The 7 gorilla families in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are one of the reasons why this sector is very popular and most visited by visitors from far and wide. Mountain gorillas share about 98% DNA with us humans. This is evident in their way of life, especially their social lifestyle. The mountain gorillas are social beings who stay in groups headed by a dominant male called a silverback. Their social groups are known as gorilla families.

On a gorilla trekking experience, a gorilla family can be assigned to a certain group of 8 visitors. Just like us humans, mountain gorillas yearn for social circles or livelihood, and it is not a surprise that silverbacks are always fighting to have a family. In a gorilla family, there is usually one silverback, but some families have more than one. In such gorilla families, the strongest silverback is usually the dominant silverback who is in charge of defending the family and also reproducing or mating. Having more than one silverback in a particular family comes up as a factor of hereditary leadership where the eldest son takes over from the aging father, however maintaining him in the family.

What are the 7 gorilla families in the Buhoma sector?

The 7 gorilla families in the Buhoma sector range in different sizes and numbers of the mountain gorilla individuals they have. These gorilla families include the following.

Rushegura gorilla family

Formerly part of the Habinyanja gorilla family, the Rushegura gorilla family is one of the largest groups in this Buhoma sector. It consists of over 19 individuals with one silverback Kabukojo. The formation of this Rushegura gorilla family dates back to 13^th February 2002, when it was formed. In a bid to start his family, Mwirima, one of the silverbacks in Habinyanja, separated peacefully with his elder brother Rwansigazi, who was the leader of the family, and broke off with 12 individuals. Known for his very dark face, Mwirima, the dominant silverback of defended his family from external pressures, thus growing it to over 16 members by the time of his death in 2014 due to old age. His eldest son, Kabukojo, succeeded him. Back to the time of the split from the parent family, the Rushegura family was named after the ebishegura, a tree species on the spot of the separation.

Mubare gorilla family

First sighted on the Mubare hills, this family is the first gorilla family in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park sighted when the park was established and was named after these hills. The Mubare gorilla family, at the time of its habituation, was led by Ruhondeza, the silverback. He led a group of approximately 12 individual gorillas and took them until June 2012, when he died of old age. Kanyonyi, Ruhondeza’s eldest son, took up the family leadership after his father’s death. In his daily routines, Kanyonyi fell from a tree and sustained serious injuries. A solitary silverback, Maraya seized this opportunity and waged war on Kanyonyi, killing him instantly. Maraya’s iron fist fell on this family as many members fled to other families, and the infants of the former silverback were killed to reduce future rivalry. The Mubare gorilla family has only 7 members currently.

Habinyanja gorilla family

The Habinyanja gorilla family was one of the largest gorilla families in the Buhoma sector at the time of its discovery in 1997. It had over 30 members, with Mugurusi as the silverback seconded by his sons Rwansigazi and Mwirima, who shared power after his death. With such a big family, disagreements were unavoidable, which led to a peaceful split with Mwirima leaving with some members to begin his family and Rwansigazi maintaining this Habinyanja family. With old age, Rwansigazi was unable to defend the family; thus, his son Makara took over and is now the leader. The family is now made up of 13 members and gets its name from the Nyanja, a swamp where it was first sighted.

Muyambi gorilla family

Possibly the new family in the Buhoma sector, the Muyambi gorilla family is composed of 7 individuals. Named after the leader, Muyambi, the dominant silverback, this group was formed in 2019. It is very interesting and entertaining to trek because of its many infants often seen playing. Muyambi broke off from his parent family, Mubare, forming this incredible Muyambi gorilla family.

Binyindo gorilla family

The Binyindo gorilla family is part of the 7 gorilla families in the Buhoma sector. The family formed in 2015, and its habituation took about 3 years until 2018 when it was trekked. The family is named after the silverback Binyindo, who is distinctive with his wide noise. There are over 9 individuals in this family.

Katwe gorilla family

With the death of Kanyonyi, a former silverback of the Mubare family, some members scattered, and others migrated. Research teams headed out to find out where some of the members of this family had gone. The former female adults of Mubare were found to have formed a new family with other individuals on top of a hill. This led to the naming of this family the Katwe gorilla family. The dominant silverback, Muhaane, leads about 8 individuals.

About the Buhoma sector

The Buhoma sector is among the four gorilla sectors that make up Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The other three are Rushaga, Nkuringo, and Ruhija gorilla sectors. The Buhoma gorilla sector, as mentioned earlier, is the most popular in the park since it’s the pioneer sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The Buhoma gorilla sector is located in the northern region of the park and is a gateway to tourists connecting from Queen Elizabeth National Park. The Buhoma gorilla sector is significant to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park since it bears the headquarters of this park. This is where all the pre-trekking briefing takes place as visitors prepare that embark on a gorilla trekking experience. Among the sectors in Bwindi, the Buhoma gorilla sector is the most developed in terms of infrastructure, from the road networks to the accommodation facilities.