The Nyakagezi gorilla family can be encountered during tours to Mgahinga national park located in south western Uganda. There are 9 members which make up the Nyakagezi gorilla family which is the only habituated gorilla group found in Mgahinga national park.
However, the Nyakagezi gorilla group is known to move between countries and sometimes cross from Mgahinga national park to Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and also to Virunga national park in Democratic Republic of Congo. Despite the movement of these gorillas, they have been in Mgahinga national park for a long time.
When visiting the Nyakagezi gorilla family, tourists enjoy exploring the steep slopes of Mgahinga national park and spend time with the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat as they engage in gorilla trekking experiences.
During the gorilla trekking experience in Nyakagezi gorilla family, tourists can watch the gorillas closely and for a period of 1 hour, stay in the presence of the gorillas and watch their behavior as they play and groom one another in the forests of Mgahinga national park.
Gorilla permits for visiting the Nyakagezi gorilla family during tours in Mgahinga national park are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and they can be booked through licensed tour operators. Tourists are advised to book these gorilla permits in advance to avoid missing the encounter with this gorilla family.
The cost of gorilla permits for Mgahinga national park is 800 USD for foreign nonresidents, 700 USD for foreign residents and East African citizens visiting the Nyakagezi gorilla family are charged a permit fee of 300,000 Uganda shillings.
History of the Nyakagezi gorilla family
In 1991, the Nyakagezi gorilla family started the habituation process which was complete in 1994 when tourists were allowed to visit them in their natural habitat.
The Nyakagezi gorilla family is made up of 9 members including 4 silverbacks with a dominant silverback called Mark and also consists of 2 females, juvenile gorillas and infants. The oldest silverback in the group is called Bugingo.
Bugingo is the father of Mark who took over leadership of the Nyakagezi gorilla family and other silverbacks in the group include Mathew and Mafia while the females include Nyiramwiza and Nshuti. Other members in the gorilla group include Nkanda, Mutagamba and Rukundo.
Over 80 mountain gorillas are found in the forests of Mgahinga national park and can be seen around the slopes of the Virunga mountains. During the gorilla trekking experience in the national park, tourists start with a briefing at the Ntebeko park headquarters,
Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park
Gorilla trekking is among the activities which are done during tours in Mgahinga national park and it involves visiting the Nyakagezi gorillas.
During this activity, 8 tourists visit the Nyakagezi gorilla family and accompanies with ranger guides, explore the forests of Mgahinga national park in search for the mountain gorillas. Tourists get to spend 1 hour with the gorillas at the destination.
Because of the limited number of gorilla permits issued for tourists visiting Mgahinga national park, tourists get to experience a more intimate gorilla encounter when exploring the forests and steep slopes of the national park.
Best time to visit Nyakagezi gorilla family
The Nyakagezi gorilla family can be visited at anytime of the year with the best time to go to the destination being the dry season.
The dry season is experienced during the months of June to September and in the month of December to February when the trails are easy to trek through during the search for the gorillas of Mgahinga national park.
Other activities to do in Mgahinga national park
Apart from visiting the Nyakagezi gorilla family, tourists can also engage in golden monkey trekking, Batwa community tours and also hiking.
- Golden monkey trekking
Golden monkey trekking experiences in Mgahinga national park also involve encounters with these primates in their natural habitat.
When visiting Mgahinga national park, tourists can see the golden monkeys around the bamboo forests found at the destination. Permits for golden monkey trekking in the national park cost 100 USD per person which includes park entrance fees.
The golden monkey trek takes about 3 to 4 hours depending on the movement of the golden monkeys around Mgahinga national park. During the 1 hour spent in the presence of the golden monkeys, tourists can watch them closely and also enjoy recording videos and taking pictures.
- Batwa community tour
During tours around Mgahinga national park, tourists can also engage in community tours and interact with the Batwa people.
The Batwa community tour involves engaging in traditional dances with the locals among other exciting activities. They also act as guides around Mgahinga national park during tours around the destination.
- Hiking
Mgahinga national park is among the destinations in Uganda where Uganda hiking Safaris can be done and there are 3 Virunga mountains found at the destination.
The Virunga mountains found in Mgahinga national park include Mount Gahinga, Mount Muhabura and Mount Sabyinyo. Tourists engage in half day hikes and full day hikes around the national park as they explore the forests and other surroundings.
Mount Gahinga is at an altitude of 3474 meters, Mount Muhabura is 4127 meters high and Mount Sabyinyo is at an altitude of 3669 meters. During these hikes, tourists are accompanied by ranger guides and can also encounter primates like gorillas and golden monkeys among others around the Bamboo forests on the mountains.
How to get to Mgahinga national park
Mgahinga national park can be accessed from Kampala using the Kampala-Mbarara-Kabale-Kisoro route which takes about 9 to 10 hours.
Another way to get to Mgahinga national park is by driving from Rwanda which takes about 3 to 4 hours. When crossing from Rwanda to Uganda, tourists can use the Cyanika border or the Gatuna border.
Flights can also be booked from Entebbe international airport to Kisoro airstrip during tours to Mgahinga national park. There are scheduled and charter flights to the national park which can be booked through domestic airlines such as Aerolink Uganda.
