is found and roams the verdant forest within the Ruhija area. This family comprises 14 members, including 4 silverbacks located in Ruhija. Bitukura is a peaceful family, including 4 silverbacks and some playful juveniles. More so, they share a close bond and often have ‘group meetings’ or get together. To visit this family, it is advisable to stay in the Ruhija area.
Kyaguriro A Gorilla Family
The group consists of seven members. This includes Kyaguriro, a habituated group that researchers use exclusively for study rather than for tourist visits.
Oruzogo Gorilla Family
This family comprises 16 members, including 1 silverback located in the Ruhija sector. The Oruzongo group, one of the recent gorilla families, opened for visitor access in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This increased the great opportunity for more visitors to track the gorillas in Bwindi.
It’s one of the most popular families with tourists, not just because of the size, but also the playful and energetic juveniles and toddlers in the group. It’s possible but not advisable for visitors to sleep in the Buhoma area, which is over an hour’s drive away, then drive to the Ruhija area for a pre-tracking orientation.
Mukiza Gorilla Family
Originally, the group was Kyaguliro before the split after the death of the leading silverback, Rukina. Besides, the unfortunate death of Rukina. Mukiza was inaugurated as the new leader of the family.
KYAGULIRO B Gorilla Family
Kyaguliro B is a splinter group of Kyaguliro A. It is composed of 8 individuals. The group is not yet integrated into the Gorilla Booking System. Kyaguliro B broke away from Kyaguliro A after the death of the dominant silverback Rukina, and it kept the name Kyaguliro.
Happy Gorilla Family
Five individuals make up this gorilla family. The park has fully habituated the group and will soon add them to the Central Reservation System.
Rushaga Sector
Gorilla Families in Bwindi: Rushaga is situated in the Southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the Kisoro district. It has a composition of 8 mountain gorilla families, making it the best area for mountain gorilla trekkers. It’s also the only sector where mountain gorilla habituation takes place. Rushaga is home to famous gorilla families such as Nshongi, Bweza, Mishaya, Busingye, Kahungye, Bikingi, Rwigi, and Mucunguzi. The Kutu gorilla family is still undergoing habituation.TheThe
Rushaga sector also offers rewarding cultural encounters to the Batwa community. The Rushaga sector provides a haven for numerous bird species to survive, which creates a good environment for birdwatching tours.
The Rushaga Sector habituated gorilla families.
- Nshongi Gorilla Family
- Bweza Gorilla Family
- Mucunguzi Gorilla Family
- Kahungye Gorilla Family
- Mishaya Gorilla Family
- Busingye Gorilla Family
- Rwigi Gorilla Family with 7 individuals
- Tindatine Gorilla Family
Nshongi Gorilla Family
The family currently counts 18 members, though it originally began as the largest habituated group with about 36 gorillas. Officials officially introduced the group in September 2009, naming it after the Nshongi River, where trackers first found the family. Although most gorilla families usually consist of about 25 members with one or two silverbacks, this was a strange one with 4 silverbacks. Another remarkable fact is that the group is led by Nshongi, who is not even the oldest silverback in the family, and that the three silverbacks and seven blackbacks lived in harmony with each other and did not make an attempt for leadership. In July 2010, the group split and remained 26 members, with the other split forming the present Mishaya Gorilla group.
Mishaya Gorilla Family
Comprising 7 members, including 1 silverback, this family is located in Rushaga. In July 2010, silverback Mashaya decided to leave the Nshongi Gorilla group with some females and started his own family. He is a typical fighter and was able to gather more females from other non-habituated groups in the area, reaching a total group size of 12 gorillas, including three infants.
Visitors normally set off from the park headquarters at Rushaga. In addition, for those who choose to walk, it takes approximately 30 minutes to get to the trailhead. However, the Silverback Mishaya left the Nshongi Group with 9 others in July 2010 to form the Mishaya Group.
Kahungye gorilla family
This family consists of 13 members, though the park has only named the three silverbacks. The dominant silverback, Rumansi, leads the group alongside two older males, Rwigi and Ruhamuka. Officials opened the group for tracking in 2011; however, the group split in less than a year to form the new Busingye Gorilla Family. Before the separation, the family consisted of 27 individuals, including 3 silverbacks.
Bweza Gorilla Family
This gorilla family comprises 7 members, including 1 silverback. However, due to silverback Mishaya’s decision to leave the group and start his own family in 2010, he left with a reasonable number of them, including the silverback Bweza. On the other hand, towards the end of 2012, Bweza chose independence; he led six other members away from the Mishaya gorilla group.
Busingye Gorilla Family
This family comprises 9 individuals, including 1 silverback. The Busigye family is another splitter gorilla family that broke away from the Kahungye family in 2012. However, it was silverback Busingye who decided to split and create his own family. He likes showing his power, and whenever he encounters a wild family, he mercilessly grabs a female to add to his own family.
Rwigi Gorilla Family
Rwigi Gorilla Family has 7 individuals. The Rwigi Gorilla Family is a splinter group from the Bweza Gorilla Family in the Rushaga Sector. The gorilla family has not yet been added to the Central Reservation System.
Tindatine Gorilla Family
Tindatine Gorilla Family has 8 individuals. This family is a split group from the Kahungye Gorilla Family in the Rushaga Sector of Bwindi.
Mucunguzi Gorilla Family
The Mucunguzi gorilla family gets its name from its dominant male, Silverback Mucunguzi, whose name means ‘redeemer’ in the local dialect.
Silverback Mucunguzi left the Bweza family at maturity to roam the jungle on his own. After a few solitary years, he attacked the Bikingi gorilla family and snatched away enough females to start his own family.
The Mucunguzi gorilla group currently has 12 members and is available for gorilla trekking in the Rushaga sector.
Nkuringo Sector
Gorilla Families in Bwindi: The Nkuringo sector attains its name from the historical Nkuringo Gorilla Family. However, the sector now is home to 4 habituated families, including the Bushaho Gorilla Family, the Christmas gorilla family, and the Posho and Nkuringo families.
The Nkuringo sector is popular due to its fairly rugged terrain. The altitude is higher than that of other sectors in Bwindi Forest, which invites hiking expeditions.
The Nkuringo Sector has four gorilla families.;
- Nkuringo, with 13 individuals
- Bushaho Gorilla Family with 8 individuals
- Christmas Gorilla Family with 8 Individuals
- Posho Gorilla Family with 17 individuals
Nkuringo Gorilla Family
Nkuringo is a local word meaning round hill’.It’s a word from the Rukiga language referring to the hill where the group was first sighted. The Nkuringo group was launched in 2004 after a two-year habituation process. One reason for their habituation was their continued venture into the local communities’ gardens, feeding on bananas, sweet potatoes, and other crops.
The family was led by one silverback, Nkuringo, who died in April 2008, leaving behind 2 silverbacks, Safari and Rafiki. Safari took over the leadership, and in the same year, newborn twin baby gorillas, Katungi and Muhoz, arrived and expanded the family further. Unfortunately, Katungi died at the age of one and a half years due to illness. Tracking the Nkuringo Group takes a bit more energy and stamina. This is probably the toughest trek in Uganda.
Bushaho Gorilla Family — 12 members (July 2021)
Bushaho is the second gorilla family UWA availed for gorilla trekking in the Nkuringo Sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Dominant Silverback Bahati leads the group.
Christmas Gorilla Family — 6 members (July 2021)
Christmas is the third gorilla group available for gorilla trekking in the Nkuringo Sector of Bwindi. The group is aptly named after the dominant silverback, Christmas, born on Christmas Day in the Nkuringo Group.
Posho Gorilla Family — 14 Members (July 2021)
The Posho gorilla family is still under the habituation process in the Nkuringo Sector of Bwindi. After all, the dominant Silverback Magara leads the ground with 14 members. The Posho Gorilla Family has 17 individuals. It was fully habituated by 30th June 2023.
