Where do Uganda’s Mountain Gorillas live? How do you describe the Gorillas’ habitat?
Uganda’s Mountain Gorillas can be seen in two places in southwestern Uganda: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park supports just over 50% of the world’s population of Mountain Gorillas and is therefore the most popular place to track the gorillas in the world. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – an ancient rainforest and a UNESCO World Heritage site – rises between 1,160 and 2,607 metres above sea level. It is fabulous!
Buhoma on the northern side of the Forest was traditionally the most popular place for tourists. On the southern side of Bwindi, more gorilla families have been habituated over recent years, putting Nkuringo, Rushaga and Ruhija firmly on the would-be tracker’s map of Uganda!
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest national park, measuring just 34 km2. This compact park is home to one habituated gorilla family (and an increasingly popular tracking option). Mgahinga is part of the larger Virunga conservation area which incorporates a total of 434 km2 of volcanic mountains that link Uganda with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
How many gorilla families are there to track in Uganda?
There are many gorilla families in Uganda but only a small number have been habituated for tourist visits. Habituation means the animals have become used to the presence of humans. This is a process that takes a number of years.
In 2023, Uganda has 23 habituated gorilla families meaning Uganda has more tracking permits available every day than Rwanda has.
- There are three habituated families in Buhoma (northern sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest). The Mubare, Habinyanja and Rushagura families live in thick tropical forest and trekking can take 3-10 hours. If you’ve ever watched videos of humans encountering gorillas in the grounds of a lodge, then it is most likely in Buhoma.
- The Oruzogo and Bitukura families are in the Ruhija southern sector of Bwindi.
- In southern Bwindi you will find the Nkuringo family (adjacent to the place of the same name) and the Nshongi, Kahunje, Mishaya and Businge families in Rushaga.
- It’s now possible to track the Nyakagezi family, the one habituated gorilla family in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The Uganda Wildlife Authority tell us that the Nyakagezi family is one of the most entertaining gorilla families to track. It has a higher than average number of Silverbacks in the group.
For gorilla tracking stories and Uganda and Rwanda travel advice, click on the hyperlinks in the Ultimate Guide to Mountain Gorilla Tracking. Looking for more info? Check out my Travel Directory or Contact the Muzungu.
