Gorilla families in Uganda
The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park population is split into 50 gorilla families and 13 lonely individuals, although only 21 of these groups are habituated and may be visited by people in four tracking districts, namely Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park contains only one tracking location, Ntebeko, and the sole habituated gorilla group is the Nyakagezi Gorilla Family. This ten individuals-gorilla group used to be migratory and regular travelers, departing for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. Thankfully, they came home and have not moved since 2012.
BUHOMA TRAILHEAD
Mubare Gorilla Family
9 individuals in the family, including 1 silverback
Buhoma is the location.
Mubare is Uganda’s oldest habituated gorilla troop. It was discovered in the Mubare highlands, deep within the Bwindi bush, and was fully habituated in 1998. The clan began with 12 members, lead by the dominating silverback “Ruhondeza.”
Within a few years, the group had grown to 18 members. Unfortunately, it lost some members due to clashes with other wild gorilla groups, including Ruhondeza, who used to look after everyone else in the party.
The group maintained 5 members until March 2013, when additional members, including a new dominant silverback, arrived, making it an intriguing group to see, lead by Kanyonyi – the Silverback. There are six adults, one adolescent, and three toddlers. Mubare gorilla permits are becoming a priority for many tour companies and tourists because to their handy position with the Queen Elizabeth Park and limited tracking trek.
Habinyanja Gorilla Family
There are 17 individuals in the family, including one silverback.
Buhoma Habinyanja Gorilla Family – Mountain Gorilla Families in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Tourists first visited the once-25-member Habinyanja tribe in 1999. The name is derived from the indigenous word “Nyanja,” which means “body of water.” It alludes to the bog in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest where the gang was initially discovered.
The group contained numerous powerful males, which resulted in power battles amongst the dominant silverbacks battling for family leadership, resulting in the formation of the Rushegura family.
It is typical for such huge families to break. – The separation produces a new gorilla family, which is occasionally joined by members rejected by previous families or other lonely gorillas. Even when this happens, gorillas preserve their fraternity and do not fight former family members if they encounter them.
There is one silverback, one blackback, five adult females, one sub-adult, three adolescents, and six newborns among the 17 individuals. Visitors tracking this family will require between 3 and 8 hours, and it is best if they stay in the Buhoma district of Bwindi. Makara, the cunning alpha female, leads the household.
Rushegura Gorilla Family
Kabukojo leads a family of 17 individuals, including one silverback, four blackbacks, four adult females, four juniors, and four babies.
Buhoma is the location.
The Rushegura gorilla family was formed in 2002 after one of the Habinyanja group’s silverbacks opted to split away. They began with 12 people, including 5 women. This “Habinyanya 2 group” rapidly gained a new name derived from “Ebishegura” – a tree species prevalent in the new family’s home location.
They are frequently close to Buhoma village and occasionally roam through the grounds of Gorilla Forest Camp. Those looking for a quicker excursion should be aware that this huge gorilla troop may frequently be followed in less than 5 hours. There is no certainty that the gorillas will not flee, and it will take longer to track them down.
Katwe Gorilla Family
7 individuals in the family, including 1 silverback
Buhoma is the location.
Katwe is a newer Gorilla family in the Buhoma area, having been there for around three years. In August 2018, the group resumed regular hiking.
For several years, this location has only had three habituated gorilla families, with hikers seeking gorilla permits in the area since it is closer to Queen Elizabeth Park and has more luxurious overnight facilities than Bwindi. In this part of Bwindi Gorilla Park, there are presently 32 gorilla passes available.
Muyambi Gorilla Family
Muyambi is the leader of a family of seven silverbacks.
Buhoma is the location.
The Muyambi gorilla family is the newest group in the Buhoma district of Bwindi, having been established in early 2019. The family consists of six individuals.
Muyambi was an older family member of the Mubare family who spat away from the family to create the Muyambi group. The gorillas are fascinating to observe as they go about their everyday lives of eating, conversing, resting, and moving on the ground and in the treetops. In May 2020, the family welcomed a new member.
RUHIJA TRAILHEAD
Bitukura Gorilla Family
Ndahura leads a family of 13 individuals, including four silverbacks, four adult females, two adolescents, and three newborns.
Ruhija neighborhood
Group of Bitukura Gorillas Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda is home to around 21 habituated mountain gorilla families. The Bitukura family was called after the river where they were first seen. The habituation, which began in July 2007, was a very simple process because the gorillas had already been visited often by UWA rangers.
Although the habituation process generally takes at least two years, this group could be seen by visitors within 15 months of its inception. They have a strong relationship and frequently hold “group meetings” or get-togethers.
The group had 24 members, however owing to family problems, several gorillas just opted to quit the group and were likely recruited by other families. The Bitukura family enjoys foraging near the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Ruhija tourism station and around the forest boundaries in the region. It is best to stay in the Ruhija section of Bwindi National Park to view this family, but you may still stay in Buhoma if you leave very early to catch the pre-track orientation.
Oruzogo Gorilla Family
Bakwate Oruzogo Gorilla Family Group Bwindi Impenetrable Park has 17 members: 2 silverbacks, 2 blackbacks, 5 adult females, 2 sub-adults, 1 juvenile, and 5 newborns.
The Oruzogo Gorilla Family began receiving visitors in 2011, and those who have been to see them really adore them. It is not a difficult journey, but it does need some endurance and stamina. The Oruzugo family is well-known for foraging and eating on flora dominated by the ‘Alchornea hitela’ plant (locally known as Oruzogo), which also gives rise to the group’s name.
It’s one of the most popular families with visitors, not only because of its size, but also because of the group’s fun and enthusiastic juveniles and toddlers.
The main issue in the Ruhija district of Bwindi, where the group is staying, is that there are limited housing alternatives, especially on a budget. It is feasible, but not recommended, for tourists to overnight in the Buhoma region, which is over an hour distant, and then travel to the Ruhija area for a pre-tracking orientation. You must be on the road by 6:30 a.m. at the latest.
Kyaguliro Gorilla Family
Family size: 10 people: Rukara, the Silverback, is in command. Two blackbacks, three adult females, two adolescents, and two newborns
Ruhija area of Bwindi National Park
Kyaguliro Gorilla Group exists purely for the purpose of gorilla study. The habituation of the groups began in 1995, after the tragic death of the main family leader Rukina on April 7, 2015, from an electric shock caused by lightning.
Following Rukina’s death, the family was left under the governance of an inexperienced young Silverback (Mukiza), who was later attacked by a immigrant Adult Silverback (Rukara) from the Bitukura family, sparking a family split in May 2016, forming Kyaguliro A – under Rukara and Kyaguliro B – under Mukiza.
Mukiza Goeilla Family
Family size: 10 people: Mukiza, the Silverback, leads a group of four adult females, one sub-adult, and four babies.
The Mukiza family was originally part of the Kyaguliro gorilla group, led by Rukina, who died in 2015. Mukiza, the juvenile silverback, lost leadership of the huge gorilla family, causing the group to divide. Mukiza walked away with a substantial number of individuals who now comprise the Mukiza family.
NKURINGO TRAILHEAD
Nkuringo Gorilla Family
The family consists of 11 members: two blackbacks, two adult females, two subadults, three adolescents, and two babies. Rwamutwe, a black back, leads the way.
Nkuringo neighborhood
Nkuringo is a local term that means “round hill” in the Rukiga language, and it refers to the hill where the group was originally spotted. After a two-year habituation effort, the once-17-member Nkuringo family became the first gorilla group to be habituated in the whole southern area of BINP in 1997.
Bushaho Gorilla Family
Family size: 8 people: The group is led by Bahati, the Silverback, and includes one blackback, three adult females, one sub-adult, one juvenile, and one newborn.
Nkuringo neighborhood
A follow-up study was done due to the constant departure of individual members of the Nkuringo Family. In early 2012, a hunt for their whereabouts was undertaken. It was discovered that one of the Silverbacks, SB Bahati, who had previously been a member of the Nkuringo family, was running a parallel family.
Some of the men under his command were former Nkuringo family members, as well as non-habituated members. What began as a follow-up exercise evolved into detailed observation of the new parallel family’s conduct. The tribe was later acclimated and given the name ‘Bushaho.’
RUSHAGA TRAILHEAD
Nshongi Gorilla Family
The family consists of ten members: one silverback, three adult females, one sub-adult, two juveniles, and three newborns. Bweza is the head of the family.
Bwindi National Park’s Rushaga region
With around 32 gorilla members, Nshongi was the largest troop ever habituated and was formally presented in September 2009. It was called after the Nshongi River, where the gorilla family was discovered.
Although most gorilla families of roughly 25 individuals had one or two Silverbacks, this one was unusual in that it had four. Another unusual feature is that the group is commanded by Nshongi, who is not even the family’s eldest Silverback, and that the three silverbacks and seven blackbacks coexisted together.
Bikingi Gorilla Family
1 silverback, 5 adult females, 2 sub-adults, 2 juveniles, and 5 newborns make up the family of 15.
Rushaga neighborhood
The Bikingi gorilla group began habituation in early 2012 as a follow-up activity for the dispersed members of the dissolved Mishaya family. Indeed, numerous members of the former Mishaya family were discovered in the group with other non-habituated members and later proclaimed for habituation in order to maintain tight tabs on the once habituated members.
Mishaya Gorilla Family
Family size: 12 people, with one dominating member. Silverback
Bwindi National Park’s Rushaga region
Silverback debuted in July 2010. Mishaya left the Nshongi Gorilla Group with a few females to create his own family. He was a typical warrior, and he was able to gather more females from other non-habituated groups in the vicinity, totaling 12 gorillas, including three newborns.
As previously stated, Mishaya died in 2014 and was the last adult male in the group. He was renowned as a warrior who frequently initiated encounters with other gorilla families.
By the end of 2015, the group consisted of 7 gorillas, however as previously said, gorilla families are sometimes joined by friends or even acquire new members in victorious conflicts.
Kahungye Gorilla Family
Family size: 17 individuals, including three silverbacks, three blackbacks, three adult females, three sub-adults, three adolescents, and two babies. Rumanzi is the head of the family.
Bwindi National Park’s Rushaga region
The name “Kahungye” derives from a hill near Rushaga where the gorillas were discovered.
The group, which included three silverbacks, was introduced to tourists for gorilla tracking in 2011. After less than a year, the group fissioned due to intra-male conflict, forming the Busingye Gorilla Family. You see that the size of families changes as they separate, divorce, have feuds, and flee in a huff, while the men may attack another group and take a few females with them.
Bweza Gorilla Family
The family consists of 12 members: two silverbacks, four blackbacks, three adult females, one subadult, and two newborns.
Bwindi National Park’s Rushaga region
The Bweza Gorilla Family is part of the Nshongi Group, which was once the biggest habituated group in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. However, owing to Silverback Mishaya’s desire to quit the group and create his own family in July 2010, he departed with a good number of them, notably Silverback Bweza. Bweza chose independence at the end of 2012, leaving the Mishaya Gorilla Group with roughly 6 other individuals.
Busingye Gorilla Family
There were 9 people in the group: 1 silverback, 3 adult females, 1 adolescent, and 4 newborns. The founder, Busingye, is still in charge of the family.
Location: Bwindi Gorilla Park’s Rushaga area
Busingye Gorilla Group is another branch gorilla family that split from the Kahungye Family in June 2012. Silverback Busingye was the one who opted to split and start his own family.
Busingye is a local language word for ‘peace,’ which is unexpected given this ambitious Silverback’s famous battles with other gorilla groups. He enjoys displaying his might, and anytime he comes across a wild family, he viciously takes a female to add to his own brood.
Kutu Family Gorilla Family
The Kutu Family consists of eight members and one silverback.
Kutu is a new gorilla family in Bwindi Park’s Rushaga region. This group is still in habituation and is ideal for those interested in gorilla habituation. The Kutu gorilla group consists of eight individuals and one silverback.
Mucunguzi gorilla Family
Mucunguzi gorilla group is a recently habituated gorilla family in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park‘s Rushaga region. Mucunguzi is a name given to a third and youngest silverback inside the Bweza gorilla group at the time. The Mucunguzi group separated from the Bweza family. The Mucunguzi gorilla group consists of eight mountain gorillas.
Rwigi Gorilla Family
Family size: 10 people
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has revealed and opened a new Gorilla family for trekking. Rwigi is a newly habituated gorilla family in Bwindi Park’s Rushaga area. The Rwigi Gorilla family is distinct from the Kahungye Gorilla family, which may also be found in the Rushaga section of Bwindi Forest Park.
Visitors to Bwindi Forest may now monitor the new Gorilla family for a unique and unforgettable Mountain Gorilla tracking experience. Rwigi, originally one of Kahungye Gorilla Family’s three dominant silverbacks, is now the head of Rwigi Gorilla Family.
Nyakagezi Gorilla Family
Ntebeko – Mgahinga Gorilla Park is located in Uganda.
9 people in all, including 1 silverback
Mgahinga Gorilla Park’s lone family is the Nyakagezi Gorilla Group. Mark, the dominating Silverback, likes to roam and frequently crosses borders within Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, the group has remained steady in recent years, and they have been attempting to settle on the Ugandan side since November 2012, where they are expected to remain for some time. When a newborn baby gorilla arrived in May 2013, the group grew to ten members.
