Background

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest has several habituated gorilla families located in different sections of the Park. Three gorilla families are in Buhoma and these are Mubare, Habinyanja and Rushegura. Ruhija side has Oruzogo, Bitukura and Kyaguriro. Nkuringo side located in the southern part of Bwindi has one gorilla family known as Nkuringo while Rushaga in the south as well has Mishaya, Nshongi, Busingye, Bweza and Kahungye making it 11 habituated gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Over 350 bird species have been recorded here and about 25 of them are Albertine endemics.

This biologically diverse region also provides shelter to a further 120 mammals, including several primate species such as baboons and chimpanzees, as well as elephants and antelopes. There are around 350 species of birds hosted in this forest, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics.

Destination Highlights

According to the latest mountain gorilla census, it was established that half of the worlds endangerd mountain gorillas live in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The number mountain gorillas has been estimated to be 820 individuals and out of this, 400 hundred are in Bwindi Impenetrable forest. The Impenetrable forest remains the only park in the whole world where mountain gorillas co-exist with wild chimpanzees although there is no trekking chimps since no community has been habituated.

Gorilla trekking is one of the popular tourist activities in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park were you get a chance to trek one of the few habituated gorilla families in the forest. Depending on which region of Bwindi you are holding permits, experienced guides and trackers will accompany your party on an early morning trek into the dense rain forest on the mountain slopes. The journey, through dense foliage and up steep climbs, is abundantly rewarded with the lifetime experience of viewing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.