Overview
Gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are the most astonishing tourist attraction in Uganda and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The park is located in southwestern Uganda and was designated in 1991 as a national park covering 331 square kilometers of land under the control of the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Three years later, Bwindi was listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1994 for its ecological importance and unique plantation of almost 400 plant species that date 25,000 years.
On the designation of Bwindi in 1991, gorilla habituation kicked off the same year paving the way for the first gorilla trekking in 1992 with the Mubare gorilla family. Gorilla individuals increased in the park to about 459 individuals and these were distributed throughout the 4 gorilla sectors which are, the Buhoma gorilla sector, Rushaga gorilla sector, Ruhija gorilla sector, and Nkuringo gorilla sector.
Gorilla families in Bwindi
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has more than 459 gorilla individuals that are found in the 50 gorilla families found in Bwindi having 24 habituated families which are open for trekking since 1992. Mubare was the first gorilla family to be trekked in the Buhoma sector then others followed in the other sectors.
Buhoma sector gorilla families
Mubare gorilla family
The Mubare gorilla family was the first habituated family that was trekked in 1992 in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi. The family had 12 individuals at the time it was habituated but these have kept decreasing and increasing due to the freedom of movement in the ancient forests and meeting other gorilla families recording the Mubare gorilla family with only 9 individuals today. some that left Mubare formed the Muyambi gorilla family still in the Buhoma sector.
Habinyanja gorilla family
The Habinyanja gorilla family was habituated in 1996 having its first trek in 1999. The Habinyanja gorilla family’s name was derived from the Rukiga word ” Nyanja” meaning place of water. The family had 25 gorilla individuals originally who were under the leadership of Mugurusi and later split into two groups forming Habinyanja and Rushegura. Habinyanja was left under the leadership of Rwansigazi the dominant silver back with 12 gorilla individuals having lost Mugurusi due to his old age.
Rushegura gorilla family
This is a sister family to Habinyanja that split from the group and followed Mwirima the dominant silver back in 2002. Mwirima passed on, living a group of 19 individuals under the leadership of a black back.
Muyambi gorilla family
Muyambi is one of the newest gorilla families Buhoma sector that spits from the Mubare gorilla family. The group was named after the dominant silverback Muyambi who is leading a group of 8 individuals.
Katwe gorilla family
Katwe gorilla family was opened for trekking in 2008 with 9 gorilla individuals, under the leadership of Mahaane the dominant silverback. However, the members of the Katwe gorilla family are inconsistent as they keep moving from one group to another.
Ruhija sector gorilla families
Bitukura gorilla family
Bitukura is a family in the Ruhija sector that was habituated in 2007 under the leadership of Ndahura the dominant silverback. Ndahura lost his life in 2016 at the age of 28, giving the thrown to Mugisha. The group under Mugisha’s leadership holds 13 gorilla individuals.
Oruzogo gorilla family
The Oruzogo gorilla family was named after their unique character of respecting the Oruzogo tree since it was not edible. This family was opened for trekking in 2007 under the leadership of Bakwate with 10 individuals in total.
Kyaguliro gorilla family
This was one of the big groups that had about 20 individuals, who were under the leadership of Rukina at the time of habituation. In 2015, Rukina was struck by lightning, driving him to live with the ancestors and his death led to the splitting of the group. Kyaguliro remained under the leadership of Rukara, and then Kyaguliro followed Mukiza.
Mukiza gorilla family
This is the long-known Kyaguliro B that split from the Kyaguliro group. The group was renamed Mukiza after the dominant silverback Mukiza in 2016. Mukiza family is purposely for research with the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. The family got a new birth in 2021, tuning its number to 15 gorilla individuals.
Nkuringo sector gorilla families
Nkuringo gorilla family
The Nkuringo gorilla family was the first to be habituated in the whole of the southern part of Bwindi in 1997. The family still stands special as it was the first gorilla family to record the birth of twins in 2004, however, it lost the first dominant silverback Rafiki, who was replaced by Rwamutwe a black back.
Bushaho gorilla family
Bushaho gorilla family separated from the Nkuringo gorilla family, pulled many members to follow Bahati the dominant silverback, and many more joined from other groups making up a group of 10 gorillas.
Christmas gorilla family
This is a new family with 9 members under the leadership of the dominant Silverback Christmas.
Posho gorilla family
This is the newest habituated gorilla family in the Nkuringo sector, with 14 gorilla individuals, under the leadership of Magara the dominant silverback.
Rushaga sector gorilla families
Nshongi gorilla family
Nshongi is a group consisting of 11 gorilla individuals after the reduction from 34 gorilla individuals. Nshongi had the highest concentration of gorillas but these were reduced due to consistent rivals forming Mishaya and Bweza
Kahungye gorilla family
The Kahungye gorilla family was habituated in 2008 under the leadership of Ruziika who still rules a population of 25 gorilla individuals.
Bweza gorilla family
These split from the Nshongi gorilla family in 2013, forming their own Bweza under the leadership of Kakono the dominant silverback, governing a group of 15 individuals.
Busingye gorilla family
The Busingye group is named after their leader Busingye, having split from the Kahungye gorilla family. The group consists of 10 gorilla individuals in the isolated parts of Bwindi.
Bikingi gorilla family
The Bikingi gorilla family is a family of originally one lonely silverback Bikingi who was murdered by a rival silverback who was also named Bikingi. The killer gorilla became the leader of 12 gorilla became the leaders of this group which consists of 12 gorillas.
Mishaya gorilla family
This family was formed in 2010 under the leadership of Mishaya who passed on in 2014. Today, the group is under the leadership of Tinfayo who was part of the Nshongi gorilla family but separated from it in 2012, joining Mishaya with Shida and a baby.
Kutu Gorilla Family
This is one of the most recently habituated families, consisting of 20 members under the rule of Kutu the dominant silverback.
Mucunguzi gorilla family
The Mucunguzi gorilla family is a family under the leadership of a young silverback Mucunguzi who was expelled from the Bweza family. Mucunguzi attacked Bweza after some time and abducted two females for himself then more group members joined with time from other gorilla families.
Rwigi gorilla family
Rwigi is the dominant silverback of the Rwigi family, from whom the family name is derived. The family separated from Kahungye and made its own with an exact number of individuals.
When is the best time to visit the gorilla families in Bwindi?
Bwindi is a rainforest area that is best to visit in the dry season, at the time when the ground is dry and the vegetation is short simplifying the gorilla tracking. The dry season includes the months of June to August and December to February.
Wet season are very impressive since the gorillas have plenty of food, and accessing them is easy for they move shorter distances in the wet season, though areas are of high altitude throughout the wet and dry season.