Mubare gorilla family.

Mubare Gorilla Family was habituated for travelers to enjoy watching gorilla behavior. Buhoma sector is one of the four exciting gorilla sectors in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This sector is located in the northern provinces of the park. Some argue that it is thebest for extraordinary experiences the visitors get while there. The sector stands out as the pioneer of gorilla tracking tours in the region. History is on its side as it was the very first to provide gorilla tourism activities. Tourism activities in the sector started way back in 1993. It was after the full habituation processes of the sensational Mubare gorilla family. There are quite a number of captivating trail heads that provide outstanding experiences to travelers. They include Munyanga river trail, Rushura hill trail, Muzabajiro and more.

About Mubare gorilla family.

Mubare gorilla family reigns with pride in Buhoma sector and the overall Bwindi impenetrable National Park as the first group ever to be habituated and therefore at the front line of gorilla tourism activities that were opened in 1993. The family was first teased with several appearances of humans as they were winding up the habituation processes to fully ensure that they are ready for tourism activities and would not charge to human beings. This exciting family is named after the breathtaking Mubare hills in Bwindi forest where they were first sighted.

Family history of Mubare gorilla group.

The Mubare Gorilla family at first was comprised of 12 members under the leadership of Ruhondeza who passed on, on 27^th June 2012. The untimely death of Ruhondeza – the then silverback leader was the immediate cause of splitting of the family since some of the members felt insecure. Only five individuals were left in the family. Mubare was then in 2013 joined by four other companion-seeking individuals to make them nine.

Membership of Mubare gorilla family.

Mubare gorilla family is made-up of nine individuals comprising 1 silverback, 4 adult females and 4 infants. This gorilla group is renowned for its single male leadership and high male intolerance which partly explains why some of the members left.

Mubare gorilla family is currently led by a courageous silverback known as Kanyonyi. Kanyonyi took over leadership after the untimely demise of Ruhondeza in 2012. Kanyonyi is celebrated for various accomplishments to the group especially the tasks of protecting, guiding and expanding the group from 5 to 9 individuals.

Trekking Mubare gorilla family.

Mubare gorilla family is not that hard to track though its sightings are not guaranteed since the movements of the gorillas vary from time to time. This family formally used to reside in the outskirts of Buhoma park headquarters but of late the members usually go deeper in the forest hence visitors could possibly spend about four hours looking for them though they are not always far from the Buhoma trail heads.

The ranger guides take the travelers to the trails where the family was sighted the day before and that acts as the starting point from where the travelers can track and find the gentle giants.

Tracking this gorilla family requires the guidance of a professional tourist guide and protection of the Rangers that are provided by the National Park authorities to ensure that the entire session is enjoyable and harmless to both the visitors and the gorillas.

Maneuvering through the tropical rainforests in search for these wild mountain gorillas could possibly go on for more than five hours. This explains why the trek starts usually at 8:00 AM straight after the briefing about the activity. The travelers are first briefed about the activity and told about the guidelines to ensure that they always be on track while exploring the jungle as they look for the mountain gorillas.

The briefing starts at around 7:30 AM and could go on for possibly 30 minutes. But, after which the guests are accompanied up to the jungle. The search of the gorillas starts at 8:00 AM and could go on up to the afternoon. The length of the session depends on how fast the trackers find the gorilla family.

Rules of Gorilla Trekking?

Trekking Mubare gorilla family is guided by a set of rules and regulations. It is to help protect the trackers and the animals from danger. The rules incorporate but are not limited to;

Permit requirements. The adventurer is required to present a gorilla tracking permit. You must have obtained it from the authorities through the registered tour operators. This indicates the details of the traveler and the date of tracking.

Health requirements. Trekkers are required not to be sick of any communicable diseases especially flu and COVID-19. This could be contracted by the gorillas putting them at potential risk of death and extinction.

Age restrictions. The trackers are required to be of 15 years and above. It is believed that children can be unruly during a gorilla trek. This is dangerous in the wild.

Distance regulations. The trackers are required to observe a reasonable distance from the gorillas. At least seven metres away to prevent intimidation of the animals and possible contraction of diseases

Flash photography is highly prohibited in the jungle since the flash lights scare away the gorillas and makes the traveler stand a high chance of being charged at which could possibly cause harm.

E A

My wife and I had the trip of a lifetime, an unforgettable experience from start to finish. From gorilla trekking to game drives, every moment was magical and the wildlife encounters were simply breathtaking. Our guide Godwin was knowledgeable and attentive, and every detail of the trip was perfectly organized. Uganda’s beauty exceeded all our expectations, and the team took wonderful care of us throughout. Thank you for showing us the Pearl of Africa, we’ll cherish these memories forever. Highly recommended

KLAU conde

I LOVE MY SAFARI WE DID GORILLA TREKING AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR THE BIG FIVES, Everything was phenomenal the drivers the lodges my favorite one was Acacia Lodge, where you open the door of your lodge and you have the Elephants and hippos there . we also went to the Ecuatorian line very cool

Elisa Peralta

We spent a WONDERFUL time in Rwanda, thanks to Standard Safaris and especially thanks to our amazing driver George. If you plan to go on safari in Rwanda with Standard Safaris, ask him as your driver guide. He will share all his knowledge and experience about animals, nature, people, food etc… He drives very safely and is friendly. Thanks to him we saw a lot of animals ( especially the big 5😃 in Akagera NP) and Know so much more about Rwanda. We were travelling with our 2 children (7 and 11 years old), and they were delighted. We feel very lucky and we are grateful for this wonderful safari in East Africa.

Susana Lara Valenciano

We booked a 9-Days safari in Uganda with Standard Safaris, all-inclusive with a driver guide, all tour activities, permits and lodges. Honestly, we were very happy to have George as our guide. He drove us safely around the country and explained many things along the way. Thanks to him, we were able to spot many animals in the national parks, and we always stayed on track with our itinerary. The jeep was new and well maintained, however, the seats in the back were quite high with small windows, which made it difficult to look outside. But nevertheless, we still had a 10/10 safari experience in Uganda. We look forward to returning for another safari next year and telling our friends about Standard Safaris.

Pablo Sanchez Rubio

My wife and I had a gorilla safari of a lifetime in Uganda late last month. Our driver/guide Denis was incredible. He gave us so much information about Uganda and was so knowledgeable about the wildlife, cultures, people, politics, the geography, etc. By the end of the week we considered him a friend and we will recommend him and Standard Safaris to anyone looking to go to East Africa. Thank you so much guys!

Salome Ochando

If there were 10 stars I would give them. From my first "Hello" with Coleb to our last set of selfies on the equator with Denis, this tour company out-did themselves!! Absolutely professional and helpful from beginning to end. We're already booking another trip for next year! They had organised everything- gorilla permits, chimpanzee permits, all national park entrance fees, lodgings, every meal included. It was so easy I didn't even know where we were going until we were there! Pure relaxation. We had a few extra free days at the end so Coleb suggested adding on Mabamba Wetland and this was a wonderful experience with the shoebill and all these beautiful birds. Denis is the best tour guide I've ever met. 100% knowledgeable and professional and accommodating and..a new friend😊.. Thank you Standard Safaris!!

G L

Everything was great Amanya and Ian the drivers are amazing they take good care of us i highly recommended this tour

Jennifer Johns

Denis is such a fun ball of energy. He was always on time and nothing was too much work or a hassle for him. He takes everything as a learning opportunity and has an eternal optimism that is infectious. Organising our different tours etc through Coleb was also seamless. He responds so quickly and always has great advice on how to best travel in Uganda

Niklas Freese

We booked a very last minute gorilla trekking tour from Kigali with Standard Safaris, and everything was perfectly organized from start to finish. The booking process via WhatsApp was incredibly easy, fast, and uncomplicated. Our guide, Ian, picked us up right on time at our hotel in Kigali. The entire tour was an amazing experience, but Ian truly made it unforgettable. From the beginning, he told us to let him know anytime we wanted to stop for photos, which made the drive much more enjoyable. He also introduced us to traditional Ugandan food along the way and shared interesting information about the country and its culture. Ian is genuinely one of the kindest and warmest people we have met. His friendliness, enthusiasm, and care made us feel welcome throughout the whole trip. Thank you, Ian, for making this experience so special:)

Vanessa Paola Varsallona

I had a fantastic experience on this tour and would highly recommend it. Everything was very well organised, and the highlight was, of course, the unforgettable gorilla trekking experience. Ian was my driver and Frank was my guide. They were both incredibly helpful, professional, and friendly throughout the trip. Ian was always punctual and reliable, making every transfer smooth and stress-free, while Frank was an excellent guide who made sure everything went perfectly. They went above and beyond to accommodate all my requests and helped me secure a gorilla family with babies, which made the experience even more special. Their kindness, flexibility, and dedication truly made a difference, and I couldn't have asked for a better team. I highly recommend both Ian and Frank!