How many gorilla families are in Mgahinga national park?
How many gorilla families are in Mgahinga national park?: Mgahinga national park is the smallest national park in Uganda found in the Kisoro district. The national park is known for harboring mountain gorillas and it attracts tourists that love gorilla trekking. Mgahinga national park was gazetted in 1991 by the government of Uganda to protect the mountain gorillas and the vegetation.
How many gorilla families are in Mgahinga national park?
Mgahinga national park covers a total area of 33.7 sq. km that is home to over 90 mountain gorillas. It has the least number of mountain gorilla families because it is a small protected area with 3 mountains which are Mgahinga, Sabyinyo, and Muhabura
For travelers looking for the number of mountain gorilla families in Mgahinga national park. The answer is only one mountain gorilla family is habituated in Mgahinga national park. The one family of Mgahinga national park is called Nyakagezi family and it comprises 10 members.
Nyakagezi gorilla family started the process of habituation in 1991 and the process took almost three years. The gorilla family found in Mgahinga national park was habituated until 1994 and that is when it was open for trekking that year. Nyakagezi gorilla family as of today has 10 members and they keep changing due to new deaths and births.
Nyakagezi gorilla family has 5 silverbacks, 2 infants, 2 adult females and 1 juvenile. The 5 silverbacks of Nyakagezi gorilla family are named Bugingo, Rukundo, Mafia, Ndugutse, and Mark. The silverback named Bugingo is the oldest of all with over 50 years but it’s no longer the silverback. Bugingo was ousted by his own son mark who now leads and controls the group.
Trekking the only gorilla family of Mgahinga national park
Trekking Nyakagezi gorilla family of Mgahinga national park is done every day by a maximum of 8 people. The gorilla trekking activity starts early in the morning at Ntebeko which is the briefing point of the park. Here all trekkers for the day must attend the briefing and they must have gorilla trekking permits.
During the briefing, trekkers do learn about the rules and regulations of the trekking activity for safety of the mountain gorillas and the people. After the briefing, trekkers are given armed ranger guides to lead them in the jungle and help them look for the mountain gorillas.
The search for mountain gorillas of Nyakagezi gorilla family goes through different trails looking for the feet of mountain gorillas. Armed ranger guides know the best trails to use ad locate these mountain gorillas. The search takes 2-7 hours in Mgahinga national park because these primates are mobile and move all throughout the day looking for food. How many hours you will take to locate the mountain gorillas will depend on the movement of the apes as well as the speed of the trekkers.
While searching the mountain gorillas of Mgahinga national park, there are opportunities of meeting different primates, mammals, and birds. When the one mountain gorilla family of Mgahinga is located, trekkers are given 1 hour to be around the apes and this helps them to learn about their habits, take photos and watch the members do daily activities such as nesting, coupling, grooming, hunting and much more. After leaving the jungle, trekkers are given trekking certificates.
What to pack for gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park?
Travelers that are visiting Nyakagezi gorilla family of Mgahinga national park need to come well prepared with the right essentials that include waterproof hiking shoes, long cotton stocks, gardening gloves, a pair of gaiters, a pair of binoculars, a camera, a light backpack, a hat, long-sleeved pants, long-sleeved shorts, sunscreen, insect repellents, drinking water bottle and energy giving snacks among others.
How much is the gorilla trekking permit?
To encounter the gorilla family of Mgahinga national park, you need a gorilla trekking permit and this is got at a fee from Uganda Wildlife Authority. The gorilla trekking permit for Mgahinga national park costs $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 East African citizens. The gorilla trekking permits of Mgahinga national park are sold to children above the age of 15 years,
Only 8 gorilla trekking permits are available in Mgahinga national park on a daily basis and this means that tourists must book early in advance to avoid last-minute booking disappointments since UWA sells permits on a first come first serve basis. Booking of gorilla permits for Mgahinga national park should be done 3-4 months or more in advance.
Best time to visit
Travelers can visit the family of Nyakagezi in Mgahinga national park at any time of the year however certain months are better than the rest. The dry months are the best to visit the mountain gorilla family of Nyakagezi because they have little or no rainfall. During the dry season, trekking trails and roads leading to the park are dry and passable, and vegetation is short and thin with unclear views of wildlife.
Mgahinga national park is open all throughout the year even in the rainy season. The rainy season happens from March to May and October to November when the park is receiving a lot of rainfall. The rainy season favors budget travelers because lodges and tour operators reduce prices. During the rainy season, trekking trails are muddy, roads to the park are slippery, and the vegetation is tall with unclear views of wildlife.
Where to stay
On your visit to Mgahinga national park, there are a lot of accommodation facilities where you can stay if you want to spend a night or more in the park. These accommodation facilities range from luxury to mid-range to budget options and they include Mgahinga gorilla triangle lodge, Mt Muhabura Climbers Rest Camp, Mgahinga Safari Lodge, Mount Gahinga Rest Camp, Mutanda Lake Resort, and Amajembere Iwacu Community Camp among others.
