Gorilla Families in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park: Mountain gorillas live in family units, also known as troops, led by a dominant male silverback. While there may be other silverbacks within a troop, all gorillas are subordinate to the dominant silverback, who directs troop activities and retains mating rights over females. Groups of gorillas may be as small as 2 individuals and as large as 65 individuals. While the average group size is around 10-12 individuals, groups have been seen to have as few as a single breeding pair, or two silverback gorillas, to as many as 65 individuals which consist of offspring, juveniles, females, and infants among others. Surprisingly Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Mahinga Gorilla National Park is home to over 100 endangered mountain gorillas, the gorilla families in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are constantly monitored and studied by researchers and conservationists to ensure their safety and well-being. There are currently two habituated gorilla families in the park that are open to tourists for viewing; the Nyakagezi and Hirwa families. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is one of the smallest game parks but amazingly contains a variety of unique species including mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, beautiful butterflies, and bird species as well as a visit the Batwa pygmy –people who used to live, eat together with these fascinating creatures and they are good in storytelling. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a national park in southwestern Uganda. It was created in 1991 and covers an area of 33.9 square kilometers, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is located in the Virunga mountains and encompasses three inactive volcanoes, namely Mount Muhabura, Mount Gahinga, and Mount Sabyinyo. It is contiguous with Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and the southern sector of Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The following are the Gorilla Families found in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Nyakagezi Gorilla Family
The Nyakagezi family is the most famous and well-known gorilla family in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. This family is led by the silverback known as Mark, who is a formidable and protective leader. The Nyakagezi family consists of several adult females and their offspring, making it a large and bustling troop. Nyakagezi was an area in the park where the gorilla group was first sighted by the trackers and the gorilla group was known for migrating to the neighbouring destinations that are Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo and due to this behavior of migrating all the time it led many visitors to stop visiting Mgahinga on gorilla trekking experience because they were afraid of disappointment of viewing the gorilla family. currently, the group led by Mark and his brother Mafia who is the assistant and gorilla group comprises 10 members which includes 5 silverbacks, namely; Mark, Mafia, Rukundo, Ndugutse and Bugingo,2 adult females who are Nshut and Nyiramwiza and 3 youngsters who are Fred, baby Nshuti and Mutagamba.
Hirwa Gorilla Family
The Hirwa family is another popular gorilla family in the park. This family is led by a silverback named Muninya, who is known for his calm and gentle demeanor. The Hirwa family is made up of several adult females and juveniles, and they are often seen playing and interacting with each other in the dense forest. the word Hirwa derives from Kinyarwanda word that means lucky one and this is one of another gorilla family that migrated away from Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. This family is said to have left his family in October 2019 to form another gorilla family, it splintered from the Susa gorilla due to a misunderstanding between Munyinga Silverback who was the first leader of the Hirwa family and the dominant leaders of the Susa group and this forced Munyanga to leave with 2 adult females in order to firm own group. This amazing gorilla family consists of 17 members and now dwells in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Suddenly, the family was struck by lightning and four members couldn’t survive that is 3 adult females and 1 infant and now the group is comprised of 13 individuals.
Visitors to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park have the incredible opportunity to go on guided gorilla trekking tours to observe these amazing animals in their natural habitat. Trekking through the dense rainforest, visitors can witness the gorillas as they forage for food, care for their young and socialize with each other. It is a truly awe-inspiring experience that allows tourists to connect with these incredible creatures on a personal level. Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park starts early in the morning with a briefing about rules and regulations for gorilla trekking at the Ntebeko Park headquarters. After you will be grouped in a group of 8 people to trek each habituated gorilla family, an activity can take about 30 to 6 hours depending on the location of the gorillas. Once gorillas have been found, one hour will be given to you to watch them and learn about their behaviors, habits, and lifestyle, and take photos and video recording for quite a memorable experience on your safari.
Cost of gorilla trekking permit in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Gorilla trekking can be done with a valid permit that allows you to reach out to gorillas in their natural environment. Gorilla trekking permit in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park costs US$800 per foreign non-resident, US$ 700 per foreign resident and UGX 300,000 per person for East African citizens. Uganda gorilla permits can be obtained directly through the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) or with the help of a trustworthy tour operator for instance us at Achieve Global Safaris. We advise you to book in advance 3 to 6 months before the trekking date in order to avoid last-minute disappointments since it can be competitive especially during peak season in the month of June to September and December to February.
Contact our trusted tour operators for more information about Gorilla families in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Book with our tours and travel companies such as; Achieve Global Safari which offers the best tour packages while on your safari in Uganda.
