Gorilla families in Uganda : Uganda is one of the countries in East Africa where tourists can see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
The destinations in Uganda where the gorillas can be seen during safaris include Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga national park which are home to over half the population of the world’s mountain gorillas.
During gorilla tours in Uganda, tourists interact with habituated gorilla families in Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park. Both the national parks are located in the south western part of Uganda and can be visited during the year.
Bwindi national park consists of 4 sectors where gorilla families can be encountered when exploring the dense forests. These sectors include Buhoma sector, Nkuringo sector, Rushaga sector and also Ruhija sector.
Uganda has about 21 habituated gorilla families which can be seen during tours in Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park and they include Bweza gorilla family, Mishaya gorilla family, Oruzogo gorilla family, Bitukura gorilla family, Nshongi gorilla family, Kyaguriro gorilla family, Habiyanja gorilla family, Nkuringo gorilla family, Mubare gorilla family, Nyakagezi gorilla family (found in Mgahinga national park) among others.
Gorillas can also be seen in Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and also in Virunga national park in Democratic Republic of Congo. To be able to visit the different gorilla families in Uganda, tourists are required to have gorilla permits.
In Uganda, the gorilla permits for Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to individuals above the age of 15 years. The gorilla permits can be booked through licensed tour operators.
Permits for gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park cost 800 USD for foreign nonresidents, 700 USD for foreign residents and 300,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens.
In Uganda, gorilla habituation experiences are done in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi national park and involve spending time with the gorillas in their natural habitat to introduce the mountain gorillas to the presence of humans in their habitat.
Permits for this gorilla habituation experience in Rushaga sector cost 1500 USD for foreign nonresidents, 1000 USD for foreign residents and 750,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens and this permits allowed tourists to spend a full day with the gorillas of Bwindi national park.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi national offers higher chances of seeing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat since it has more gorillas as compared to Mgahinga national park. However, each destination offers unique encounters with the gorillas.
Gorilla families in Bwindi national park
In each of the sectors of Bwindi national park, there are gorilla families which tourists can interact with during their tours.
- Rushaga gorilla families
Gorilla families which can be seen during tours in the Rushaga sector which is found in the southern part of Bwindi National Park include Nshongi gorilla family which has 36 members, Mishaya gorilla family which has 10 members, Kahungye gorilla family which has 17 members, Bweza gorilla family which has 11 members, Busingye gorilla family which has 12 members, Bikingi gorilla family which has 14 members.
Rushaga sector is also the only sector of Bwindi national park where gorilla habituation experiences are done.
- Buhoma gorilla families
In the northern part of Bwindi national park, the gorilla families which tourists can interact with include Mubare gorilla family which has 8 members, Habiyanja gorilla family which has 16 members, Rushegura gorilla family which has 19members and Katwe gorilla family which has 7 members
- Ruhija gorilla families
During tours in Ruhija sector which is in the eastern part of Bwindi national park, tourists can interact with gorilla families which include Bitukura gorilla family which has 14 members, Kyaguriro gorilla family which has 15 members, Oruzogo gorilla family, which has 17 members and Mukiza gorilla family which has 13 members.
- Nkuringo gorilla families
The Nkuringo sector is also located in the southern part of Bwindi national park and is home to habituated gorilla families which include the Nkuringo gorilla family which has 19 members, Bushaho gorilla family which has 12 members and Christmas gorilla family which has 9 members.
Bwindi national park can be accessed by flight to Kisoro airstrip and Kihihi airstrip or by driving from Kampala which takes about 8 to 9 hours. The Cyanika border or Gatuna border can also be used to access the national park from Rwanda.
Gorilla families in Mgahinga national park
Mgahinga national park is home to 1 habituated gorilla family which tourists can interact with during gorilla trekking experiences in Uganda.
The Nyakagezi gorilla family in Mgahinga national park consists of 9 members and gorillas at this destination are known for their migratory nature and to also move to Volcanoes national park and also to Virunga national park.
The silverback who leads the Nyakagezi gorilla family is called Mark. This gorilla family was habituated in 1991 and tourists started visiting Mgahinga national park to spend time with the gorillas in their natural habitat in 1994.
There are 4 silverbacks as well as female gorillas and also infants which make up the Nyakagezi gorilla family. The forests of Mgahinga national park are also home to golden monkeys which can be seen during tours at the destination.
When visiting Mgahinga national park, tourists can access the national park by driving for about 10 hours along the Kampala-Mbarara-Kisoro route or by flying from Entebbe international airport to Kisoro airstrip. Tourists can also drive from Rwanda to the national park.
Best time to visit gorilla families in Uganda
Throughout the year, tourists can engage in gorilla trekking experiences in Uganda and the best time to visit the gorilla families in Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park is during the months of June to September and also around December to February.
Gorilla families in Uganda can also be visited during the rainy season around March to May and in November which is a time when fewer tourists visit the mountain gorillas because of the rains in Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park.
