Gorilla Families in Buhoma Sector

Buhoma sector is situated north of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Kanungu district. The area is one of the four sectors for gorilla trekking when on a Uganda gorilla trekking safari. Bwindi forest is home to the largest population of mountain gorillas, with over 40 mountain gorilla families, 22 of which are fully habituated and open to tourists for gorilla trekking tours. These habituated gorilla families are in the park’s four major regions for gorilla trekking; i.e. Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushaga and Ruhija.

Established in 1993, the Buhoma sector was the first trailhead opened for gorilla habituation in preparation for gorilla trekking. Mubare gorilla family was the first habituated gorilla group. All tourism activities in the park began from this trailhead. Today, Buhoma boasts four habituated gorilla families that are available for gorilla trekking; these include Mubare Gorilla Family, Habinyanja Gorilla Family, Katwe Gorilla Family, and Rushegura Gorilla Family. Buhoma boasts superb and tastefully designed safari camps and lodges that offer tranquil accommodations to tourists on Uganda gorilla trekking safaris.

Gorilla Families in Buhoma

Mubare Gorilla Family

The Mubare Gorilla Family is the first habituated gorilla family in Uganda. The gorilla family was opened for tourism in October 1993, after completing two years of habituation. The group derives its name from the stunning Mubare hills in Buhoma where the gorilla group was first sighted by researchers. The gorilla family started with 12 members at the time of habituation with one dominant silverback Ruhondeza. Ruhondeza later left the group under another silverback Kanyonyi who was also later dethroned by the current dominant silverback Maraya. Mubare gorilla family is currently composed of 9 members including 1 silverback, 4 adult females, and 4 infants.

Habinyanja Gorilla Family

Led by the dominant silverback Mugurisi, the group was first spotted near a swamp where it derived its name “Habinyanja.” The name “Habinyanja” comes from a local word, “Nyanja” which means a place with water. The Habinyanja gorilla group was opened to visitors for gorilla trekking in 1999 after completing habituation and Mugurisi was the family’s leader, but he later died due to old age leaving leadership in the hands of his brothers Mwirima and Rwansigazi. The two later broke up in 2002 following a few disagreements forcing Mwirima to leave the family and start his own (Rushegura Gorilla Family). Rwansigazi on the other hand was later replaced by the dominant silverback Makara who is the current leader of the gorilla family. The Habinyanja Gorilla Family is currently composed of 18 members.

Rushegura Gorilla Family

This group was formed in February 2002 following a split from its parent gorilla group, Habinyanja. Led by the dominant silverback, Mwirima, the gorilla group got its name from a tree species called “Ebishegura” where the split of the parent family happened. Rushegura Gorilla Family is famous for foraging near the park’s headquarters in Buhoma, as well as roaming the local community gardens. The gorilla family currently consists of 19 members including 2 silverbacks, 3 blackbacks, 6 adult females, 1 sub-adult, 3 juveniles and 4 infants. The Rushegura gorilla family is the easiest to trek in Buhoma since it tends to reside near the park headquarters.

Katwe Gorilla Family

Katwe Gorilla Family was opened in 2018 for gorilla trekking after undergoing 3 years of habituation. The gorilla family is composed of 9 members including 1 dominant silverback, 4 adult females, 3 blackbacks, and 2 infants.

Muyambi Gorilla Family

Muyambi group led by Silverback Muyambi is found in the Buhoma tourism sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Muyambi group was formed in 2019 after Silverback Muyambi led a split from Mubare group, taking along 4 adult females with him. The group is composed of 7 individuals including 1 Silverback, 4 Adult females and 2 Infants.

Binyindo Gorilla Family

Binyindo group is led by the Silverback Binyindo. It is located in Buhoma sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The group was named after the lead Silverback’s outstanding nasal features. Binyindo is the latest gorilla family added to the gorilla tourism families in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi impenetrable national park. The group was monitored by the rangers and researchers for 3 years before it was opened for tourism recently. The group is composed of 9 individuals including 1 Silverback, 5 Adult females, 2 Juveniles and 1 Infant.

Trekking Gorilla Families in Buhoma

Having been the first established trailhead in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Buhoma is the most popular sector for gorilla trekking tours; offering gorilla treks to various travelers from all parts of the world in groups of 8 people per gorilla family per day. It has well-established camps and lodges, as well as additional activities, to indulge in after gorilla trekking.

To trek mountain gorillas in Buhoma, one must be 15 years and above. You must book your gorilla permit in advance. Gorilla permits in Uganda cost $800 for foreigners, $700 for foreign residents, and UGX 300,000 for East African Citizens.

Gorilla trekking in Buhoma starts in the morning between 7:30 to 8:00 a.m. with a briefing at the park headquarters, that entails the rules and regulations for trekking. After the briefing, visitors are subdivided into groups of 8 and assigned a gorilla family to trek, in addition to an armed ranger and guide. From there, travelers embark on the search for the mountain gorillas in the jungle. After meeting the gorilla family, travelers will have an hour to spend time observing and learning about these unique primates. While with the mountain gorillas, tourists are allowed to take photos and record videos while following the instructions from the guide. From there, tourists trek back to the park headquarters for certification.

When to Trek Gorilla Families in Buhoma?

Gorilla families in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park can be trekked at any time of the year. However, given the tropical nature of the forest, it is best to trek the gorillas during the dry season when the terrain is easily accessible to give you the ultimate gorilla trekking experience. The dry season runs from June to September and late December to early February.

Accommodation in Buhoma Sector

Buhoma encompasses a wide range of accommodation facilities where tourists can stay during their Uganda gorilla trekking safari. Ranging from budget and midrange to luxury accommodation facilities, accommodation in Buhoma includes;