Gorilla Groups / Families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Gorilla Families in Rushaga sector;
- Nshongi Gorilla Family.
This is an interesting family with the first major feature being the way it attained its name. Its name emanates from a river within the sector where it resides (Rushaga). The name is from the words – Omushongi Gw’obwoki, which in the local dialect, Rukiga, which refers to honey. This name was an attribute to the waters of this river which have much resemblance with the color of honey. Similarly, the family leader was baptized of the same name shortly before it became open to tourism in 2009. At the time, it was known to be one of the biggest families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Uganda at large.
The family is made up of 36 members, registering new members joining it willfully, and some through frequent births. Although having had 7 blackbacks and 3 silverbacks, this family didn’t have any registered conflicts or irreconcilable differences and since its first sighting, the family has been living harmoniously. But as mountain gorilla families do, it was of no surprise that in 2010, the family split, after the silverback Mishaya parted with 10 of the family’s members. The number now stands at 26 members.
2. Busingye Gorilla Family.
It’s one of the products of breakaway gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It split from the Kahungye Gorilla Family in 2012. The reason for the split is not different from that of the other split away families, being wrangles and irreconcilable differences. It has a total of 9 members.
The group has 5 blackbacks, 3 infant gorillas, a silverback, and the rest are females. Also, beware that the numbers of mountain gorillas don’t stay constant, and that’s attributed to new members joining these families, deaths, splitting of the families, and births. Busingye family has since not shown any signs of going back to its former family, as thought would happen by most park rangers. Trekking this family is fun, and happens in the company of the rangers.
3. Bweza Gorilla Family.
It also forms the greater Rushaga sector mountain gorilla families. Its 7 members make it one of the least populated families in the sector. It also came from the Nshongi family which at the time of its first sighting was the largest populated family in the sector. However, constant wrangles amongst the Silverbacks kept forcing some out of the family in order to gain independence and start their own families.
For Bweza, the dominant silverback of this family, it was in 2013 when he decided to quit and form his own family. Although thought to return to his former family, Bweza insisted on rather not returning. In 2012, tourism was made open through trekking this family. Tourists often have fun especially through viewing the relations of these gorillas as they groom each other, play, and also breed their young ones.
4. Kutu Gorilla Family.
There’s not so much information about this family, although it’s noteworthy that it’s undergoing habituation. It has 11 members, and the family got its name from its dominant silverback. It’s equally in Rushaga sector, and it’s sincerely hoped that when habituation activities are finally concluded, the family will be a wonderful addition to the already existing mountain gorilla families within the Virunga region. As a celebratory feature, this family got an addition to the family, a baby, in October, 2020.
5. Rwigi Gorilla Family.
This is the newest gorilla family in Rushaga sector. It is born out of a wrangle the family’s dominant silverback had with that to the Kahungye Gorilla Family. The two had a fierce fight, and on the conclusion of the duel, he parted with some family members that had initially belonged to the Kahungye Gorilla Family. Its dominant silverback is Rwigi. It is composed of 10 members i.e. one silverback, 2 juveniles, 5 adult females, and 2 infants.
6. Bikingi Gorilla Family.
This family was named after the dominant silverback Bikingi. He sadly passed on, in 2018. However, the current dominant silverback is equally named Bikingi. The new silverback was the reason for the death of the family’s founder, having killed him. This was as a consequence of the fight the two silverbacks had.
The two silverbacks have always had some fights before, but the results on the last time the two had a similar fight, weren’t the same as before. It is registered that the new silverback had always had interests in taking over the family’s leadership, and was therefore of no much surprise to the Park’s rangers, when this event happened.
The fight had a consequence on the family’s composition as some of the mountain gorillas later left to join other families. Around 6 gorillas wandered off and joined the Kahungye Gorilla Family for example. When a census was later done, it established the family’s composition at 9 members. With more births, the family has since expanded to 11 mountain gorillas. In 2012, habituation activities of this family began. It has 2 silverbacks, a juvenile, 5 adult females, and 4 infant gorillas.
7. Mucunguzi Gorilla Family.
It’s equally a new family in the Rushaga sector, and a recent member of the many other such families within the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The family’s name means “Savior.” It has 8 members. It’s also a split away family, having parted with the Bweza Gorilla Family. Mucunguzi was a brave silverback having dared its family’s leader, at a point it was the 3rd youngest silverback within the Bweza Gorilla Family.
Mucunguzi family has females as the majority of the members therein. Mucunguzi’s tricks helped him to run off with some females from the Bikingi Gorilla Family, and after the family recently got an addition to its membership, a baby born by Ndinkahe, the family’s number is now 12 members.
8. Mishaya Gorilla Family.
It’s a new group in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It’s led by Tinfayo. The family began in 2019 after splitting from Nshongi Gorilla Family. There isn’t much known about this family, except for the fact that its splitting wasn’t due to a fight, but rather the death of Tinfayo’s former dominant silverback which left the family in chaos and lost direction and unity.
This prompted many mountain gorillas to find new families. The family has 8 members that include a silverback, a juvenile, an infant gorilla, and 5 adult females.
9. Tindatine Gorilla Family.
Tindatine family was officially opened to the public in January 2024 making it the newest group in Rushaga sector. Its fearless leader aka Tindatine broke off from Kahungye family to form its own independent family.
Tindatine gorilla family currently consists of 8 members with one silverback.
10. Kahungye Gorilla Family.
Kahungye family was habituated for only 2 years and by the year 2011 it was ready for trekking. This group was one of the biggest in this sector with over 20 members but later due to internal fights, the membership kept reducing and some silverbacks broke off with other members to form separate gorilla groups like Tindatine and Busingye gorilla families.
Gorilla families in Buhoma sector include;
11. Rushegura Gorilla Family.
It’s under the leadership of “Kabukojo.” The family began sometime in 2002 after it split from the Habinyanja Gorilla Family. Its name was attained from the tree species known as “Ebishegura,” which is a dominant species in the area where this family split at. It has 19 members who of those is a sub-adult, 2 silverbacks, 4 infant gorillas, 6 adult females, 3 juveniles, and 3 black backs. The growth in numbers is attributed to the recent births which raised the family’s numbers from 15 to 19 members.
12. Habinyanja Gorilla Family.
It was among the first known families to be habituated in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and that was in 1997. The first trekking tour was in 1999. Its first sighting was near a swamp, and that’s why it’s named so – the name comes from the word “Nyanja” which means a swamp. Mugurusi was initially the family’s leader but because of old age, he later passed on.
On his death, however, he was survived by two brothers. Mwirima remained the head of the family, but because of indifferences, Rwansigazi decided to find another family to join. Mwirima due to more wrangles in the family stepped down and gave the leadership to Makara who is currently the family’s head.
13. Katwe Gorilla Family.
Katwe is among the first families to have been successfully habituated in the Buhoma sector. With 9 members, the family has a silverback, 2 blackbacks, 2 adult females, and 2 infants. The family’s name came from one of the dormant hills that form part of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. That’s the place where the first habituation process of the family was carried out.
14. Mubare Gorilla Family.
The first leader of this family was known as Ruhondeza and he passed on in 2012 due to old age. The leadership then passed to Kanyonyi. He was also later killed by a solitary silverback known as Maraya in 2017.
However, the reason for losing the fight against Maraya is understandable because he had shortly before the fight fallen off a tree which left him weak. The family has 9 members including a silverback, 4 young gorillas, and 4 adult females.
15. Muyambi Gorilla Family.
It’s a small family of 7 members and is also part of the new groups, having joined the list of trekked gorilla families in 2019. The family’s leader Muyambi initially belonged to the Mubare Gorilla Family but later parted ways to form its own family.
Gorilla Families in the Ruhija sector;
16. Kyaguriro Gorilla Family.
It’s gazetted for research purposes. Rukina was the family’s leader since sometime in 1995 when the family started undergoing habituation. He succumbed to death in 2015, following a strong lightning that didn’t spare him. Mukiza, a young silverback assumed leadership of the family, but due to his inexperience, he was overpowered by an immigrating silverback known as Rukara, and this led to a split. The family now has 10 members comprising 2 young gorillas, 3 adult females, 2 black backs, 2 juveniles, and a silverback.
17. Mukiza Gorilla Family.
It split from the Kyaguriro Gorilla Family that was being led by Rukina at the time. Rukina passed on 2015 which left the family without strong leadership. This saw a young silverback, Mukiza, parting ways and forming the present Mukiza family.
It has a considerably average size of 10 members in the family having a silverback, a sub-adult, 4 females, and 4 infant gorillas.
18. Oruzogo Gorilla Family.
This is also in the Ruhija sector and it has 17 members. It commenced tourism in 2011 although trekking it needs a great physique since it’s located at considerably high altitudes. It was named after the plant locally known as “Oruzogo” (Alchornea hitela) which is dominant around the area where this family stays.
By all accounts, its vibrant family comprised of a juvenile, 5 adult females, 2 silverbacks, 5 young gorillas, 2 sub-adult gorillas, and 2 blackbacks.
19. Bitukura Gorilla Family.
Its name is derived from a river at which it was first viewed. Its habituation started in 2007, and the family has since grown to 13 members. The family’s dominant silverback is Ndahura, who led the family in an eased habituation. It was initially one of the largest populated families but due to fights and constant splitting, members have since reduced.
Gorilla Families in the Nkuringo sector;
20. Nkuringo Gorilla Family.
It’s situated in a sector with the same name as the family. The name means rolling hills and the name was derived from the rolling hills from which this family was first sighted. Habituation activities around this family commenced in 2004. Initially, the family’s dominant silverback was “Nkuringo”.
He sadly passed on in 2008. He was succeeded by his sons Rafiki and Safari. Safari was the immediate leader after his father, but manager to only lead for 7 months. There was joy during that period, and a female Kwitonda birthed twins, Katungi and Muhoozi. However, Katungi only lived for a year after he succumbed to a childhood illness. Because of the family’s errant behavior of destroying people’s gardens, habituation activities were commenced to curb that vice.
21. Christmas Gorilla Family.
There’s little information about this family and it’s a newly commissioned gorilla family that just finished the habituation process and has 9 members altogether. It’s under the leadership of a dominant silverback known as “Christmas.”
22. Bushaho Gorilla Family.
It’s under the leadership of Bahati. It was started in 2012. Bahati had initially belonged to the Nkuringo Gorilla Family and had wandered off to form his own family. When the family was located, that when it attained its new name Bushaho.
Bushaho family is still undergoing habituation activities and is made up of 10 members which include a silverback, 3 adult females, a silverback, 3 young gorillas, and 2 sub-adult female gorillas.
23. Posho Gorilla Family.
This family is still undergoing habituation, and its leader is known as Magara. The entire family composition is 14 members and by all accounts, the family according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority, will be open for gorilla trekking experience, in the near future.
Gorilla Family in Mgahinga National Park.
24. Nyakagezi Gorilla Family.
This is the only gorilla family in Mgahinga National Park. It has 10 members, with a silverback as the only therein. It’s under the leadership of Mark, and in the previous years, the family used to move freely to and from D.R Congo’s border with Uganda.
However, in the recent past, Nyakagezi family has been constantly living in Mgahinga National Park without any recorded incidents of migration. The family attained an addition of a baby sometime in 2013, increasing the family’s composition from the initial 9 members.
