Gorilla families in Uganda

Gorilla families in Uganda : Only three African nations—Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—have mountain gorillas. A minimum of 400 mountain gorillas have been documented in Uganda, up from 302 in the 2006 census, making it the country with the highest number of mountain gorillas in recorded history. The national park Bwindi Impenetrable is home to several primates. The meeting with these gorillas is the most thrilling on the entire continent, and they are housed in this rain forest in the southern-western region of Uganda. The primary activity at Bwindi is gorilla trekking, and a total of 12 gorilla families have been counted over the park’s four sectors.

In Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, there are about 80 mountain gorillas that are all members of the same gorilla group that lives there. These gorilla families have been trained to be tracked at this time. In a two-year procedure known as “gorilla habituation,” mountain gorillas are trained to become accustomed to humans while they go about their daily business in their natural habitat. Each gorilla family can only be visited by a total of 8 people per day.

Bwindi is divided into four sectors: Rushaga, Buhoma, Ruhija, and Nkuringo. We have information on every gorilla family that is open for visitation, so you may learn more about them before starting your gorilla tracking journey. However, bear in mind that mountain gorillas are solitary creatures who are constantly on the go. A silverback may choose to quit his group at any time and start his own family. The total number of Mountain Gorilla families in each sector is listed below.

Family of Rushegura Gorillas

One of the families, the Rushegura Gorilla Group, has 19 members in total and is headed by Mwirima, a silverback in his late 20s and the sibling of Rwansigazi, a former silverback in Habinyanja. The group is called after the location where these two brothers split off to start their own distinct organization. After one silver back from the Habinyanja group opted to leave and form his own family with a total of 12 individuals, including 5 females, it was brought together in 2002. By 2010, there were 19 members, an increase from the previous 12; the family is renowned as the most tranquil one in the Bwindi forest.

This family has a history of traveling to the Congo but has always returned. They are also renowned for occasionally going to adjacent lodges and communities, which makes them the calmest gorilla group  in Buhoma and all of Bwindi.

Habinyanja Gorilla Family

Although tourists first visited the Habinyanja Gorilla Family in 1999, the group of habinyanja gorillas was founded in 1997. The word Habinyanja is derived from the Nyanja word spoken locally, which means “water” and refers to one of the swamps in the woodland where this family was discovered. The family is made up of 17 individuals, including 2 silverbacks. When the family was first habituated, Munguris—a term used locally to refer to a “old man”—led the pack. He later died from old age. His two brothers, Mwirima and Rwansigazi, later received his inheritance and assumed control of the family. However, the two later disagreed on how to run the household.

They had various personalities. Rwansigazi wanted to travel and Mwirima loved to be near to the family, which caused them to separate in 2002. As a result, the group who stayed with Rwansigazi was known as the Habinyanja, even though Rwansigazi handed up his position as leader to Makara the Dominate silverback. In Buhoma, one can find this family.

Family Mubare

Eight members of the Mubare Gorilla Family, including one silverback, were discovered in the forest of the Mubare Hills, which in the local language means “stone.” The group was established in 1993 for the purpose of tourism. When it first began, there were 18 members, and Ruhondenza served as the club’s leader. The group has experienced the unfortunate luck of raids by mountain gorilla family kidnappers, which resulted in family death in 2012 when the gorilla family members were abducted.

The Alpha male, Ruhondenza, attempted to resist them, but due to his advanced age, he was outmatched, which left him with an excruciating sense of melancholy. According to legend, he passed away in his sleep from uncontrollable melancholy. His cemetery can be visited by tourists, and the 5 members that Ruhondenza left behind have grown to 8 members, commanded by the silverback’s alpha Kanyonyi.

 Bitukura gorillas Family

The Bitukura gorilla family currently includes 14 members, down from the initial 24 individuals who lived close to the family’s location when it was first spotted in 2007. The duration of the habitation was less than any other habituation, which lasts two years. The Kyaguriro family and the family share a close relationship and common interests.

Despite having four silverbacks, the family is headed by the second youngest silverback, “Ndahura,” who succeeded Karumazi and is noted for being tranquil and lively. This makes it easier for family members to get along and foster a sense of community.

Who has grown older and is unable to defend the family. Even though the family has endured many hardships, since 2013, when they welcomed new family members, Bitukura is happier and closer than ever. The Ruhija area of Bwindi is home to the Bitukura Gorilla Family.

Oruzogo family

The Uganda Wildlife Authority formed the Oruzogo family in 2011, the second habituated group in the Ruhija sector, with 25 members, including 2 Silverbacks. Tebirikwata, one of the family’s eldest gorillas, is in charge of this group. Since 2011, new family members have joined the group as a result of older females Ntumurungi and Musi having more children than usual. In addition, in 2013 Kankoba gave birth to twins. The group is renowned for its lively behaviors and its vivacious individuals. This family is made up of people with various names that are drawn from regional names, such as Busungu, which means “short-tempered,” Bwoba, which means “coward,” and kakanga.

the Kyaguriro familial clan

Family of kyaguriyo gorillas

Since its habituation in 1999, the Kyaguriro group of gorillas has become one of the most prized gorilla populations. This group was set aside by the “Max Planck institute by evolutionary of Anthropology” for research and study purposes. This group is a member of the Ruhija sector’s gorilla family groups. The family, which consists of 15 individuals—including 2 Silverbacks—was headed by an elderly Silverback named Zeus, who Rukina exiled in the forest where he subsequently perished. Since Rukina took over as leader in 2015 after Zeus was declared deceased, the gang has gone through several generations.

He reached the age of 31 before being replaced by a silverback named Rukara, who currently oversees the 15-member family. The family has contributed significantly to numerous studies and conservation efforts to better understand the differences between mountain gorillas and those found in Virunga Volcanoes National Park.

Nkuringo-gorilla-group

The name “Nkuringo” is taken from the word for the circular hills, which are found in the regions of Kisoro and Bwindi. The Nkuringo sector was established in 2004. The most difficult trailhead for gorilla trekking, but also one of the most rewarding and worthwhile treks of a lifetime, is this family.

One of the Silverback Alphas, whose name was derived from the term “Nkuringo,” led the family and later passed away in 2004 following a successful habituation. Rafiki, who in Kiswahili means “friend,” and Safari, the older brother, who assumed leadership and has been able to keep the family together through difficult times, are Nkuringo’s two elderly sons. During his rule, the family welcomed two infant twins named Muhoza and Katungi, though Katungi did not make it to his second birthday and died. There are 19 people in the family, including 2 Silverbacks.

 Mishaya gorilla group

The 12 members of the Mishaya gorilla family can receive daily visits from up to 8 persons. This group has a long history of having a warrior as its leader, and its name was taken from Mishaya the Silverback, who was well-known for his fighting prowess and interactions with other Gorrila families. With 10 members, he split from the Nshogi family to found his own family.

Mishaya was notorious for picking fights, and in 2010 he started one that resulted in more injuries and the loss of one of his kids. Fortunately, mountain gorilla vet Nary saved him, albeit he later passed away in 2014. You can visit the family, which is now headed by Mwine the Silverback.

Family of Nshongi gorillas

The Nshongi Gorilla Family is the largest gorilla family in the Rushaga sector that tourists can visit. It was introduced in 2009 and has the largest habituation group. The family got its name from the River Nshongi, where it was first spotted; the word “Nshongi” was derived from a local word called “Omushongi Gwobuki,” which means “honey,” and referred to the river’s dark brownish color.

The family was headed by Nhsongi the silverback and had 36 members, all of whom were visited on a daily basis. However, in 2010, Mishaya split off with 10 others to form his own group, and two years later, in 2010, Bweza the silverback also split off with some individuals to form his own, leaving the family with just 26 individuals.

 Kahugye Gorilla Family

13 members make up the Kahugye Gorilla Family, which is one of the newest mountain gorilla groups in the Rushaga sector. There are three silverbacks in this group. After a successful habituation, the group was established in 2011 with 27 members, including 3 Silverbacks. However, after a member of the family Busingye broke up with some of the other members, the family split apart and there were only 13 members left. The Kahungye family is currently headed by a silverback known as “Gwigi,” which in local lingo means “door.”

 Bweza-gorilla-family

After the Nshongi group, which was the largest, Bweza is the largest habituated group. However, in 2010 Mishaya the silverback made the decision to split off the family to form his own group. It has also been reported by rangers that Bweza also split off to form his own family in 2012. However, the rangers believed the group could reunite. This family resides in Bwindi’s Rushaga sector.

Busingye-Gorilla-Family

One of the Bwindi regions with the greatest concentration of Mountain Gorilla groups is the Rushaga sector, home to the Busingye Gorilla Family. This group bears the name Busingye after the silverback. Busingye is a local term that means “peace.” He was a part of the Kuhungye family, which split off from the group in 2012 with 7 members. Busingye is violent and picks conflicts with other gorilla family groupings.

His family has grown to nine members thanks in part to his reputation for stealing women from other family groupings. This is one of the ways he displays his dominance.

Group of Nyakagezi Gorillas

The “Nyakagezi” group, which has 10 members and is the only one in Mgahinga as opposed to the other 11 gorilla families in Bwindi, frequently travels to the neighboring nations of Congo and Rwanda. The family, however, began to appreciate Uganda more in 2012, and the UWA has since noticed that their situation has stabilized. The group’s leader, known as “Bugingo,” was a silverback who later died from old age. Later, his older son Mark and the other two silverbacks Mafia and Mathew took his position.

Two females named Nyiramwezi and Nshuti, two blackbacks named Nduguntse and Rukundo, and two young animals named Furaha and Nkanda make up the family.

Due to the group’s unpredictable movements and travel, UWA has placed the permits in Kisoro, and this is the only location where Gorrila permits may be acquired. The group is known for its entertainment, and tourists adore its playful nature and character.

Visit Uganda for a chance to see the only mountain gorillas left in the world in their natural habitat and interact with the family to learn about their daily routine.