Gorilla Families in Bwindi impenetrable National Park
Gorillas just like humans, live in families led by an alpha male who protects the gorilla group and is usually a silverback
Bwindi impenetrable national park under UWA management has 18 habituated mountain Gorilla Families trekked by visitors on a daily basis almost throughout the year.
The southern sector of Bwindi boasts Gorilla groups namely;
Nkuringo Gorilla Family
Nkuringo mountain gorilla family was habituated at Nkuringo Sector of Bwindi impenetrable National Park and is comprised of 18 members with 2 Silverbacks.
Bushaho gorilla family
Bushaho mountain gorilla family group is trekked in Nkuringo sector and is made up of 8 members with 1 silver back known as Bahati who broke away from the Nkuringo group.
Christmas gorilla family
Christmas mountain gorilla family group is the most newly habituated family for gorilla trekking in the Nkuringo sector of bwindi and is made up of 9 members with 1 dominant silverback known as Christmas who was actually born on Christmas day.
Nshongi gorilla Family
Nshongi mountain gorilla family group was habituated in Rushaga sector of Bwindi impenetrable national park and is the largest gorilla family comprising of 25 members under the leadership of 2 silverbacks.
The Nshongi gorilla group was named after the river close where the family was first seen. The word Nshongi was derived from “Omushongi Gwoboki, meaning ‘honey’ and referred to the deep color of the river.
Nshongi was opened for gorilla trekking tourism in September 2009; the family was unique due to its large size.
Mishaya gorilla family (M-group)
Mishaya habituated in Rushaga with a family size of 12 members with 1 Silver back.
Interesting to note also is that the Silverback Mishaya left the Nshongi Group with 9 others in July 2010 to form the Mishaya Group.
Bweza gorilla family
Bweza mountain gorillaFamily group is comprised of 9 members with 1 silverback.
Kahungye gorilla family
Kahungye mountain gorilla group is comprised of 13 members with 3 silverbacks.
The Kahungye group is one of the most recent habituated gorilla families in Bwindi impenetrable National Park. The family was opened for gorilla trekking tourism in October 2011 but in less than a year the group split, creating a new family that is called Busingye.
Busingye gorilla family
Busingye gorilla family group consists of 9 members with 1 silverback called Busingye who decided to split from the Kahungye group in June 2012 and created his own family.
Busingye means ‘peace’ in the local Rukiga language, however it is quite surprising since this ambitious silverback is known for his legendary fights with other gorilla groups.
He likes showing his power and whenever encountering a wild family, mercilessly grabs a female to add to his own family.
Bikyingi gorilla family
Bikyingi gorilla group was habituated in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi impenetrable national park and consists of 21 individuals.
Bikyingi family came into existence after some members from Mishaya came together with other wild gorillas to form their own family.
The group was then put up for habituation. Bikyingi, the lead silverback, is very friendly to all his young ones.
Rwigi gorilla family
Rwigi gorilla family group is a newly habituated gorilla family in the Rushaga sector with 6 members led by Rwigi the silverback gorilla. The group broke away from the Kahungye group.
Mucunguzi gorilla family
Mucunguzi gorilla family group is trekked in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi and is made up of 88 female members and i silver back Mucunguzi who is the head.
Mucunguzi means savior and the group split from the Bweza gorilla family after a serious fight.
Ruhija sector has the following habituated gorilla families for mountain gorilla trekking;
Bitukura family
This is the most recently habituated gorilla family in the Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and is one of the most attractive groups in the region.
Bitukura is composed of four silverbacks with the second youngest silverback Ndahura as the leader, Karamuzi the 2nd silverback, Rukumu the 3rd silverback, Rukara the 4th silverback, Betina the adult female, Ruhara the adult female, Kamuga the adult female, Obia the blackback, Mugisha the blackback, Twakire a juvenile, Kabandize ajuvenile ( came from Kyaguliro), Kadogo an infant and Mubwindi an infant.
Oruzogo gorilla family (O-group)
Oruzogo gorilla family has 16 members headed by 1 silverback. The group is located in Ruhija – Buhoma.
Oruzogo group is among the mountain gorilla families recently habituated for gorilla trekking.
This family can be accessed between Buhoma and Ruhija and is under the leadership of the dominant silverback Tibirikwata.
The group is consists of other members like; Otaka, Busungu (short tampered), Bwoba (the coward),Kashundwe, Nyakiina, Kaganga (the giant one), Karimi (tongue)Kiromba, Katooto(the small one), Kanywani ( friendly), Kakobe ( monkey look alike) and Buchura (the last born)
Kyaguliro gorilla family (K-group)
Kyaguliro mountain gorilla family group is located in Ruhija sector of Bwindi and has 15 members headed by 2 silverbacks.
Although Kyaguliro family is a habituated group, it has not opened to gorilla trekking by tourists because the park management put it aside for research only.
By closely keeping contact with this group, conservationists have been able to learn a lot about the mountain gorillas of Bwindi, including some remarkable differences with the mountain gorillas that live in the Virunga Volcanoes.
Mubare (M-group)
Mubare is the smallest mountain gorilla family in Bwindi with 6 members under the leadership of 1 Silver back.
The name is got from the Mubare Hill which was deep in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, where the gorillas were first sighted by trackers.
Mubare group is strategically located near the park headquarters at Buhoma.
Habinyanja (H-Group)
Habinyanja mountain gorilla family group leaves in Buhoma sector and has 20 members with 2 silver backs .
The name “Habinyanja” was got from the Rukiga word “Nyanja” meaning “a place with water”.
The reason for this name is because the group was first spotted near a swamp at buhoma in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Rushegura (R- Group)
Rushegura mountain gorilla family group was stays in Buhoma and Comprises of 20 members with 1 Silver back. Rushegura is the name of a place where the separation of this group from the larger family of Habinyanja took place in February 2002.
Katwe gorilla family
Katwe mountain gorilla family group is located in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi impenetrable national park and is the newest family in the Buhoma region on the northern side of Bwindi.
Katwe family consists of 4 adult females and 2 infants, 2 black backs and 1 dominant silverback. The family was opened to gorilla trekking in 2018.
Nyakagezi family (N-group)
Nyakagezi mountain gorilla group in Mgahinga national park has 9 members (including 3 Silver backs). The only problem with this group is that it keeps on migrating between Uganda and Rwanda.