Uganda is  home  to  approximately  half  of  the  world’s   population  of  mountain  gorilla  families. The  largest  living  primates  on  earth. A recent  2018  census  puts  the  total  population  in  Bwindi  at  around  459  gorillas, up  from 400 in 2011. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park  is one of the most reliable destinations for gorilla safaris and today the park has 14 habituated gorilla  families available for gorilla tracking. These families can be tracked from ranger posts in four different locations in Bwindi-Buhoma, Ruhija , Rushaga , Nkuringo.

BUHOMA  GORILLA  FAMILIES  IN  NORTHERN  BWINDI

Buhoma area is the busiest sector with several tourist activities as well as accommodation facilities. There are three habituated gorilla groups in this sector and they include;

Habinyanja  Group

18members, 1 silverback

This  group’s name  comes  from  Nyanja, which  is  the  local  word  for  ‘body  of  water’  and  refers  to  a  swamp  in  the  where  the  group  was  first  sighted. There  is  a  drive  of  approximately  45  minutes  from  the  briefing  point  to  the  start  of  the  hike. Locating  these  gorillas  often  takes  two  hours  but  timings  can  vary  depending  on  their  location. The  group  is  known  to  have  a  good  population  of  juveniles  and  infants, making  for a  rewarding  sighting.

Rushegura  group

17members, 1 silverback

This  group  was  created  in  2002  after  a  silverback  broke  away  from  the  Habinyanja  group. The  group’s  name  is  delivered  from  the  Habinyanja  group . The  group’s name  is  delivered  from  the  Ebishegura  tree  which  is  abundant  in  the  area. Rushegura  is  also  known  for  its  playful  infants. The  group  often  stays  close  to  Buhoma, so  the  hike  can  be  relatively  short. Indeed  on  occasion they  have  even  been  seen  wandering  through  the  gardens  of  the  lodges  in  the  area, as  our  client  discovered  in  a  unique  chance  encounter.

Mubare  group

7members, 1 silverback

This  is  one  of  the  oldest  groups ,and  consequently one  of  the  friendliest. Sadly  they  lost  their  long-reigning  silverback  Ruhondeza  to  old  age  in  2012, but  blackback  kanyonyi  appears  to  be  taking  over  leadership of  the  group  as  he  graduates  into  a fully  fledged  silverback. Mubare  group  are  usually  found  approximately  15-45 minutes  drive  from  the  briefing  point. The  trek  to  reach  them  can  of  the  more  arduous, taking  around  3 to  4 hours  to  locate  the  gorillas.

RUHIJA  GORILLA   FAMILIES  IN  NORTH-EASTERN  BWINDI

Bitukura  group

12members , 3 silverbacks

If  your  staying  overnight  at  Buhoma ( where  a  better  standard  of  accommodation  is  available ) tracking  Bitakura  or  Oruzogo  groups  means  an  early  start  of  5am  as  Ruhija  ranger  post  is  52kilometres away ( approximately  2 hours  drive )  from  Buhoma. The  road  conditions  are  terrible,windy and  bumpy  and  during  the  rainy  seasons, landslides  can  occur. The  hiking  be  challenging  for  those  sensitive  to  altitude  as  Ruhija  is  at  2,340 meters/7,700 feet, but  the  tracing  experience  itself  is  considered  very  rewarding. Bitakura  group  has  an  interesting  history  in  2011   the  group  divided  into  two  and   lived  as  two  separate  groups  10 km  apart  only  to  reunite  four  months  later. They  have  lived  happily  together  ever  since and  the  reasons  for  the  temporary  split  are  still  not  fully understood.

Oruzogo  Group

21 members, 1 silverback

This  group  opened  in  June  2011  in  the  Ruhija  sector  of  Bwindi . The  group’s  name  is  derived  from  one  of  the  plants  the  gorillas  like  to  eat. Oruzogo  is  currently  the  largest  habituated  group  within  Bwindi  and  therefore  has  a  significant  number  of  infant  and  juvenile  gorillas  including  a  pair  of  twins  that  were  born  in  March  2012 .  Their   playful  antics  can  make  for  an  excellent  experience  and  unique  photographic  opportunity.

RUSHAGA  IN  SOUTH-EASTERN  BWINDI

7members , 1 silverback

Busingye  was  formed  in  mid  2012, when  a splinter  group  from  kahungye  created  a  new  group  of  habituated  gorillas  in  the  Rushaga  area. Because  the  split  is  so  recent , the  permits  are  being  sold  locally  to  the  park, and  as  such  it  harder  to  secure  them  in  advance. Once  the  group  is  deemed  permanently  established, the  permit sales  will  be  centralized. We  would  recommend  reserving  Busingye  and  Bwesa  for  last  minute  inquiries  when  other  groups  are  not  available  due  to  dynamic  and  unpredictable  nature  of  freshly  formed  gorilla  families.

BWESA

7 members, 1 silverback

Bwesa is another splinter group, this time from Nshongi family, and  is therefore often reached by leaving the Rushaga ranger post on foot. As with Busingye, the permits are issued locally to the park, but once enough time has passed to ascertain the group’s permanence, the process should be centralized. We would  recommend tracking Busingye and Bwesa for last minute enquiries when other groups are not available due to the dynamic and unpredictable nature of freshly  formed gorilla families.

NKURINGO  GROUP

14members ,2 silverbacks

This  group  was  named  after  the  Rukiga  word  for  ‘round  hill’. Depending  on  client  preference, they  can  either set  off  on  foot or  take  a  5 minute  drive  to  the  ranger  post. The  scenery  in  this  area  is  stunning, and  as  the  gorillas  usually  dwell  on  the  primary  rainforest  side, it  is  not  unsual  to  find  them  a closed  canopy   area, which  means  some  excellent  viewing.  This  group  is  often  located  quite  close  to  the  ranger  post  but  the  steep  hillsides  of  this  area  can  make  for  a  challenging  descent ( and  an  uphill  hike  back  to  the  base )