Kyaguriro Gorilla Group In Bwindi National Park : Kyaguriro Gorilla group is can be trekked within Bwindi National park which is famously known as the best destination where to travel while on a gorilla trekking safari and it is located in the Southwestern region of Uganda which was first gazette as a national park in 1991 and later in 1994, it was named as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Gorilla trekking is considered as one of the top tourism activities done by tourists in Uganda due to the fact that there over are 18 habituated gorilla groups in Bwindi National park, with 15 available for tourists to track.
In addition, The Kyaguriro gorilla group is one of the 15 habituated gorilla groups that always available in the park for tourists to trek. More so, this gorilla group is also one of the four gorilla families, which can be easily trekked within the Ruhija sector of the national park.
The Kyaguriro gorilla group is among the first gorilla groups to be habituated in Bwindi national park. Habituation of this gorilla group started in 1995, although tourists were not allowed to track the groups at that time. The group was first used for researches purposes by the German Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology, which was based in the national park.
Visitors interested in trekking the Kyaguriro gorilla group can find this group in the eastern part of Bwindi national park. This group was first led by a dominant silverback named ‘Rukina,’ who died after being struck by lightning on 7th April 2015.
Following the death of Rukina in 2015, a silverback called Mukiza took over leadership of the group. However in that same year, Mukiza faced a number of challenges with the biggest challenge coming from a Silverback from the Bitukura family/group.
The Kyaguriro gorilla group in Bwindi later split in 2016 forming two groups; Kyaguriro A which was led by Rukara from the Bitukura group and Kyaguriro B led by Mukiza. The group has 20 members with 10 members in Kyaguriro A and 10 members in Kyaguriro B. however, the number of individuals in a gorilla group keep fluctuating for a number of reasons such as; joining of new members into the groups, exit of members from a group, new births, and death of members among others.
How much does a gorilla trekking permit cost?
Visitors trekking this gorilla group need to first purchase a gorilla trekking permit at a fee of USD 600 for the foreign residents or USD 700 dollars per person for the foreign nonresidents. In addition, tourists can be able to purchase their gorilla permit directly from the Uganda Wildlife Authority or through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global safaris.
How long does it take to trek the Kyaguriro gorilla group?
Trekking the Kyaguriro gorilla group in Bwindi can take between 2-7 hours inclusive of one hour that is spent with gorillas once they have been located. In addition, trekking this gorilla group is only eligible for tourists above 15 years of age because behaviours of children is unpredictable while in the presence of the endangered mountain gorillas.
Trekking this specific gorilla group can at times be very tedious depending on how far/deep into the forest the gorillas have moved as they search for food. It is for this specific reason that visitors are advised to be in perfect health conditions, both physically and mentally. Visitors with conical health conditions are recommended to first get clearance from a qualified medical personnel.
Visitors who have their best interest in trekking the Kyaguriro gorilla group are always encouraged to report at the park by 7am for a briefing by the head ranger at Bwindi national park. Actual trekking begins at 8am after visitors have been placed into their specific gorilla trekking groups. And individuals are being put in groups with a maximum number of 8 people and each of these is being assigned to with a park guide to lead them through trails and due to the fact that it is always easy for them to track where the gorillas are located because they have a lot of knowledge and they are familiar with the park.
Trekking the Kyaguriro group is best done between the months of June- September and from December-February when it is the dry season. During this time of the year, it is much easier for visitors to trek through the forest while locating the gorilla groups.
Visitors can also opt to do the gorilla habituation experience at a fee of USD 1500. This activity gives visitors an opportunity to take part in gorilla habituation projects in the park; where along with a team of highly trained and experience park staff, visitors can help in integrating the gorillas with humans. This activity also involves observing the gorillas in their natural habitat, monitoring their behaviors and way of feeding as well.
The gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi national parks allows visitors to spend up to 4 hours with the gorillas. Gorilla habituation experience is done in the Rushaga sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and starts at 7:30am in the morning.
As far as accommodation in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is concerned, visitors trekking the Kyaguriro gorilla group can stay in the following accommodation facilities; Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Mist Camp, Cuckoo land Tented Camp, Gorilla Forest Camp, and the Ruhija Gorilla Resort to mention but a few.
Tourists trekking the Kyaguriro gorilla group can also combine it with other activities, which are offered by the national park such as; birding, guided nature walks, the Batwa trail experience and community cultural visits among others.
Contact our trusted tour operators for more information about the Kyaguriro gorilla family and then book with our tours and travel companies such as; Achieve Global safaris who offer the best tour packages while on your gorilla trekking safari in Uganda.
