In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a new baby gorilla born in Nkuringo family has caused a lot of excitement. Since June 06, 2026, we have been celebrating Nderema, an adult female gorilla who is the lucky mother of the infant. Surprisingly, she is very protective of her baby, and has hidden him from any human sight. This has made it impossible for now to determine the infant’s identity, including its sex. However, what has been confirmed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority is that she gave birth close to River Ivi. Meanwhile, because of the location, Ivi is the name proposed for the baby gorilla.
Following the birth of this gorilla, the Nkuringo Gorilla family has increased its members to 15 individuals. These include 2 silverbacks, 6 adult females, 2 sub-adults, 1 juvenile and 4 infants. Among the silverbacks, Rwamutwe is the dominant one, and must protect the family from external threats at all costs. Also, he is responsible for where they go or spend the night, daily. What distinguishes this group from most is that they spend a lot of time beyond the boundaries of the park. For some reason they love searching for food outside.
Tracking the Nkuringo Gorilla Family?
It seems odd that the Nkuringo group spends much of its time during the day outside the park’s boundaries. Visitors interested in tracking them might wonder whether the trip is even worth it. Actually, you will be thrilled by how many visitors recommend this group after trekking. Firstly, conflict between the local community and the gorilla group has been significantly reduced. This is through the establishment of a buffer zone by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
The advantage of trekking the Nkuringo group is that you move on a sector that is well-known for its rugged terrain. This is the Nkuringo Gorilla Sector, which ensures that your trek is as thrilling as ever. Also, Nkuringo was the first ever group to be habituated in the Nkuringo Sector. You get to meet the pioneers of gorilla tourism in this part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Start the activity at 8:00 a.m. with a briefing conducted by the Bwindi National Park personnel at the Nkuringo trailhead.
An experienced tracker and rangers will lead you to search for the Nkuringo family. There will be an hour offered to watch them as soon as you meet face-to-face. During this time, stand at least 7 meters from them. When you capture photos, all of them should be taken without use of flash. When you use this, gorillas get startled and might become aggressive towards you. Do not forget to spend the entire trek quiet or speaking in a low tone to avoid disturbing wildlife behavior. After the hour, return to the trailhead and attend debriefing.
Price of Gorilla Trek
Gorilla trekking costs $800 for each one who is a foreign non-resident. If you are a foreign resident in Uganda, track the Nkuringo group for $700. Meanwhile, everyone from the rest of Africa should pay $500. Ugandans and those from the East African Community are charged only 300,000 shillings per person. However, discounts are offered to track gorillas in the low season (April, May and November). In this period, only $600 is required for a foreign non-resident to track the gorilla family. On the other hand, foreign residents need only $500 each to track the same family.
Other Gorilla Families in Nkuringo
The Nkuringo sector is an area in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park that offers a diversity of habituated or semi-habituated groups. Aside from the Nkuringo family, you can track the following,
Posho Family
This is among the latest families to undergo habituation within the Nkuringo Sector. The name was got from Posho, the dominant silverback that founded the group. He got this name at the time the group was undergoing habituation. The trackers often ate food mainly composed of posho throughout the process. He had broken away from his original family, Nkuringo, which by the time was led by Rafiki. Posho family is now under Magara, a dominant silverback, who leads 17 members. It comprises 1 silverback, 8 adult females, 2 sub adult females, 2 juveniles, and 4 infants.
Christmas Family
It is also another family that separated from the Nkuringo group, and did not need habituation as a result. The group was immediately available for gorilla trekking tours afterwards. Christmas gorilla family is led by Christmas, the dominant silverback, whose name was given because he was born on Christmas day. He leads a total of 8 individuals that find shelter in the Nkuringo sector. They include a silverback, 2 adult females, 1 sub adult female, 2 juveniles and 2 infants.
Bushaho Family
Still in the process of habituation, the Bushaho gorilla group is led by a dominant silverback called Bahati. You will find Bushaho with 12 members, including Bahati himself, the silverback. Other members are 1 black back, 5 adult females, 1 sub adult female, 2 juveniles and 2 infants. The name of the family implies “nothing here” because it is where this family often goes to forage. Like the other families in Nkuringo sector, the Bushaho family was formed when Bahati broke away from the Nkuringo family.
When to Trek?
Every gorilla group in Uganda, Nkuringo inclusive, are offered for treks daily, whether it is a public holiday or not. What makes the experience unique are the differences in conditions between the dry and wet season. In the former period, you can track the Nkuringo family easier, since conditions offer less challenging treks. When the period is characterized as dry, the weather patterns are characterized by cooler temperatures and less precipitation. Then, less dense vegetation, dry gorilla trails and minimal rainfall result. With no mud on the trails, you can walk comfortably. With low chances of rainfall, your trek cannot be interrupted. Dry seasons happen in the Nkuringo Sector from June to August or early September. December to February is also quite dry for a great time to trek the Nkuringo Gorilla Family.
