Bwindi Impenetrable National Park found in southwestern Uganda is known for hosting almost half of the remaining gorillas in the world. The park has four sectors namely Rushaga, Ruhija, Nkuringo and Buhoma, each of these gorilla sectors has several gorilla families.
Bwindi impenetrable national park is known for offering ultimate gorilla trekking and habituation experiences to tourists where you get an opportunity to encounter these endangered gorillas in their natural habitat. During the trekking, you can see various birds, primates, wildlife and butterfly species.
Rushaga sector is composed of Kahungye, Nshongi, Bweza, Busingye, Bikingi, Mishaya, Mucunguzi and Rwigi, making it the most visited within the park.
The Ruhija sector is found in the eastern part and is composed of Oruzogo, Kyaguriro, Bitukura and Mukiza gorilla families.
Nkuringo sector is located in the southern part composed of Nkuringo, Christmas, Posho which is still under habituation and Bushaho gorilla families.
The Buhoma sector is found in the northern part of Bwindi and is composed of Muyambi, Rushegura, Katwe, Habinyanja and Mubare gorilla families.
The Nshongi gorilla family is found in the Rushaga sector within Bwindi and is known for offering excellent gorilla trekking experiences within their natural habitat.
Nshongi attained its name after this family was first seen at Nshongi river in September 2009. It is among the gorilla families within Bwindi that are fully habituated and open for trekking.
The family was formed after splitting from the famous Mishaya gorilla group due to conflicts and wrangles within the group in the year 2009. Nshongi is the lead silverback famous for his strong leadership leading over 25 individuals in this group.
The lead silverback is responsible for protecting and leading its members starting from the mature males and females to the juveniles and infants.
This gorilla family is liked by tourists because of its big size which enables them with rare opportunities to study their behavior and social interactions. The family was first composed of 36 members who later split and reduced to 26 who later split again and now is composed of 19 individuals.
Trekking Nshongi gorilla family.
To trek Nshongi gorilla family in Rushaga sector, you need to have obtained a gorilla permit in advance. A gorilla permit is a licensed document which gives you access to encounter gorillas within their natural habitat.
Fitness and flexibility are needed for one to be able to enjoy the adventure that comes along with trekking gorillas of the Nshongi group. Other items that can make the trek easier for you are hiking boots, long sleeved shirts and trousers, insect repellent and a rain jacket.
Early in the morning, you are required to be at the park headquarters to attend the pre-gorilla trekking briefing. After the briefing, you are guided to the thickets of Bwindi impenetrable forest under the guidance of an experienced guide.
Along the trek, you get a chance to encounter other primate and bird species. Gorilla trekking can take about 2 to 3 hours depending on where the gorillas will be found.
Once you get to encounter gorillas, you are given one hour to be with them in their natural habitat at a close range. You are required to follow the guidelines in order to get a memorable trekking adventure.
Some of the guidelines are, do not eat in the presence of gorillas, do not litter their environment, do not try to touch gorillas, do not take photos with a flashlight on, and do not try to feed gorillas.
You are free to take photos while the flashlight is off. After the trek, you can then head back to the headquarters to receive a certificate of participation.
