Mountain Gorilla Families of Uganda, The Habituated Gorilla Groups.
Meet Uganda’s Habituated Gorilla Groups
A list of habituated gorilla groups and their whereabouts may be seen below.
The following groups are now offered for gorilla safaris in Uganda.
Meet Uganda’s Habituated Gorilla Groups
According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (2018), there are just over 1006 mountain gorillas left in the world. This region is home to two-thirds of the world’s gorilla population, with the majority of them residing in the various sectors of the Mgahinga National Park, which is located in the far southwest corner of Uganda, and the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, a renowned world heritage site.
Since mountain gorillas are only found in three nations worldwide, Rwanda and the adjacent Democratic Republic of the Congo are home to the surviving gorilla population. Twelve of the 14 habituated gorilla families in Uganda are available for gorilla trekking, while the other two are for gorilla habituation experiences. Each family is headed by a dominant silverback.
A maximum of eight (8) gorilla permits are available for each gorilla family, allowing visitors to experience gorilla trekking and see these incredible hairy forest giants in their natural environment. During the gorilla trekking safari adventure, you will have to spend two to forty-four hours walking through the jungles in search of mountain gorillas because they are nocturnal creatures that wander to new locations every day.
Africa’s mountain gorillas
The several habituated mountain gorilla families in Uganda are listed below; they have been divided into four (4) groups based on the regions (in Bwindi National Park) in which they are located.
Areas of Rushaga
The Nshongi Group, Kahungye, Bweza, Busingye, and Mishaya Gorilla Family all call the Rushaga section of Bwindi Forest home.
There are four (4) silverbacks and twenty-six (26) members in the Nshongi Gorilla Family group.
Where: Rushaga
This group was called after its initial sighting near the River Nshongi. It was the largest habituated gorilla troop in Uganda when it opened for tourists in September 2009, with a total of thirty-six (36) individuals.
Three (3) silverbacks and seven (7) blackbacks made up this huge gorilla family, which coexisted peacefully without attempting to take charge. In July 2010, this group broke up, with ten members departing under the leadership of Silverback Mishaya. Only 26 people made up the surviving group, and they still had four (4) silverbacks.
Twelve (12) members make up the Mishaya Gorilla Family, together with one (1) silverback.
Where: Rushaga
This group broke away from the sizable Nshongi faction, which was led by Silverback Mishaya, in July 2010. He met numerous other gorilla families because of his battling nature, and he was able to grow in number over time. Unfortunately, in April of 2011, he came upon an unhabituated family of wild gorillas and sustained many injuries, including one of the two-year-old infants in his group. Thankfully, the veterinarians from the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project treated and recovered them successfully.
Three (3) silverbacks and thirteen (13) members make up the Kahungye Gorilla Family group.
Where: Rushaga
There were three silverbacks among the twenty-seven (27) members of this gorilla family, which is one of the most recently habituated groups in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The gorilla family split off to become the Busingye gorilla family almost a year after it was opened to tourists in October 2011. This active group is currently led by the dominating silverback Gwigi, whose name means “door.”
The Bweza Gorilla Family consists of nine (9) members and one silverback.
Where: Rushaga
The Nshongi, the largest group ever habituated in Bwindi National Park, opened for tourists in September 2009. However, in July 2010, silverback Mishaya broke away from the family to start his own group, the Mishaya gorilla family. However, Silverback Bweza left the group two years after it was formed, creating the Bweza family. The gorilla family was made accessible to tourists in December 2012.
Group size of the Busingye Gorilla Family: nine (9) plus one silverback
Where: Rushaga
Silverback Busingye broke away from the Kahungye gorilla family to establish his own in June 2012. On the contrary, the dominant silverback Busingye, whose name means “peace,” enjoys fighting and has repeatedly repelled attacks by untamed gorilla groups who have seized females and incorporated them into his own gorilla family.
Area of Buhoma
Members of the Habinyanja, Rushegura, and Mubare gorilla families reside in the Buhoma area of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
The Mubare Gorilla Family
Gorilla size: one (1) silverback and nine (9) people
Where: Buhoma
The Mubare gorilla family is the oldest habituated mountain gorilla family in all of Uganda, having been made accessible to tourists in 1993. This family was given its name since it was initially spotted on Mubare Hill, which is located deep within the Bwindi impenetrable forest. The trackers who initially found this group said that Ruhondeza was the dominant male silverback among 18 other individuals.
Many members of this gorilla family left over time; some joined other groups, others perished in the bloody battles that took place at the time, and regrettably, the gorilla family lost one of its young, leaving them with just five members by 2012.
In March 2012, a troop of wild gorillas assaulted Silverback Ruhondeza’s family and fled with a few females, posing a threat to his leadership. At that time, the vanquished Ruhondeza had become elderly and feeble, and he sought safety in the nearby town of Forest.
However, Bwindi National Park’s wildlife biologists kept an eye on him until his untimely death in his sleep on June 27, 2020. The tombstone of this stately silverback, who was reportedly over 50 years old, remains visible today. He was buried near the park headquarters. This silverback’s moniker, which translates to “sleepy fellow,” accurately captures his reputation as a kind but lethargic leader.
The Habinyanja Gorilla Family consists of two (2) silverbacks and seventeen (17) members.
Location: Kahororo, Rubina, and Buhoma
The habinyanja gorilla family habituation process started in 1997, and the site was first made accessible to tourists in 1999. This group’s name, Habinyanja, was taken from the Rukiga term “nyanja,” which means “a place with water.” The group was initially spotted near a swamp in the dense forest of Bwindi National Park.
The dominant silverback that was in charge of this group at the time of its discovery was known by the moniker Mugurisi, which translates to “old man.” His two brothers, Mwirima and Rwansigazi, assumed leadership of this gorilla family after his untimely death. This shared leadership did not endure long because of their different personalities.
Rwansigazi’s adventurous character made him want to move a lot, while his brother Mwirima liked to cover a small area. Due to these and other factors, the two brothers parted ways in a fairly amicable manner without any altercations. The group who went with Rwansigazi kept the name Habinyanja, whereas the group that stayed with Mwirima was known as the Rushegura family.
After Rwansigazi stepped down as leader, Silverback Makara is now in charge of the Habinyanja gorilla family. These tribes have occasionally been observed to cross paths and coexist harmoniously. The highly gregarious and amiable blackback Mizano was found dead in June 2011 with several spear wounds to his neck and shoulders. It was said that this group was assaulted by some individuals carrying dogs. This tragic event was noted as the first time a gorilla has been murdered by poachers since 1995.
Family of Rushegura Gorillas
Nineteen (19) people and one (1) silverback make up the group.
Where: Buhoma
In 2002, this group broke apart from the larger Habinyanja family in a location known as Rushegura, after which it was named. The dominant silverback, Mwirima, departed with twelve (12) individuals, five (5) of whom were females, at the time of separation. By 2010, the family had grown to include nineteen (19) members in total.
Silverback Mwirima had been committed to defending his family throughout the years and had repelled many attacks by groups of wild gorillas. This family had previously crossed into the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which lies next to Bwindi National Park, but they finally made Bwindi National Park their permanent home. Thankfully, this troop has coexisted peacefully with the residents of the neighboring community and has been seen visiting the Gorilla Forest Camp’s gardens on several occasions.
Area of Nkuringo
Where: Nkuringo
Nkuringo means “round hill” in the native Rukiga language, and this group was initially sighted on a circular hill. This family had a propensity to relocate to the adjacent village settlements on the lower slopes, where they caused problems for the locals by eating agricultural produce such sweet potatoes, bananas, and other crops.
This group was finally habituated for tourism in order to safeguard it and allow the locals to benefit from the money made by gorilla tourism, as a result of the many complaints from the locals. This group was commanded by Silverback Nkuringo, who was elderly and exhausted at the time of habituation.
Two silverbacks, Rafiki and Safari, remained in the family after his death in April 2008, but his son Safari took over as leader. Shortly thereafter, an adult female Kwitonda gave birth to twins, Muhozi and Katungi, the latter of whom passed away at the age of one and a half due to an illness.
The lodging options in Nkuringo provide an incredible value for the gorilla permits. This is one of the hardest climbs in Uganda, but it is well worth it because it is the most rewarding. The group, which has 19 members, is well-liked by those who have followed it.
Area of Ruhija
The Bitukura Gorilla group and the Oruzogo Gorilla family call the Ruhija section of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest home.
The Bitukura Gorilla Family consists of four (4) silverbacks and fourteen (14) members.
Where: Ruhija
This gorilla group was identified in the Ruhija region of Bwindi Forest National Park after it was initially sighted near the River Bitukura. Following a period of habituation beginning in July 2007, it was made accessible to tourists in October 2008. It only took 15 months to have this gorilla family completely acclimated and suitable for tourism, which is different from other groups whose habituation procedure takes two (2) years.
This peculiarity is said to have resulted from the strong relationship between the Bitukura and Kyaguriro families, which allowed the former to regularly interact with rangers from the Uganda Wildlife Authority, which facilitated the process of acclimatization. It had 24 members at one point, but as the years passed, that number dropped to 14 as some of them joined other families.
The dominating silverback Ndahura, who took over from the retiring silverback Karamuzi after over 40 years of leadership, is really the second youngest of the four (4) silverbacks who now make up the Bitukura family. This joyful and intimate group welcomed a new member in 2013, whom dominant silverback Ndahura takes great care to protect.
There are two silverbacks and twenty-five (25) members in the Oruzogo Gorilla Family.
Where: Ruhija
This gorilla family, which is led by silverback Tibirikwata, was made accessible to tourists in 2011. As a result of the numerous births within the family, the number of members has grown over time. An adult female named Ntamurungi gave birth in June 2011, while another adult female named Musi also gave birth in October of the same year. The gorilla family was quite happy when Kakoba, another adult female, gave birth to twins in March of 2012.
Mgahinga National Park
The Nyakagezi Gorilla Family consists of three silverbacks and ten (10) members.
Location: National Park Mgahinga
The dominant silverback Mark leads this family, which is the sole habituated family in Mgahinga National Park. The family routinely crosses borders between Rwanda, DRC, and Uganda because the reigning silverback loves to go around. But since November 2012, this group has stayed within the Ugandan border, and in May 2013, they welcomed a newborn child, expanding their family.
The Uganda WILDLIFE Authority, the group’s regulatory body, ruled that gorilla trekking permits for this family should only be granted at the UWA headquarters within the National Park due to the group’s high level of movement in the past.
The Kyaguriro Gorilla Family consists of two silverbacks and fifteen (15) members.
Where: Ruhija
Although this gorilla family’s habituation procedure was finished, it has not yet been made accessible to tourists. Nonetheless, conservationists continue to observe and study it closely. It was formerly headed by the dominating silverback Zeus, but Rukina, a rival gorilla, assaulted him and sent the old Zeus into exile, where he finally perished.