Can I choose a gorilla family of my choice tp trek in Uganda and Rwanda?

Yes, it is possible to choose a gorilla family of your choice in Uganda but this depends on your physical fitness and how early or far in advance you have booked your gorilla trekking permit. You can talk to your supervisor about your preferences in advance; however, note that this is sometimes not possible due to the high demand for gorilla permits, and you should note that the family you are to trek in both Uganda and Rwanda are assigned on the day of the trek after the briefing.

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When it comes to Rwanda, you can only be able to choose the region to trek in but the gorilla family is assigned early morning on the trek day. You need to, however, inform your tour operator in advance of your preferences so that they are put into consideration. Tourists would go to the park knowing the exact gorilla family that they were going to trek. The Uganda Wildlife Authority noticed that this was not adding up because some gorilla families were more famous/popular than others. Uganda then decided to start assigning gorilla families on the day of the trek, just like Rwanda, and this has made it possible for all the gorilla families in Uganda to be trekked.

Rwanda, from the start, was allocating the gorilla families on the day of the trek because of the few habituated gorilla families that are found in Volcanoes National Park. This has greatly improved gorilla trekking in Rwanda with every gorilla family having the opportunity to be trekked by tourists.

Gorilla permits, especially in Uganda, no longer come with assigned gorilla family names but sectors that are Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo. The park officials have the liberty to allocate the gorilla family based on the following factors.

The level of fitness: Mountain gorillas are known to live in places of high altitudes and trying to get to some will be difficult but worth the time and money. Trekking through the thick vegetation, valleys, and hills adds to the thrilling adventure, but you need to at least be physically fit. Travelers who are not fit enough will be assigned gorilla families that are nearby and this is why travelers are required to tell the guides about their challenges during the briefing before the families are assigned. Gorilla families that are closer are easier to trek as compared to gorilla families that are deeper in the thick forests. If you’re disabled or a senior, there is the availability of sedan chairs that are provided and are carried by porters. For more information about sedan chairs, contact us at Encounter Africa Safaris.

The trekking sector and gorilla permit: Gorilla permits are documents that are printed and issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority in Uganda and the Rwanda Development Board in Rwanda, issued to trekkers planning on trekking Mountain gorillas in their habitat. In Uganda, the gorilla permit will determine the gorilla family assigned because the permit comes with the sector you are to trek from and the gorilla families assigned will be from that specific sector.

The age of the trekkers: Age is mainly connected to fitness and it is greatly put into consideration when assigning gorilla families in both Uganda and Rwanda. Age does not necessarily mean that it connects with fitness; for example, if you are 60 years old but still fit, you can request a hike you can handle, and if you are 25 years old but not fit, you can still ask for an easier hike.

The preference of the trekker: This can be put into consideration if you tell your guide about your preference in advance. It is extremely important to let your tour company know the sector you prefer to trek from but this can only work if you have booked months in advance.

The number of times you have trekked: If you have already participated in gorilla trekking before, especially a day before, which is also known as double trekking, it will be easier for the park officials to assign you to a gorilla family of your choice.

The season of travel: There are two seasons of travel for gorilla trekking, and these are the dry and rainy seasons. Getting permits during the dry season is very difficult because of the high demand, and this makes it difficult to get the gorilla family and sector to trek from. The permits are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis, and the earlier the purchase, the better. There is a higher chance of getting/trekking the gorilla family of your want  during the low/green season because of the few crowds of tourists.

Gorilla family allocation in Uganda and Rwanda

Gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda is arguably the best safari activity on the African continent and it is different from the game drives in other national parks. Uganda and Rwanda receive more than ten thousand visitors tracking gorillas in their natural habitat. Mountain gorillas are an endangered species that have been habituated to ensure that tourists can easily trek and see them in their natural habitat.

Initially, when gorilla trekking in Uganda had just been introduced, the gorilla families were assigned months in advance and on a first-come, first-serve basis. After the purchase of the permit, the information would be sent to the traveller about the different gorilla families available, and they would decide on which family to go with.

Uganda gorilla families

Uganda is home to over 1000 Mountain gorillas and over 21  habituated gorilla families in both  Bwindi National Park and  in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. There are a few gorilla families that are still undergoing habituation, however there are those that were set aside for research purposes and the are found in the Rushaga sector. Bwindi National Park is divided into four parts known as sectors (Nkuringo sector, Buhoma sector, Ruhija sector and Rushaga sector) and this site where gorilla trekking is carried out.

The Buhoma sector: Buhima sector in Bwindi has a number of habituated gorilla families trekked all year round. Rushegura, Muyambi family, Habinyanja family, Bunyindo family, Katwe and Mubare family are the ones open for trekking in Buhoma sector.

Ruhija sector: The Ruhija sector in the northeastern part of Bwindi is one of the most visited in the national park because of the different families it hosts. The different gorilla families that are found in Ruhija include the Bitukura family with 11 members, the Kyaguliro family with 8 members, the Mukiza family with 13 gorillas and the Oruzongo family with 17 gorillas.

Rushaga sector: The Rushaga sector famous for habituation and research is in the south of Bwindi is the only sector in the park where gorilla habituation is carried out. Some of the gorilla families that are found in the Rushaga sector include Shongi Gorilla family, Kahungye gorilla Family, Bweza gorilla family, Bikingi gorilla family, Kutu gorilla family, Busingye family, Mishaya family and Mucunguzi family.

Nkuringo sector: In the southern part of Bwindi lies Nkuringo Sector with different gorilla families, which include the Nkuringo family, Bushaho family and the newly introduced Christmas gorilla family.

The Nyakagezi gorilla family: within the heart of Mgahinga is the Nyakagezi gorilla family with 8 members. The habituation of the Nyakagezi gorilla family started in 1991 and it ended in 1994. The family was previously known for its adventure as it migrated from Uganda to Rwanda to Congo and then back before finally settling in Uganda. It is an unusual family that has several males peacefully living together, and currently, the group has 3 silverbacks, 2 adult females, 1 male juvenile and 2 infants.

Rwanda gorilla families

Tourists planning on going gorilla trekking in Rwanda should know that as of 2024, there are 12 habituated gorilla families found in Volcanoes National Park. The Rwanda Development Board prints 96 gorilla permits per day because each of the gorilla families is trekked by a maximum of 8 people per day. The different habituated gorilla families that are in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda include the following:

Susa A Group: The Susa A Group is one of the gorilla families that were habituated by Dian Fossey before her death. The group had 42 members originally but later split into two around 2008 and the group that broke away is the Karisimbi gorilla family. It was named after the Susa River which flows through the territory.

Karisimbi family (Susa B): The Karisimbi group was in 2008 after it split from Susa A group. The Karisimbi group has 14 gorillas which are led by the dominant male silverback. The Karisimbi family is found along the higher slopes of Mount Karisimbi, and you must be ready and physically fit to trek them.

Umubano family: The Umubano gorilla family split from the Amahoro group after a silverback known as Charles challenged Ubumwe. You will find that the two gorilla families normally interact even after splitting and there is no enmity between the two.

Agashya family: Also known as group 13, the Agashya gorilla family originally had 13 members and was led by the silverback Nyakarima, who was later challenged by Agashya. The Agashya family was created after the victory of the silverback Agashya. The gorilla family now has 20 members and this has been from consolidating lonely gorillas into the group.

Amahoro group: The Amahoro gorilla family is considered to be the most peaceful family in Volcanoes National Park and is led by the silverback Ubumwe. Ubumwe in Kinyarwanda is known as Peace and this family can be found along the slopes of Mount Bisoke. Amahoro has 12 members; however, this can increase with time.

Hirwa gorilla family: The Hiirwa which is led by the silverback Munyinya was formed in 2006 after breaking away from Agashya. The group was formed after gorillas broke away from two families, with one group breaking away from the Agashya gorilla family and the other breaking away from the Sabinyo gorilla family. Trekkers are most likely to find the Hirwa gorilla family along the lower slopes of Mount Sabinyo, which has 19 gorillas.

The Bwenge family: The Bwenge gorilla family has about 7 gorillas with a loss of 6 infants and is connected to the gorillas that were in the Dian Fossey movie known as ‘’Gorillas in the Mist’’. The group was formed in 2007 and is mainly found along the trails of Bisoke Mountain, taking you 3 or more hours to get to the family.

Sabinyo family: Led by the silverback known as Guhonda, the Sabinyo gorilla family is found in the highlands that are located between Mount Gahinga and Mount Sabinyo. Guhonda is an extremely large silverback leading about 16 gorilla members.

Ugenda family: Ugenda is Kinyarwanda word for ‘’on the move’’ and comprises 11 gorilla family members, including 2 silverbacks. The group is uniquely known to be on the move from one location to the next and they do not have any particular territory where they are found. The trackers will first scale and find out where they are located before trekkers are led on the hike although they are more likely to be found in the Karisimbi area.

Kwitonda family: The Kwitonda gorilla family is one of the harder families to trek because it is found on the higher slopes of the national park, which means that the trek will take longer because of the terrain. As of 2012, the Kwitonda gorilla family has 29 gorilla families with 10 females, 7 babies, 2 blackbacks, 7 juveniles, 2 silverbacks and a sub-male adult.

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is carried out in Volcanoes National Park which is home to 12 habituated gorilla families and in Uganda, it is done in Bwindi and Mgahinga. The governing bodies are in charge of issuing gorilla permits in the respective countries, and the park authorities have the authority to assign the trekking groups to different gorilla families that are available.

Each gorilla family has unique characteristics and is worth visiting. Whichever gorilla family you will be assigned will be an adventure worth taking. To learn more about gorilla family allocation, contact us at Encounter Africa Safaris.