Which National Park has the highest number of habituated gorilla families in Africa

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda has the highest number of habituated gorilla families on the African continent with 19 habitues gorilla families spread across the four trekking sectors of Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo. The high number of habituated gorilla families in Bwindi is attributed to the park being home to half the remaining population of mountain gorillas in the world. With the help of the habituation process, more habituated families are being introduced increasing the number of habituated gorilla families in Africa.

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The habituated gorilla families in Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to the 19 habituated gorilla families gives tourists a chance to meet the gentle giants in their natural habitat.

Gorilla habituation in Bwindi started in the early 1990s following Dian Fossey’s conservation work of the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat by researchers. The first groups that were habituated include the Katendegyere and Mubare group in 1991 and were opened for tourism in 1993. with time, more gorilla families including Habinyanja, Rushegura, Nkuringo, Nshongi and Bitukura were introduced. There were so many challenges that were faced during the habituation process including poaching and war but with time, more families were habituated and introduced with the recent families having been introduced in 2024.

Below is a list of the habituated gorilla families that are found in the different sectors of the national park.

1. The Buhoma sector

Buhoma is found in the northern part of Bwindi and is the most visited sector because it can easily be accessed and it is home to four habituated families.

Habinyanja gorilla family: The Habinyanja gorilla family gets its name from the Nyanja swamp where it was first sighted in 1999. This gorilla family has 17 members and it is led by the dominant silverback known as Makara loosely translated as charcoal.

Katwe gorilla family: Katwe gorilla family is a new addition in the Buhoma sector and it is believed to have 9 family members led by a dominant silverback but the exact number has yet to be determined. This gorilla family was habituated together with the Christmas gorilla family which is found in the Nkuringo sector.

Mubare gorilla family: The Mubare gorilla family was the first to be habituated in Bwindi in the year 1993 and it got its name from the Mubare hill where it was first seen. As the oldest gorilla family, it used to have 12 gorilla families under the leadership f Ruhondeza silverback who died at 50 years and currently has 10 members with one silverback and a new baby.

Rushegura gorilla family: The Rushegura gorilla family broke away from the Habinyanja gorilla family and was officially introduced to the public for trekking in 2000.  The Rushegura gorilla family is considered to be the most accessible gorilla family in Buhoma living close to the park headquarters. It is led by the dominant silverback known as Mwirima with 21 members.

2. The Rushaga sector

The Rushaga sector located in southern Bwindi has the highest number of habituated gorilla families with over 8 families and it is the only sector in the park where gorilla habituation takes place. The different gorilla families found in Rushaga sector include the following.

Mishaya gorilla family: The Mishaya gorilla family split from Nshongi in 2010 and this was led by the silverback Mishaya after disagreeing with the leader of Nshongi. The group which is home to 7 members was named after the silverback Mishaya who died in 2014 at 28 years and currently, the group is under the leadership of Mwine.

Nshongi gorilla family: This was a large group with about 35 members that split after misunderstandings.  Habituation started in 2006 and it was named after the river where they were first seen. The Nshongi gorilla family currently has 18 members with one dominant silverback.

Kahungye gorilla family: Named after the Kahungye hill, it was habituated in 2011 and had 27 members before it split to form another gorilla family known as Busingye. Kahungye is is currently under the leadership of the Rumanzi silverback, and comprises of 17 members with 3 silverback Gwigi, Ruhamuka and Rumanzi.

Busingye gorilla family: Formed in 2012 after the split from Kahungye, the group was named after the silverback Busingye who keeps on fighting the wild gorillas so that it can take more females to add to his group. Busingye currently has 9 members with only one dominant silverback Busingye.

Bweza gorilla family: Bweza split from the Nshongi group after disputes between the silverbacks and it was habituated in 2012. it comprises of 12 members including 2 silverbacks that are under the leadership of the dominant Kakono.

Mucunguzi gorilla family: Mucunguzi loosely translates as saviour and this group was formed after a split from the Bweza gorilla family. The group is made up of 8 members and one silverback and it is under the leadership of Mucunguzi, who was the youngest silverback and third in command before the split from Bweza.

Bikyingi gorilla family: Bikyingi is a new addition and habituated gorilla family within the Rushaga sector and it is made up of 15 members under the leadership of Bikyingi, the dominant silverback.

Rwigi gorilla family: The Rwigi gorilla family is also a newly habituated gorilla family that split from Kahungye gorilla family. It currently has 6 members under the leadership of the dominant silverback Rwigi.

3. Ruhija sector

Located in the eastern part of Bwindi, the Ruhija sector is home to four habituated gorilla families and these include the following.

The Bitukura gorilla family: This was named after a river where they were first sighted and it was officially opened for trekking in 2008. By then, it had 24 members right after habituation but after the split, it has 14 members at the moment and it is under the leadership of the dominant silverback Ndahura, who is the second youngest in the entire group.

The Oruzongo group: This gorilla family has the highest number of members in the Ruhija sector. At the time it was opened to the public for trekking, it has 25 members but due to splits, it currently has 17 members including one dominant silverback known as Tibikwata. It is an extremely playful family making it famous within the sector and it also comprised of a set of twins from the female gorillas known as Kankonda.

Mukiza gorilla family: The Mukiza gorilla family is also known as the Kyaguliro B after it split from the Kyaguliro family. Mukiza group is led by the Mukiza silverback and currnetly comprises of 10 members.

Kyaguliro gorilla family: The Kyaguliro gorilla family was first habituate in 1999 making it the first group to be habituated in the Ruhija sector. It started with 20 members but after disagreements and splits, it now has only 10 members under the leadership of the silverback known as Rukara.

4. Nkuringo sector

Nkuringo sector is in southern Bwindi and is home to 3 habituated gorilla families.

Nkuringo gorilla family: Habituated in 1997 and opened officially for trekking in 2004, this was the first habituated group in the Nkuringo Sector and it is the first group as well to have a set of twins that were born in 2004, however they died after a year. Led by the dominant silverback Rafiki, the Nkuringo gorilla family has 12 members.

Christmas gorillas family: This is a newly introduced and habituated gorilla family in the Nkuringo Sector. It is led by the dominant silverback Christmas and this is where the name was derived. It has 10 members however during the trek, there are only 6 members that are seen.

Bushaho gorilla family: Known to be as one of the toughest gorilla families in Bwindi, Bushaho gorilla family has 8 members under the leadership of the silverback Bahati. Some of the members including Bahati were part of the Nkuringo group whereas others were wild gorillas that were habituated.

How are habituated gorilla families allocated in Bwindi

The habituated gorilla families in Bwindi are allocated according to the sector that you were assigned during the purchase of the trekking permits. Tourists have no say when it comes to allocation of the gorilla families but during the purchase, each person will be assigned a sector within the national park. Note that the permits are sold on a first come and first serve basis, so each person is assigned a sector that is still free and has gorilla families to trek.

On the morning of the trek, each group of trekkers will be assigned a gorilla family following a number of factors that include physical fitness and age. The allocation of the families is done by the park authorities.

Rules to follow when trekking gorillas in Bwindi

Before the allocation of the mountain gorilla families, you will have to attend a briefing at the park headquarters where you will be reminded about the rules and regulations that have to be followed when in the national park. Below is a list of rules and regulations that all trekkers have to follow to protect the mountain gorillas.

• You have to be at least 12 years to participate in gorilla trekking.
• Follow all the guidelines of the experienced guides and rangers because they are familiar with the terrain and the behaviors of the individual gorillas.
• The camera flash has to be turned off when taking photos of the mountain gorillas.
• Keeping a distance of 7 meters after locating the gorillas is a must
• Touching, feeding and smoking when with the gorillas is strictly prohibited
• Eating is prohibited when with the mountain gorillas
• Do not spit on the vegetation because you will end up infecting the mountain gorillas since they feed on the vegetation.
• Noise is prohibited, you also need to communicate using low tones and keep your phones on silence.
• When nature calls, dig a hole (30cm deep) and it should be covered well to prevent gorillas from digging it up.
• Each trek group has an hour with the gorillas
• A maximum of 8 trekkers is allowed to trek a habituated gorilla family per day
• Litter in the national park is prohibited.

What to pack for the Bwindi gorilla trek

Packing for the gorilla trek can be strenuous if you are not so sure about what to carry and this is why we have come up with a list of items that can be brought for your gorilla safari to Bwindi and these include:

• Waterproof backpack to carry all your essential items on the day of the trek.
• Light-weight trousers in neutral color
• Long-sleeved shirts for protection from the sun and insect bites
• Socks to keep warm and keep the insects from crawling up your pants after tucking them into the socks
• Insect repellent
• Sunscreen
• Refillable water bottle, bottled drinking water and snacks
• First aid kit
• A camera, extra lenses, batteries and memory cards
• A pair of binoculars
• A walking stick
• Waterproof raincoat or jacket
• Warm clothes that include sweaters, ponchos and scarves
• Gardening gloves and adjustable gaiters.

When to go for gorilla trekking in Bwindi

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is an all year round activity, however the best time is in the dry months of June to September and December to February. This is because of the conducive trek conditions that are experienced in the country during this period which include little or no rainfall, dry trek routes and thinning of the vegetation which makes it easy to track and see the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

In conclusion, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park ranks with the highest number of habituated gorilla families, however if you are looking at having a small crowd and intimate trek, Mgahinga National park with one gorilla family and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda with 10 habituated gorilla families is your best bet.

Encounter Africa safaris is a reputable tour operator and ready to help you plan the ultimate gorilla trekking experience in Africa. Get in touch with us for more information and we will ensure that you have a smooth and unforgettable gorilla tracking safari.