Bwenge Gorilla Group

Bwenge gorilla group / family was dominated by silverback Bwenge that left his original group with only 2 females to start up its own gorilla group, Bwenge gorilla family increased when the females gave birth leading to 2 adult females and 5 infants hence expanding the family. The Bwenge gorilla family went through a hard time when a total of 6 infants in the group died.

Bwenge the only silverback in the group fought with a number of silverbacks who wanted to grab his family members living him wounded several times. Bwenge was found dead one morning by the trackers of Dian Fossey gorilla fund trackers. Bwenge mountain gorilla family was also featured in the 1998 film gorilla in the mist. Bwenge gorilla family faced a big challenge when they lost 6 babies in the family.

After the death of Bwenge the silverback, the elder female Maggie took over the leadership of the group but was constantly followed by a lone silverback known as Turatsinze that was from Pablo’s gorilla family. Bwenge mountain gorilla family can be trekked from the slopes of mount Bisoke and Mount Karisimbi.

Bwenge mountain gorilla family comprises 11 members as of now but it should be noted that numbers in the gorilla family keep on changing depending on new births, death occurrences, and separation in case another silverback challenges the dominating silverback to grab some members and form his own family.

Gorilla trekking permits for Bwenge Gorilla Group

Gorilla trekking permits in volcanoes national park are the most expensive permits costing $1500 per person per trek and these permits are sold to people with 15 ages and above while those with communicable diseases such as flu, cough, and diarrhea will not be allowed to trek mountain gorillas. Trekking takes 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on the location of these primates, the speed at which you are trekking, and the nature of the terrain. Once you locate a gorilla family, you will be allowed to spend a period of one hour with them as you observe, learn habits and take photos.

Best time to visit Bwenge Gorilla Group.

Bwenge gorilla family can be visited at any time of the year but some months are better than the rest. The best time to trek Bwenge gorilla family is during the dry season which occurs from June to September and December to January. It’s during the dry months that the roads are accessible and the trails in the park are dry. The vegetation is also not too thick making it easy to spot mountain gorillas.

What to bring to trek Bwenge Gorilla Group

For a memorable gorilla trekking experience, you need to come prepared with the right trekking equipment such as good waterproof hiking shoes, garden gloves, enough drinking water, energy-giving snacks, insect repellents, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, good quality camera, long-sleeved clothes and much more