Gorilla family in Bwindi: The park is found in south western Uganda and is a natural UNESCO world heritage which is in the rift valley of Kanungu district. Bwindi is a biologically diverse rainforest that lies on an altitude range of 2607m and 1160m above the sea level.

Bwindi was first gazetted as a national park in 1991 and it covers an area of 321 sq. km and is covered with lowland forests and montane and the deep forests are the river sources of munyaga, Ivi, ishasha, ihihizo, and Ntengyrere Rivers of which they flow into Lake Edward.

Bwindi is famous for gorilla trekking in Africa and is a home of many mountain gorilla individuals. Mountain gorillas where habituated and where trained to be with people and they feel comfortable with them. There are 19 gorilla families that are trekked in Bwindi and they are found in sectors of Rushaga, buhoma, Ruhija, and Nkuringo. Some of these families include;

Mubare gorilla family

Mubare gorilla family was habituated in 1991 and is among the first and oldest gorilla families habituated in Bwindi. This family is in Buhoma sector and is trekked from here and the family has 9members and have one silver back. Trekking of Mubare gorilla family is done close to the park’s headquarters.

Rushegura gorilla family

Rushegura gorilla family is located in Buhoma sector and the family was formed in 2002 plus being comprised of 19 members with only 1 silverback. This family is under the leadership of Mwirimu a dominant silverback.

Habinyanja gorilla family

Habinyanja gorilla family is also found in Buhoma sector and it is an amazing family that needs to be trekked. Habituation first happened in 1997 and it recently has 18 members with 2 silverbacks.

Katwe gorilla family                      

Katwe gorilla family is a newly habituated family that is found in Buhoma sector.  This family comprises of 7 family members with one dominant silverback.

Nkuringo gorilla family        

Nkuringo gorilla family is found in Nkuringo sector and is made of 19 members with 2silverbacks. The family was in past led by silverback Nkuringo that unfortunately died in April 2008.    

Bushaho gorilla family

Bushaho gorilla family is found in Nkuringo and is trekked in the southern sector of Bwindi. This family has 8 individuals with one dominant silverback Bahati.

Bitukura gorilla family

Bitukura gorilla family is found in Ruhija sector of Bwindi and is really good for trekking. It comprises 14 individuals with 14 silverbacks.

Mishaya gorilla family

Mishaya gorilla family is found in Rushaga sector of Bwindi for trekking and is made up of 7 members with 1 dominant silverback and the leader is names of Mishaya.

Oruzogo gorilla family

Oruzogo gorilla family is found in Ruhija sector of Bwindi for trekking and it entails 23 members with one silverback. It was opened in 2011 for trekking.

Nshongi gorilla gamily

Nshongi gorilla family is also found in Rushaga sector of Bwindi and was opened for trekking in 2009 and it is made up of 18 members.

Kahungye gorilla family                           

Kahungye gorilla family is found in Rushaga sector of Bwindi and was opened for trekking in 2011. This family has 13 members with 3 silverbacks. The leader is dominant silverback Rumansi.

Bweza gorilla family

Bweza gorilla family is also found in Rushaga sector and it has 9 members with 1 dominant silverback and Bweza is the leader of the family. Bweza just split from Nshongi gorilla family hence forming his own family that was named after him.

Busingye gorilla family

Busingye gorilla family is too found in Rushaga sector of Bwindi and it departed from Kahungye family with 9 members and with one silverback as its leader.

Kyaguriro gorilla family

Kyaguriro gorilla family is a big family with 15 members and the earliest family to be opened for trekking and habituation in 1999. This gorilla family is the most loved gorilla family in Bwindi and is conserved for purposes of study and research. After the death of Kyaguriro leader Rukina who had succeded Zeus in 2015 and of recent it is under the leadership of dominant silverback known as Rukara.

Bikyingi gorilla family

Bikyingi gorilla family is found in Rushaga area of Bwindi for trekking.  This family has 21 members and 1 silverback in name of Bikyingi where the families name originated. Bikyingi is a leader who is friendly and wonderful to see.

Christmas gorilla family

Christmas gorilla family is found in Nkuringo sector of Bwindi for trekking. This is newest family yet to be opened alongside Katwe gorilla family. This family comprises 9 members including 1 dominant silverback Christmas as the leader for the family.

Mukiza gorilla family

Mukiza gorilla family is found in Ruhija sector of Bwindi for trekking and fragmented from Kyaguliro gorilla family. The family has 10 indiciduals with 1 silver who acts as the leader of the family.

Kutu gorilla family

Kutu gorilla family is found in Rushaga sector of Bwindi impenetrable national park and trekked from there. The family has got 8 members and has 1 silverback as the leader of the family.

Mucunguzi gorilla family

Mucunguzi gorilla family separated from Bweza gorilla family because of unending fights thus the formation of Mucunguzi a growing silverback. Mucunguzi was named after his name. The family is made up by a group of 8 members and female gorillas are dominant.

Finally, Bwindi impenetrable national park’s mountain gorilla populations and family’s increase because of the newly born gorilla infants but the above are the only families open for gorilla trekking.