Buhoma Gorilla Groups
Are you looking to trek Buhoma gorilla groups? Buhoma sector is situated in the northern sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, Buhoma is the oldest region of Bwindi national park with the oldest habituated gorilla family called Mubare group habituated in 1992.
Buhoma sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is also very accessible from Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth national park only 4 hours’ drive and just 2 hours’ drive from Kabale town, it is also located near Kihihi airstrip for those who would like to use air transport. There are also a lot of other activities such as guided nature walks, and cultural encounters to be experienced in the Buhoma sector. Habituated mountain gorilla families include:
Mubare gorilla family
Mubare mountain gorilla family derives its name from Mubare hills located in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park where these gorillas were first sighted by trackers and rangers. This is the oldest habituated mountain gorilla family in Uganda found in Buhoma sector of Bwindi national park.
The group was dominated by the silverback Ruhondeza at the time of habituation, Ruhondeza, unfortunately, died in 2013 after suffering from injuries caused in a fight between him and the silverback Kanyonyi who wanted to dominate the group. Ruhindeza was very ambitious and famous for fighting his rivals and also fought young males in his group in order to maintain his position.
Habinyanja gorilla family
Habinyanja gorilla family derives its name from a local Kinyarwanda word “Nyanja” which means a pool of water where the group was first sighted. The group was habituated in 1997 and opened up for tourism in 1999, the group was dominated by Mugurusi at the time of habituation living his two sons sharing the group dominance.
Mugurusi’s two sons Mwirima and Rwansigazi could not get along due to their differences where Mwirima loved to rotate within the same area while Rwansigazi was an adventurer who loved to explore new places. This caused the group to split with Mwirima breaking away in 2002 and formed his own family now called Rushengura gorilla family. Rwansigazi remained with Habinyanja family and later agreed his son Makara to take over as the later and he now dominates the family.
Rushengura gorilla family
The Rushengura gorilla family also sometimes called group R was formed on 2002 when the silverback Mwirima broke off from his family Habinyanja to form his own gorilla family Mwirima died in 2015 and the group is now dominated by Kabukojo.
Accommodation in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi
When trekking mountain gorillas in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, it is advisable to book accommodation within the Buhoma sector of the park and some of the accommodations in Buhoma sector include; Buhoma Community Rest Camp, Mahogany Springs, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Lake Kitandara Bwindi Camp, trekkers tavern, Buhoma Lodge, Silverback lodge, Gorilla Conservation Camp, and Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge among others.
Gorilla permits to track Buhoma gorilla groups
Most people visiting Bwindi impenetrable forest national park prefer trekking mountain gorillas in the Buhoma sector so in most cases permits in the Buhoma sector are scarce hence your advised to book your permit in advance of 3- months before coming to the country to avoid inconvenience. Gorilla trekking permits in the Buhoma sector cost $700 foreign nonresidents, $600 foreign residents, and shs250,000 East African citizens.
Best time to visit Buhoma Gorilla Families
Mountain gorilla trekking in Buhoma sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park can be done at any time of the year though some months are obviously better than the rest. The best time for trekking in Buhoma sector is during the dry season which happens in June to September and December to February when the roads are very accessible and the trekking trails are not slippery. During these months there is little or no rainfall.
