Buhoma Gorilla families
Buhoma Gorilla families :One of the four gorilla trekking sectors in Kanungu district’s northern Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is called Buhoma Sector. Situated in the southwest region of Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is renowned for being home to half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas. In the south-facing Rushaga sector, in the east-facing Ruhija sector, and in the south-facing Nkuringo sector, gorilla trekking is also conducted within the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Five habituated gorilla families—the Mubare, Rushegura, Habinyanja, Muyambi, and Katwe gorilla families—live in the Buhoma sector and are regularly accessible for hiking.
The Mubare Gorilla Family
The eldest family of gorillas in the Buhoma area, Mubare was also the first to be walked by visitors in 1993. The Mubare family had twelve members at the time of their settlement, and Ruhondeza Silverback, the family’s alpha male leader, passed away in June 2012 from old age. Later, after falling from the tree, Kanyonyil suffered injuries that rendered him helpless to defend his family, which is how Malaya Silverback took them. There are currently nine members of the Mubare gorilla family: four females, Nyampazi, Karungi, Twesiime, and Buzinza, as well as four newborns. Malaya is the dominant silverback.
The Habinyanja gorilla group
The name of another gorilla family in the Buhoma area, Habinyanja, comes from the Rukiga term Nyanja, which means “a place with water.” The habinyanja family was habituated in 1996. At the time of habituation, the Habinyanja gorilla family consisted of 25 individuals, led by Mugurusi the silverback, who sadly died of old age. After Mugurusi’s death, there were succession problems since Rwansigazi, Mwirima, and Makara, the silverbacks, were vying for control. Twelve members, including two silverbacks, two blackbucks, three adult females, three sub-adults, and two juveniles, followed Rwansigazi and kept the name Haninyanja, while others followed Mwirima and became known as the Rushegura gorilla family. Rwansigazi and Mwirima shared leadership of the family until 2002, when they parted ways.
Rushegura family of gorillas
In 2002, the Rushegura gorilla family in the Buhoma area broke apart from the Haninyanja gorilla family. Strong silverback Mwirima led the breakaway from the Habinyanja family, which had seven members. By 2010, the group had grown to nineteen, with two silverbacks, three blackbuck, six adult females, one sub-adult, three juniors, and four newborns. After Mwirima’s passing, the group is currently led by a blackbuck, with the Gorilla families in the Buhoma region.
Gorilla family Katwe
In the Buhoma sector, the Katwe gorilla family was the fourth habituated group. There are nine members of the Katwe group: two blackbucks, two newborns, four adult females, and one silverback.
The Muyambi gorilla family
With six members, the Muyambi gorilla family is the newest gorilla group in the Buhoma area. It opened for trekking in 2019. Formerly belonging to the Mubare family—the first gorilla family in the Buhoma sector—Muyambi later broke away to start its own group.
Trekking with gorillas in Katwe, Buhoma sector
The Buhoma sector’s gorilla trekking journey begins very early in the morning with a briefing on the guidelines to be followed while hiking. Following the briefing, you will be split up into groups of eight, with each group being assigned a habituated gorilla family to trek with, park rangers, and an experienced park guide who is knowledgeable on the routes to take in order to go gorilla trekking. Because mountain gorillas prefer to roam around in search of food, a mountain gorilla trekking experience in the Buhoma area can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 7 hours, depending on the gorilla’s location. You will be able to see other monkeys, see different kinds of plants and trees, and hear different kinds of birds making beautiful sounds while trekking. After the gorillas are located, you will have an hour to spend in their natural habitat, during which you can observe the gorillas going about their everyday lives, take pictures, and document the amazing moments to share with friends and family back home.
The price of permits for gorilla trekking in the Buhoma area
In the Buhoma region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a gorilla trekking permit costs 800 USD for non-resident foreigners, 700 USD for residents, and 300,000 UGX for citizens of East Africa.
The ideal time to trek with gorillas in the Buhoma sector
Although gorilla trekking in the Buhoma sector can be done at any time of year, the ideal months to go are June, July, August, September, December, January, and February during the dry season, also known as the peak season. In contrast to the rainy season, when the routes are muddy and slippery and make hiking challenging, the dry season brings less rainfall to the national park, making access roads and gorilla trekking trails dry and passable.
Where to stay in the sector of Buhoma
You can stay in a variety of lodging options in Buhoma area for the duration of your gorilla trekking safari. Buhoma Lodge, Sancturary Gorilla Forest Camp, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge, Silverback Lodge, Engangi Lodge, Bwindi Forest Lodge, Buhoma Haven Lodge, Bwindi View Bandas, Buhoma Community Rest Camp, Crested Crane Bwindi, CPTH Gorilla Conservation Camp, and Trackers Safari Lodge are just a few of the affordable, midrange, and opulent lodging options available.
How to reach the sector of Buhoma
The Buhoma sector is accessible by road from Kampala, passing through Masaka, Mbarara, and Kabale before arriving at the Buhoma park headquarters, which is approximately an 8 to 9-hour trip away. The Buhoma sector is situated in the northern portion of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
By scheduling regular or charter flights with Bar Aviation or Aero link Uganda from Entebbe international airport to Kihihi airstrip and then connecting to the park headquarters by road, you can easily reach the Buhoma region by air.
The Buhoma area is an essential location for anyone seeking life-changing gorilla trekking experiences. Please visit our website to make a cheap gorilla trekking package reservation, or do not hesitate to Budget gorilla trekking ( select adventure safaris ) for more details.