Which countries offer the best chance to see mountain gorillas?

Introduction

There are mountain gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda, and the democratic republic of Congo in the Virunga Mountains, a range of extinct volcanoes that border the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. 53.9% can be found in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda and the remainder in Virunga and Volcanoes National Parks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda respectively.

The 53.9% of Uganda's mountain gorillas represent only 50 percent of the mountain gorillas in Bwindi alone excluding the one family of nine in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, The fact that Bwindi impenetrable forest national park alone has over 21 habituated gorilla families, plus the one family in Mgahinga Gorilla National park makes Uganda the only country with the largest number of habituated mountain gorilla in the world.

The over 23 gorilla families can be tracked through the four trail heads of Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the east, Rushaga and Nkuringo in the southeast and south of the park respectively.

Rushaga is the only place you can do a gorilla habituation experience, however, for those looking forward to doing research and gorilla photography you can do either activity on either side of the forest.

What does this mean?

It means that your chances of encountering a mountain gorilla family on your gorilla trekking tour in Uganda are 101 percent; the same applies to accessing gorilla tracking permits or habituation permits. As if that is not enough, the mountain gorillas in Bwindi are multiplying quickly with new babies being registered between close intervals.

Bwindi has very nice vegetation cover and most of the time the gorillas are spotted feeding in the open, with babies playing on trees, blackbacks guarding the family, and females breastfeeding as well at the same time feeding, some times normal bedroom activities will take place in your presence.

A typical gorilla family consists of a silverback (father) mother, black backs, and “girls” The little ones are collectively called infants, and females have no gender-based names and are generally referred to as females.

Whereas the alpha males defend, and determine the daily movement and feeding plan, females play other crucial roles like keeping the group together, taking care of infants, and multiplying the group when time is due.

Bwindi boosts of maximum security by both locals and the security organizations that have been put in place by the government of Uganda. So there is no chance that you will not see mountain Gorillas in Uganda.

Gorilla families in Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks as of April 2023

Buhoma trail head - 6 families:

Habinyanja Rushegura, Mubare, Katwe, Binyindo, Muyambi Nkuringo trailhead - five families Nkuringo, Bushaho, Charismas, Posho

Ruhija trail head - 4 familes

Oruzogo , Bitukura, Mukiza, Kyaguriro

Rushaga trailhead - 9 families:

Busingye, Mishaya, Kahungye, Bweza, Mucunguzi, Bikingi Nshongi, Kutu, Rwigi

Nkuringo trail head - 5 families:

Nkuringo, Bushaho, Charismas, Posho

One Gorilla family in Mgahinga Nyakagezi