Over half the World’s mountain gorilla population of lives Uganda’s Bwindi and Mgahinga Parks – Combined. According to the 2018 census results released by the Uganda Minister of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities, Mountain Gorilla population is on the increase. The global population of mountain gorillas increased to over 1,063 from the 880 (2011) total divided between the 3 African countries i.e. Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to a survey conducted between May and December 2018, there is a minimum of 459 gorillas from 400 individuals of 2011 in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park alone and about over 80 in Mgahiga Gorilla National Park. The Bwindi population holds a bit less than half of all mountain gorillas in the world, thus its importance for the global survival of these great apes cannot be overstated.

The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park population is divided into 50 gorilla families and 13 solitary individuals however, only 21 of families are habituated and can be accessed by visitors in 4 tracking regions i.e; Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has one tracking region – Ntebeko, – and Nyakagezi  Gorilla Family is the only habituated gorilla group here. This 10 member group used to be migratory and were frequent travelers, taking off for the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Fortunately they returned home and have not moved again since 2012.

Gorilla habituation is a process that takes 2 years. During this time gorillas get accustomed human beings so they remain doing their routine activities in the wilderness even when human beings are present.

According to the UWA conservation rules, only 8 visitors age 15 years+ can be allowed to track each of the habituated gorilla groups per day. That avails over 160 gorilla tracking permits each day along with over 8 for Mgahiga family.

There is nothing like closest or furthest gorilla family when trekking the gorillas. Terrain may be different and the time taken is always unpredictable. Gorillas move to new places everyday and never stay in one place twice. A 2 or 3 hour trek today could be 6 hours the next day. Booking your preferred tracking region is possible and done through your preferred tour agency. There is a whole list of legitimate ones from the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) website.

Below is a list of the 20 mountain gorilla families (2021) for trackers along with their respective Bwindi Impenetrable National Park regions in Uganda.

Mubare Gorilla Family

Family size: 9 members including 1 silverback
Location: Buhoma
Mubare is the oldest habituated gorilla group in Uganda. It was found in the Mubare hills, deep in Bwindi forest, and was fully habituated in 1998. The group started with 12 family members, led by the dominant silverback “Ruhondeza”. In a few years the group grew to 18 individuals. Unfortunately, due to fights with other wild gorilla groups, it lost several members including the one Ruhondeza who used to take care of everyone esle in the party. The group remained 5 members untill March 2013 when other members including a new dominant silverback joined and its now 11 members – an interesting group to visit – led by Kanyonyi – the Silverback. there are 6 adults, 1 teenager and 3 toddlers. Due to its convenient location with the Queen Elizabeth Park and with limited tracking hike, Mubare gorilla permits are now priority for many tour operators and tourist.

Habinyanja Gorilla Family

Family size: 17 members including 1 silverback
Location: Buhoma
The once a 25 member Habinyanja group was first visited by tourists in 1999. The name comes from a local word “Nyanja” which means ‘body of water’. It refers to the swamp in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest where the group was first sighted. The group had several strong males which caused power struggles between the dominant silverbacks fighting for family leadership which led to  spliting into two families – causing the creation of Rushegura family.

It’s normal for such large families to split. – the split forms a new gorilla family and sometimes can be joined by  members rejected by other families or other solitary gorillas and even when they do, gorillas retain the brotherhood and don’t fight against former family members if they meet. The 17 members are; 1 silverback, 1 blackback, 5 adult females, 1 sub-adult, 3 juveniles and 6 infants. Visitors tracking this family need about 3 – 8 hours and it makes sense if they stay at a lodging in the Buhoma area of Bwindi. The family is headed by the shrewd alpha female called Makara.

Family size: 17 members: 1 silverback, 4 blackbacks, 4 adult females, 4 juveniles, 4 infants and is headed by Kabukojo.
Location: Buhoma
The Rushegura gorilla family was brought together in 2002, after one of the silverbacks from the Habinyanja group decided to break away. They started with 12 individuals including 5 females. This “Habinyanya 2 group” quickly received a new name, that derives from “Ebishegura” – a tree specie that was abundant in the home area of the new family. They are usually not far from Buhoma village and sometimes even wander through the gardens Gorilla Forest Camp. Those wanting a shorter trek should note that this large gorilla group can be often tracked in a shorter time than 5 hours.  There is, however, no guarantee that the gorillas may choose to venture off and it will take a longer time to track them.

Family size: 7 members including 1 silverback
Location: Buhoma
Katwe is a newer Gorilla family in Buhoma region having gone about 3 years of habituation. The group was open for regular trekking in August 2018. For a several years, this region has had just 3 habituated gorilla families, hikin the demad for gorilla permits in area since its closer to Queen Elizabeth Park and offers more luxary lodging facilities in Bwindi. There is now 32 gorilla passes available each in this this region of Bwindi Gorilla Park.

Muyambi Gorilla Family

Family size: 7 members, headed by 1 silverback – Muyambi
Location: Buhoma
Muyambi gorilla family is the newest group in Buhoma region of Bwindi launched early 2019. It has six members of the family. Muyambi was an adult family member of Mubare family and it spit away from the family to form other group called Muyambi group now. The gorillas are amazing to watch as they live their daily life of eating, communicating, Resting and movement on ground and in the trees. The family had a new addition who arrived in May 2020.

Habituated Gorilla in Ruhija Region of Bwindi – about 1½ from Buhoma area of Bwindi

Family size: 13 members;  4 silverbacks, 4 adult females, 2 juveniles and 3 infants and is headed by Ndahura
Location: Ruhija area
The Bitukura group was named after a river where the family members were first sighted. The habituation that started in July 2007 was a relatively easy process as the gorillas were already frequently encountered by the UWA rangers. Although the habituation process normally takes a minimum of two years, this group could already be visited by tourists within 15 months after the start. They share a close bond and often have “group meetings” or get-togethers.

 The group was 24 members but due to disputes within the family, some gorillas simply chose to leave the group and were probably recruited other families. Bitukura family likes foraging around Ruhija tourism station of BINP and sometimes along the forest edges in the area. To visit this family, its advisable to stay in the Ruhija area of Bwindi park but you can also stay in Buhoma though you have to leave very early to catch the pre-track orientation.

Family size: 17 members: 2 silverbacks, 2 black backs, 5 adult females, 2 sub-adults, 1 juvenile and 5 infants – headed by Bakwate
Location: Ruhija Area

Family size: 10 members: Headed by Rukara – the Silverback 2 blackbacks, 3 adult females, 2 juveniles and 2 infants.
Location: Ruhija Area of Bwindi

Kyaguliro Gorilla group solely dedicated for gorilla research purposes. The groups’ habituation began in 1995 following the sudden death of the principal family head Rukina succumbed to an electric shock due to lightning on 7th April 2015. After Rukina’s demise, the family was left under the leadership of an inexperienced young Silverback (Mukiza) who was later ambushed by an immigrating Adult Silverback (Rukara) from the Bitukura family, this fueled a split of the family in May 2016 forming Kyaguliro A – under Rukara and Kyaguliro B under Mukiza . Generally, the entire family is known for spending almost all its time in the inner forest and very rarely gets close to the forest’s peripherals.

Family size: 10 members: Headed by Mukiza – the Silverback, 4 adult females, 1 sub-adult and 4 infants.

Mukiza family is was once under the Kyaguliro gorilla under the leadership of Rukina who deceased in 2015. Mukiza the young silverback lost leadership of the big gorilla family leading to a split of the group. Mukiza walked away with a sizable number or indviduals forming the current Mukiza family.

Family size: 11 members: 2 blackback, 2 adult females, 2 subadults, 3 juveniles and two infants. Headed by Rwamutwe – a black back.
Location: Nkuringo area
Nkuringo is a local word meaning “round hill” – It’s a word from the Rukiga language, referring to the hill where the group was first sighted. The once a 17- member – Nkuringo family was the first gorilla group to be habituated in the entire southern area of BINP in 1997 after the 2 year habituation process.

On June 1, 2020, Wildlife Poachers killed the famous 25-year old Rafiki Gorilla Silverback and the family lost its lead. While there were no tourists during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, life was hard for those living around Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and poaching was one of the few ways to stay alive. Nkuringo family future was quite uncertain after the leader had been killed but a month later, the family stabilized with 11 individuals under the leadership of Rwamutwe the dominant black back. Those who visited the Nkuringo Gorilla Family in Nkuringo and thousands of others shared their grief. Major news agencies far and wide reported on this tragic incident.

One of the reasons for their habituation was their continued venturure into the local communities’ gardens feeding on bananas, sweet potatoes and other crops. This led to the displacement of the former local human settlers in the frontline villages in Nkuringo sector to create a buffer zone to minimize human-wildlife interface.

By opening up the group for visitors, the community could directly benefit from tourism and it formed a protection for the gorillas as well. The family was led by one Silverback – Nkuringo who died in April 2004, leaving behind 2 Silverbacks Safari and Rafiki. Safari took over the leadership and same year in November, newborn twin babies gorillas Katungi and Muhozi arrived and expanded the family further. Unfortunately, Katungi died at the age of 1½ years due to illness.

Tracking the Nkuringo Group takes a bit more energy and stamina. This is probably the toughest trek in Uganda. Yet there is not many complaining about being exhausted. A better word would be exhilarated after the experience of a lifetime. Nkuringo Family is a large group in the southern, scenic area of Nkuringo and not to be forgotten experience.

Family size: 8 members: Headed by Bahati – theSilverback, 1 blackback, 3 adult females, 1 sub-adult, 1 juvenile, and 1 infant.
Location: Nkuringo area
Due to continuous walk away of individual members from the Nkuringo Family, a follow up research was conducted. A search for their whereabouts was launched in early 2012. It was found out that one of the Silverbacks – formerly a Nkuringo family member – SB Bahati who moved on earlier was leading a parallel family. Some of the members under his leadership were former members of the Nkuringo family among other non-habituated members.  What started as a follow up exercise later led to close monitoring of the behavior of the new parallel family. The group was later habituated and named ‘Bushaho’ after the topo-name of the locality where the group forages most.

Family size: 10 members: 1 silverback, 3 adult females, 1 sub-adult, 2 juvenile and 3 infants. The family is headed by Bweza.
Location: Rushaga area of Bwindi National Park
Nshongi was the largest group ever habituated with about 32 gorilla members and was officially introduced in September 2009. It was named after the river Nshongi, where the gorilla family was first found. Although most gorilla families usually consisting of about 25 members have one or two Silverbacks, this was a strange one with 4 Silverbacks. Another remarkable fact is that the group is led by Nshongi, who is not even the oldest Silverback in the family and that the three silverbacks and seven blackbacks lived in harmony with each other and did not make an attempt for leadership.

In July 2010 however, the group split and remained 26 members with the other split forming the present Mishaya Gorilla Group. In 2013 the family further split and reduced to 18, with the new split forming the present Bweza Gorilla Group with 10 members. Unfortunately, Mishaya Silverback (who had solely led the first splint as an adult male died of an obstruction of the intestinal gut on 3rd February, 2014). This resulted into the dispersal of the remnant family members as they had NO other adult male to take lead. Some of the members ended up joining Bweza family while others joined Bikingi family.

The Nsongi Gorilla Group is in a large forested area where you can also see other primates, birds and butterflies. This family welcomed a new member in May 2020.

Family size: 9 members: 1 silverback as of February 2024.
Location: Rushaga area
Habituation of the Bikingi gorilla group commenced in early 2012 as a follow-up exercise of the dispersing members of the disintegrated Mishaya family. Indeed, several members of the former Mishaya family were located in the group alongside other non-habituated members and later on declared for habituation to keep close monitoring of the formerly habituated members.

The family’s newest member arrived in February 2024, born to Adult Female Mucecuru and Silverback Kaharata.

Family size: 12 members with 1 dominant Silverback
Location: Rushaga area of Bwindi National Park
In July 2010, Silverback Mishaya decided to leave the Nshongi Gorilla Group with some females and started his own family. He was a typical fighter and was able to gather more females from other non-habituated groups in the area, reaching a total group size of 12 gorillas, including three infants. As mentioned earlier, Mishaya died in 2014 and was the only adult male in the group and was known for being a fighter who often starts interactions with other gorilla families.

By the end of 2015, the group was 7 gorilla but like we noticed earlier, gorilla families some time are joined by friends or even acquire more member in successful battles.

Family size: 17 members; 3 silverbacks, 3 blackbacks, 3 adult females, 3 sub-adult, 3 juveniles and two infants.  The family is headed by Rumanzi.
Location: Rushaga area of Bwindi National Park.
The “Kahungye” name comes from a hill in the Rushaga area where the gorillas were discovered.

The group was opened for visitors and gorilla tracking in 2011 and consisted of 29 individuals, including 3 silverbacks. Less than a year later, the group split due to intra-male rivalry, fission – creating the Busingye Gorilla Family. You realize that the size of families changes as they split, divorce, have feuds, and run in a huff, while the males may raid another group and grab a few females to come along.

Bweza Gorilla Family

Busingye Gorilla Family

Kutu Family Gorilla Family

Mucunguzi gorilla Family

Discover Rwigi Gorilla Family