Gorilla Families in Mgahinga National Park.
Gorilla Families in Mgahinga National Park.: What is the number of gorilla families in Mgahinga? One of the four national parks in the world where mountain gorilla trekking is possible, and one of the two gorilla parks in Uganda, is Mgahinga National Park.
However, it takes roughly eight to nine hours to travel to Mgahinga National Park, which is located in the Kisoro district of southwest Uganda and borders Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Another choice is to take a domestic aircraft from Entebbe International Airport to the neighboring local airport known as “Kisoro or Kihihi airstrip,” which is operated by Aerolink Uganda and Bar Aviation. This will allow you to enter the park.
More than 100 endangered mountain gorillas, belonging to the habituated gorilla families Nyakagezi and Hirwa, can be found at Mgahinga National Park.
The Gorilla Family of Nyakagezi
In Mgahinga National Park, the primary habituated gorilla family that is accessible for everyday gorilla trekking is Nyakagezi. More importantly, the trackers first saw the gorilla family in the park at Nyakagezi.
Due to the park’s proximity to other gorilla destinations, the Nyakagezi gorilla group used to migrate to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, two nearby countries. Because of this behavior, some visitors were afraid to book a gorilla trekking permit because they were unsure if they would be able to see the gorilla family as we speak today. Nyakagezi has stopped moving.
After being gazetted as a national park and formally opened for tourism in 1994, the Nyakagezi was habituated in 1991. Prior to Mark taking over as leader, Bugingo Silver headed the gorilla family. Bugingo is still alive today and is known by the moniker Mzee, which means elder.
Unlike most silverbacks that become loners after being dominated, Bugingo is different. The fact that Bugingo Silverback remained with the group and that he is just 56 years old astonishes many people and makes their visit to the Nyakagezi gorilla family quite fulfilling. The group is led by Mark Silver now, with his brother Mafia serving as his deputy.
The gorilla family consists of ten individuals, including two adult females, Nshuti and Nyiramwiza, three young people, Fred, baby Nshuti, and Mutagamba, and five silverbacks, Mark, Mafia, Rukundo, Ndugutse, and Bugingo.
While other gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park dwell on high hillsides, the Nyakagezi gorilla group, which inhabits lowland portions of the park, is one of the simplest to hike.
The family of Hirwa gorillas
The Hirwa family is another group of mountain gorillas that can be seen, albeit they prefer to go from Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. This gorilla family split off from the Susa gorilla family because of a miscommunication between the dominant Susa group leader and Munyinga Silverback, the first Hirwa family leader, who split up with two adult females to start his own family.
Sadly, three adult females and one baby silverback were struck by lightning, resulting in the group’s current size of just 17. There are currently 13 members of the Hirwa gorilla group, which tourists encounter during gorilla safaris in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
The price of Mgahinga National Park gorilla permits
For people who have come to the park specifically to experience gorilla trekking, there are roughly 16 gorilla trekking permits available on any given day.
The cost of a gorilla trekking permit at Mgahinga National Park is UGX300,000 per person for East African citizens, USD800 for foreign visitors, and USD700 for foreign residents.
Gorilla permits for Uganda can be reserved directly through the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) or by getting in touch with a reliable tour operator. To prevent disappointments, we urge travelers to reserve their gorilla trekking permits three to six months prior to their intended arrival date in Uganda.
The dry seasons, which run from June to September and December to February, are the ideal times of year to embark on gorilla trekking trips in Uganda.
At Ntebeko park headquarters, gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park begins early with a briefing on laws and regulations. Following the briefing, you will be split up into eight groups, one for each habituated gorilla family. For your hike to be successful, you just need to be physically fit.
Depending on where we were last seen the day before, gorilla trekking can take anywhere from thirty to seven hours. After being assigned to a gorilla family, you will have the opportunity to spend an hour with them and learn about their fulfilling lifestyle and photography.
The best place to go mountain gorilla trekking is Mgahinga National Park. Gorilla trekking here can be combined with other activities like visiting the Batwa trails and taking a nature walk that lets you discover the park’s hidden gems while taking in the fresh air.
