There are currently 20 Habituated Gorilla families In Uganda. Bwindi Forest National Park has 19 Habituated Gorilla Families spread over four different gorilla trekking regions; Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has one (01) habituated gorilla group open for gorilla trekking.
The 20 Habituated Gorilla Families in Uganda
Of the total 20 habituated gorilla families In Uganda, 19 habituated gorilla groups can be tracked and seen in Bwindi Forest National Park.
The 19 habituated gorilla families in Bwindi Forest National Park include;
- Mubare Gorilla Family
Located in the Buhoma sector, the Mubare gorilla family is the oldest habituated gorilla family in Uganda with nine (09) members comprising one (01) silverback as head of the group.
Habituation of the Mubare Gorilla group started in 1991 until 1993 when the Uganda Wildlife Authority officially commissioned trekking this group.
More about Mubare Gorilla Group
- Habinyanja Gorilla Family
The Habinyanja gorilla family is situated in the Buhoma sector and comprises 18 members including two (02) silverbacks and was fully habituated in 1997.
More about Habinyanja Gorilla Group
- Rushegura Gorilla Family
The Rushegura gorilla family is located in the Buhoma sector with 19 members including 1 silverback. Rushegura Gorilla Family was formed in 2002 with Mwirima Silverback.
More about Rushegura Gorilla group
- Katwe gorilla family
The Katwe gorilla family is located in the Buhoma sector and is the newest family in the Buhoma region on the northern side of Bwindi with 7 members in the family with one dominant silverback.
More about Katwe Gorilla group
- Nkuringo Gorilla Family
The Nkuringo Gorilla group is located in the Nkuringo area with 19 members including 2 silverbacks. The group is led by one Silverback Nkuringo who died in April 2008, leaving behind 2 Silverbacks.
More about the Nkuringo Gorilla Family
- Bushaho gorilla family
The Bushaho gorilla family is located in the southern sector of the Nkuringo area with 8 members including 1 silverback known as Bahati.
More about the Bushaho gorilla family
- Bitukura Gorilla Family
Bitukura Gorilla Family is located in the Ruhija area with 14 members including 4 silverbacks the habituation process started in 2007 thou it took over 15 months to be fully habituated.
More about the Bitukura Gorilla Family
- Mishaya Gorilla Family
Mishaya Gorilla Family is located in the Rushaga area with 7 members including 1 Silverback with one Silverback (Mishaya) which is the only adult in the group.
- Oruzogo Gorilla Family
The Oruzogo gorilla group is located in Ruhija Sector with 23 members including 1 silverback and was habituated for trekking in 2011.
- Nshongi Gorilla Family
Nshongi Gorilla group is located in the Rushaga area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park with 18 members and it was officially launched for trekking on 26th September 2009.
- Kahungye Gorilla Family
- Kahungye Gorilla group is located in the Rushaga area with 13 members with 3 silverbacks which are the only ones named. The dominant Silverback is called Rumansi and the group was opened for travelers in gorilla tracking in 2011.
- Bweza Gorilla Family
Bweza Gorilla group is located in the Rushaga sector with 9 individuals including 1 silverback known as Bweza. Bweza split out from the Nshongi family where it started its own group.
- Busingye Gorilla Family
Busingye Gorilla Family is located in Rushaga with 9 members including 1 silverback and is the newest group to break away from Kahungye family in June 2012.
- Kyaguriro Gorilla family
Kyaguriro Gorilla Group is located in the Ruhija Sector of the greater Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and has 20 individuals who feature a fascinating history which is an attraction in itself, and it’s known as Kyaguriro Group A and B.
Read more about the Kyaguriro Gorilla family.
- Bikyingi Gorilla Family
The Bikyingi Gorilla group is located in the Rushaga area in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with 21 individuals including 1 silverback. The only silverback and leader of the group was named the same as his group, Bikyingi and he is very friendly to all his young ones.
Learn more about the Bikyingi Gorilla Family
- Christmas Gorilla family
Christmas Gorilla group is the newest family in the Nkuringo region makes up three gorilla families in the Nkuringo sector, with 9 members and one dominant silverback known as Christmas.
Learn more about the Christmas Gorilla family.
- Mukiza gorilla family
The Mukiza gorilla family is located in the Ruhija sector and it was one of the silverbacks in Kyaguriro which splits out. The family has 10 members.
- Kutu gorilla family
The Kutu gorilla family is located in the Rushaga region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with 8 members and one dominant silverback as the head of the family.
- Mucunguzi gorilla family
The Mucunguzi gorilla family is located in the Rushaga sector with 8 members dominantly female; it splits from Bweza after a serious fight Mucunguzi is the head of the family
- Nyakagezi gorilla group
The Nyakagezi gorilla group unlike the rest of the groups mentioned above is located in a different Park called Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. This Park is located in the southern corner of Uganda bordering Rwanda & DR. Congo. Mgahinga has only one (01) habituated gorilla family called Nyakagezi with approximately 10 individuals in the family.
More about Nyakagezi Gorilla Group
Uganda’s mountain gorilla population is going up an attribute we give to all travellers that spend their time and money to come and experience Gorilla trekking in Uganda. It is the money that is paid in the form of gorilla permit fees that is used to conduct research and also sensitize communities on gorilla conservation issues.
