Gorilla Families in Uganda
Gorilla families in Uganda, Uganda hosts 23 gorilla families, the highest number of habituated gorillas in Africa. Gorilla groups encompass those designated for gorilla trekking and those intended for habituation experiences. Mountain gorillas inhabit two protected regions, including Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for sheltering 459 mountain gorillas, over half of the global mountain gorilla population. Gorillas also dwell in Mgahinga gorilla national park, which is part of the Virunga Massif, a range of 8 volcanic mountains that spread for 50 sq.km along the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo.
Structure and attributes of Gorilla families/groups
The composition of gorilla families frequently varies due to factors such as member migration. Consequently, the figures presented in this post are approximations, and precise information can be obtained from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) information centers, as well as from tour companies and guides. The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is the official governmental entity tasked with the management of protected areas in Uganda.
Gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Bwindi hosts 22 gorilla families, of which 2 are designated for gorilla habituation experiences. The park is segmented into four sectors: Buhoma (the park headquarters) with six groups, Ruhija in the southeast with four, Rushaga with eight, and Nkuringo with four. Tracking in each region presents a distinct experience, as gorillas exhibit variability and the attractions and landscapes are diverse.
Gorilla families in the Buhoma sector
The Buhoma sector comprises six gorilla families, three of which were initially habituated in 1993 and remain accessible for tracking. The groups consist of Mubare with 12 members, Rushegura with 19 members, and Habinyanja with 17 members. Subsequently, three further groups were incorporated, namely Katwe, Muyambi of 6, and Binyindo.
The Buhoma sector is situated at an altitude of 1,160 meters, the lowest point in Bwindi. Trekking in Buhoma tends to be easier due to the nature of terrain. Furthermore, the area features two magnificent waterfalls that may be reached via nature trails. Buhoma is recognized for its presence of several Albertine Rift Endemic (AREs) species, including Chanpin’s flycatcher, short-tailed warbler, red-faced woodland warbler, Kivu ground thrush, purple-breasted sunbird, and stripe-breasted tit.
Mubare
Mubare, one of the three oldest groups in Bwindi, is recognized as the most accessible gorilla family to track. The family, consisting of 12 individuals including a silverback, is familiar with humans and is in proximity to the gorilla center. Gorillas are frequently observed grazing near the main trail, and on fortunate days, tourists may not have to travel further. Occasionally, the troop converges at certain lodges on the forest’s periphery, including Mahogany Springs, Sanctuary Forest Gorilla Camp, and Buhoma Lodge.
Habinyanja
Habinyanja, also referred to as group H, is the fourth largest gorilla group in Bwindi by composition. The family comprises 17 members, headed by an adult silverback, making it optimal for people wishing to observe a large congregation of gorillas. The paths leading to the group’s habitat are distant from the center and necessitate a brief drive initially. This indicates that monitoring can be difficult due to the characteristics of the landscape, and visitors anticipate not returning in the near future.
Rushegura
Rushegura is one of the first three families habituated in 1993 and has 19 families, rendering it one of the largest groups in Bwindi. It was named in honor of Kishegura, an exemplary UWA ranger guide who identified the group and established routes for its tracking. The group forages on the hill’s slopes near the visitor center, facilitating tracking. This is not universally applicable, as the group’s home range is extensive, extending from the lower slopes above the Munyanga River to Mubare Hill.
Muyambi
The latest family in Buhoma, Muyambi, comprises six members, including a silverback. This group was inaugurated for tourism in 2020, making it suitable for anybody wishing to observe newly habituated gorillas.
Katwe
The Katwe group, consisting of 11 individuals, is one of the newly habituated groups in Bwindi. The precise count of its family members varies, although rangers have noted several individuals, including one dominant silverback, adult females, and infants.
Binyindo
The habituation of Binyindo was finalized in 2021, and the family comprises six persons. Binyindo’s home range is situated above the Ivi River route, adjacent to the Sarambwe Nature Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo, distinguishing it from other groups.
Gorilla families in the Ruhija sector
The Ruhija area comprises four gorilla groups: Bitukura, Kyaguriro, Oruzogo, and Mukiiza, the last of which is now under study. The sector is located southeast of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, 53 km (a 2-hour trip) from Kabale Municipality and 41 km (a 1-hour and 54-minute journey) from Buhoma, facilitating the combination of both sectors for anybody planning to engage in double gorilla tracking. Tracking in Ruhija presents challenges due to its elevation of 2,607 meters, the highest point in Bwindi. However, due to a reduced number of housing facilities, the area is secluded and excellent for people wishing to have an off-the beaten gorilla trekking adventure.
Bitukura
The Bitukura group comprises 11 members, led by a silverback, and was the inaugural group to be allowed for tourists in the Ruhija sector in 2008. Bitukura has been familiar with humans for over a decade. It was called for the Bitukura River, and the steep valley slopes can pose navigation challenges. Nevertheless, the home range is proximate to the gorilla center, and at times, the gorillas are located along the primary road leading to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Kyaguriro
Kyaguriro comprises 15 members, rendering it one of the largest gorilla families in terms of composition. Habituation commenced in 1999, and the group was subjected to studies for several years. Subsequently, it was opened for tourism. According to UWA, this family comprises two silverbacks, including Rukina, the current leader who displaced an elderly silverback named Zeus. Considering the necessity of a singular leader, the rangers are closely monitoring who will assume leadership of the family. It has been noted that certain adult females originated from the Kyaguriro family, as the two groups are adjacent.
Mukiiza
The Mukiiza group separated from the Kyaguliro group, establishing its own entity in 2016. The family comprises 15 individuals, including 1 silverback, 7 adult females, 1 sub-adult, 1 juvenile, and 5 newborns, of which 2 were born in 2021. The University of Western Australia, in collaboration with the Manx Plank Institute, is conducting research on these groupings. The objective is to examine the environment, physical characteristics, and social dynamics of the gorillas, which may elucidate the reasons for their separation from the parental group. Current data suggest that the group predominantly forages in the interior regions of the forest.
Oruzogo
As of 2008, the Oruzogo group consisted of 17 members, but it subsequently divided, leaving only 10 individuals today: 1 silverback, 4 blackbacks, 2 adult females, 1 juvenile, 1 sub-adult, and 1 infant. The term Oruzogo denotes a local plant, Alchornea hitela, which serves as a primary food source for gorillas. UWA states that this plant is uncommon in the gorilla diet; yet, it constitutes their principal sustenance.
Gorilla families in the Nkuringo sector
The Nkuringo sector is situated south of Bwindi on the Ndego hill, approximately 1 km from Kisoro town council and 76 km from Kabaale municipality. Tracking at Nkuringo is optimal for people entering from Rwanda through the Cyanika border town. The term Nkuringo in the Rukiga dialect translates to “round hill.” This sector is situated on the Ndego ridge (2,000 meters), providing vistas of the Virunga volcanoes and the Albertine rift valley, hence rendering Nkuringo the most remarkable sector for gorilla viewing in Bwindi. In Nkuringo, there are four gorilla groups, one of which, named Posho, is allocated for habituation experiences, while the remaining three are available for tracking.
Posho
Posho is one of the two Bwindi gorilla groups allocated for the habituation experience, during which visitors engage with the primates for four hours. The group comprises 9 animals, including a silverback recognized for its chest-thumping behavior when tourists approach.
Nkuringo Group
Nkuringo comprises 12 members, including a young silverback named Rwamutwe, who assumed leadership in 2020 following the death of Rafiki, who was slain by poachers. At the age of 25, Rafiki was the oldest recorded silverback in the southern Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The group was the inaugural habituated population in the Nkuringo sector, with 20 people at that time. Upon acclimatization to human presence, the gorillas adopted a tendency to raid the local agricultural plots. UWA established a buffer zone by resettling individuals, thus mitigating human-gorilla confrontations.
Bushasho
The Bushaho group comprises 10 individuals, including the dominant silverback, Bahati. The home range region referred to as Bushaho is situated between the Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors. The family often forages over an extensive area, where it engaged with the Nkuringo group in 2012. Indeed, Bahati the silverback and several other gorillas departed from Nkuringo and integrated into Bushaho. The UWA rangers also observed the presence of wild, non-habituated gorillas. Follow-up activities were conducted to confirm the group’s stability for visitation, which was successful. Among the ten members, there exists a formidable black back that may contend with Bahati for leadership in the future. Observing the Bushaho group is intriguing as it reveals how the two adversaries maintain distance while foraging. Additional gorillas comprise three adult females, two sub-adult females, and three newborns.
Christmas
The Christmas group comprises nine members, the majority of whom originate from Nkuringo, including a wild adult female accompanied by her offspring. Consequently, UWA minimized the time spent acclimatizing them, thereby facilitating the tracking process.
Gorilla family in the Rushaga sector
Rushaga gorilla center is situated in the southern portion of Bwindi, 36.9 km (1-hour 26 min drive) from Kisoro Airport. The sector is accessible to travelers from Rwanda. Rushaga features eight gorilla groups and the highest number of lodgings, some of which are situated along the shores of Lake Mutanda and Lake Mulehe, located 21.7 kilometers from the gorilla center. Besides gorillas, several activities are available, including kayaking, boating, and woodland treks.
Bikingi
Bikingi is the second group undergoing habituation and is consequently available for the habituation experience. The group consists of 11 members, including a silverback named Bikingi, who was killed by an invading wild silverback in 2018, resulting in a change of leadership. The incident prompted 9 gorillas to depart and affiliate with other groups; 5 adult females subsequently reassembled. The females have produced a total of 11 offspring over the years, comprising 2 silverbacks, 4 newborns, and 1 adolescent. The habituation process of Bikingi commenced in 2012 when UWA rangers observed the convergence of both habituated gorillas from the Mishaya group and wild gorillas. The habituation exercise has been extended to monitor them closely.
Kahungye
Kahungye is the largest gorilla group in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, comprising 25 animals, led by a single silverback named Ruziika. The congregation of numerous gorillas is striking for avid photographers. The UWA commenced the habituation of Kahungye in 2008 with approximately 29 individuals, including 3 adult silverbacks: Riziika, Busingye, and Rwiigi. The Silverback Ruziika has regularly emerged as the leader in its competition. Throughout the years, the group has grown, with seven adult and subadult females producing two blackbacks, two adolescents, and six newborns.
Nshongi
The Nshongi group, once the largest gorilla family in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, comprised 36 members before fracturing into the Bweza and Mishaya groups owing to internal conflict. Initially, just seven individuals remained, but this number has now risen to eleven, comprising one silverback, one blackback, two adolescents, five adult females, and two newborns. The group was named after the Shongi River region, which is inhabited by various primate species, including black and white colobus monkeys, Lhoest monkeys, and olive baboons. Visitors to the Nshongi gorilla group have the opportunity to observe additional species in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Bweza
The Bweza group diverged from the Nshongi in 2010 and was subsequently acknowledged and made available for tracking two years later. This facilitated habituation, as the majority of the gorillas were already thoroughly acclimated to human presence. The gang comprises 15 members, led by Kakono the silverback, who favors foraging at the forest’s periphery and occasionally ventures into the neighboring settlement of Rushaga. Fortunately, the residents are enthusiastic about aiding in the surveillance of the primates via the Human-Gorilla group, which empowers them in conservation efforts.
Mishaya
The Mishaya gorilla group separated from the Nshongi in 2010. It was established in 2014 with 12 members, of which 4 departed following the demise of the silverback. Mishaya currently comprises 8 members, including a silverback named Tinfayo, which translates to “careless” in English, 5 adult females, 1 newborn, and 1 juvenile. UWA identified the presence of wild gorillas among them, subsequently undertaking a comprehensive re-habituation process.
Kutu
The Kutu gorilla group, one of the largest in Uganda, comprises 20 individuals and is led by the Kutu Silverback. The group comprises 7 infants, 1 sub-adult, 2 juveniles, 1 blackback, and 8 adult females, which have recently been habituated in the Rushaga sector.
Busingye
Busingye, meaning peace, is one of eight gorilla groups in the Rushaga area. The group comprises 9 members: 1 silverbacks, 3 adult females, 1 black back, 2 juveniles, and 3 newborns, who often forage in the forest’s interior regions. Consequently, Busingye is seen as challenging to monitor in the Rushaga sector.
Gorilla families in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Located in southwestern Uganda, Mgahinga is a component of the Virunga Massif, a series of eight volcanic mountains that extend across the borders of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The territory hosts 604 mountain gorillas, with an estimated 200 individuals residing only in Mgahinga. The remaining gorillas inhabit protected regions, including Virunga in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Volcanoes National Park in northern Rwanda.
In Mgahinga, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has habituated a gorilla family named Nyakagezi, including nine members, including four silverbacks. The predominant silverback, Mark, is recognized for maintaining his family’s territory within Uganda’s boundaries. The wildlife rangers effectively watch and safeguard the group to prevent it from going beyond the designated boundaries. Consequently, guests intending to embark on a gorilla safari in Uganda are urged to visit Mgahinga to acknowledge the rangers’ efforts. Furthermore, given that most guests go to Bwindi for gorilla safaris, Mgahinga offers an off-the-beaten path experience.