List of silverbacks in Bwindi

List of silverbacks in Bwindi: These are adult mountain gorillas that tend to become different from the rest with grey thick far on their backs. Mountain gorillas are some of the world’s most fascinating creatures and Bwindi is one of the places to encounter them. Bwindi is found in the southwestern part of Uganda and it has over 21 mountain gorilla families all led by different silverbacks.

List of silverbacks in Bwindi

Travelers that want to encounter these silverbacks will need to organize gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation safaris to the park so that they spend a good time around them. To be part of these gorilla activities, all you need is to purchase a gorilla permit. Below are silverbacks in different Bwindi sectors which are Nkuringo, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Buhoma.

List of silverbacks in Bwindi “Buhoma sector”

Ruhondeza a dominant silverback in Mubare Gorilla family

Ruhondeza

Ruhondeza the silverback is found in Buhoma sector and it leads Mubare gorilla family. Ruhondeza leads a gorilla family of 18 members. Mubare gorilla family is the oldest sector in Buhoma region of Bwindi and it was before led by an adult silverback named Kanyonyi who died and Ruhondeza took over the leadership of the group.

Makara

Makara leads Habinyaja gorilla family which is found in Buhoma region of Bwindi gorilla park. Makara took over the leadership of the group from Rwansigazi and as of today leads a family that comprises 18 members.  Rwansigazi became the leader of Habinyanja gorilla family after the death of Mugurusi who was the ruling silverback at the time of habituation.

Mwirima

Mwirima the silverback protects and heads Rushengura gorilla family in the northern sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. The silver was one of the leaders of Habinyanja gorilla family but in 2002 it decided to break off from the group with some of the members to create his own family. Mwirima gorilla family as of now controls and protects over 19 mountain gorillas found in the group.

Katwe

Katwe the silverback heads Katwe gorilla family and it was named after the group name. Katwe gorilla family is found in Buhoma region of Bwindi and it comprises 7 mountain gorillas. Katwe gorilla family has been led by a silverback called Katwe from the time of habituation in 2015.

Muyambi

Muyambi is the name of the silverback that leads Muyambi gorilla family that was last to be habituated in Buhoma region of Bwindi gorilla park. Muyambi was part of Mubare gorilla family but later left the group to form his own in 2019. The gorilla family got its name from the ruling silverback Muyambi. As of today, the silverback Muyambi heads 10 mountain gorillas.

List of silverbacks in Bwindi “Ruhija sector”

Mukiza the dominant silverback of Mukiza Gorilla family

Mukiza

Mukiza is the ruling silverback of Mukiza gorilla family that was formed as a splitter of Kyaguliro gorilla family in 2016. The gorilla family left with 10 members to form his own group and as of today, it has 28 mountain gorillas in the group. Silverback Mukiza and his members are found in Ruhija sector which is on the eastern side of the park.

Ndahura

Ndahura is one of the strong silverbacks in Bwindi and it leads Bitukura gorilla family of Ruhija sector on the eastern side of the park. The silverback Ndahura took over the leadership from Karumazi who had aged and couldn’t protect the group.

Tebirikwata

Tebirikwata is one of the silverbacks in Bwindi gorilla park and it stays in Ruhija sector in the eastern region of the park. The silverback is currently leading Oruzongo gorilla family which comprises 25 members.

Rukara

Rukara is the silverback that is currently leading and protecting members of Kyagurilo gorilla family. The family that is located in the Ruhija sector of Bwindi was in the beginning led by Rukina who died because of his old age. After the death of Rukina, a silverback named Rukara took over the leadership until today.

Silverbacks in Nkuringo sector

Christmas a dominant silverback with his group individuals

 Christmas

Christmas is one of the silverbacks in Nkuringo sector that is found in the southwestern part of the country. The silverback named Christmas leads Christmas gorilla family which got the game from the leader. Christmas gorilla family is one of the 2 gorilla groups in Nkuringo region available for trekking.

Bahati

Bahati is a silverback found in Nkuringo sector and it leads Bushaho gorilla family that is open for gorilla habituation in the park. Bahati leads the newest gorilla family in Nkuringo sector that has only been put up for habituation to allow travelers to encounter apes for 4 hours while taking part in activities that make them get used to human presence around them. Bahati was part of Nkuringo family but he later left the group to form his own which is named Bushaho.

Rwamutwe

Rwamutwe a young silverback leads Nkuringo gorilla family and this come after the death of Rafiki who was killed by a poacher who had gone into the park to hunt during covid 19 pandemic. Rwamutwe is the son of Rafiki and he automatically took over the leadership of the group after the death of his father. Nkuringo gorilla family happens to be the oldest gorilla family in Nkuringo sector and has 13 members.

List of silverbacks in Bwindi “Rushaga sector”

Mishaya silverback of Rushaga Gorilla sector

Mishaya

A silverback named Mishaya is the leader of Mishaya gorilla family that lives around Mishaya area of the Bwindi forest. Mishaya was part of Nshongi gorilla family but he broke up with 7 members of the group to form his own and he has managed to grab more members from different groups through fights.

Rumanzi

Rumanzi is a silverback in Rushaga sector Bwindi leading kahungye gorilla family. Rumanzi has been leading Kahungye gorilla family from the time of habituation which is 2009 till now. Kahungye as of today has more than 14 members in the group despite some of the members leaving the group to join Busingye gorilla family

Rwigi

Rwigi the silverback leading Busingye gorilla family was once a member of Kahungye gorilla group. Rwigi got into a misunderstanding with Rumanzi a silverback leading Kahungye gorilla family and the left the group with some of the members to firm his own which was named Busingye gorilla family.

Bikingi

A silverback named Nikingi is the leader of Bikingi gorilla family which is found in Rushaga sector. Bikingi the silverback leads over 15 mountain gorillas in this group of which some are former members of Mishaya gorilla family. Bikingi formed this group in 2012 and it has been put in place for gorilla habituation exercises.

Rwigi

Just like the gorilla family name, Rwigi the silverback is the leader of Rwigi gorilla family which is the newest group in Rushaga sector. Rwigi was one of the silverbacks in Kahungye gorilla family which had the highest number of members but due to misunderstandings, Rwigi decided to leave the group, and members who believed in him followed him to form their own group. As of now, Rwigi heads over 10 mountain gorillas in his group

Mucunguzi silverback

Mucunguzi

Mucunguzi is one of the silverbacks you can find in Rushaga sector of Bwindi. The silverback is the leader of Mucunguzi gorilla family which he formed after splitting with Bweza gorilla family. Mucunguzi was chased out of Bweza gorilla group and he lived as a solitary gorilla until he grabbed members from different groups to form his own.

Kutu

Kutu is the dominating silverback leading Kutu gorilla family in Rushaga sector. Kutu gorilla family under the leadership of Kutu is the newest mountain gorilla family in Rushaga with over 20 mountain gorillas in the group.

Bweza

Bweza is the ruling silverback of Bweza gorilla family in Rushaga sector on the southern side of Bwindi gorilla park. Bweza family started leading a huge family that comprised of over 20 members but due to fights with his brother Kakono the group separated into two and Bweza was left with only 11 members but the numbers keeps on increasing due to new deaths.

Kakono

Kakono is a silverback in Rushaga sector of Bwindi that leads a gorilla family called Nshongi. Kakono the silverback was part of Bweza gorilla family but due to misunderstandings between the two adults, left the group with some of the members to form his own. It was first sighted along River Nshongi and that’s where the group name came from.