Oruzogo gorilla family

Oruzogo gorilla family is one of the gorilla groups that have been habituated in Bwindi gorilla park. The gorilla family is found in the Ruhija sector that is found in the eastern part of Bwindi gorilla park. Bwindi gorilla park has 21 mountain gorilla families that are found in 4 sectors of the park which are Ruhija, Nkuringo, Buhoma, and Rushaga.

Bwindi gorilla park harbors mountain gorillas, 10 more primate species, 120 mammal species, and 350 bird species. Orugozo gorilla group can be trekked from Ruhija sector together with Bitukura gorilla family, Kaguriro gorilla family, and Mukiza gorilla family.

Habituating Oruzogo gorilla family started in 2009 and was availed for trekking in 2012 when the gorilla family passed the mocking exercise. The group was named Oruzogo which is a local word for a plant species in the Bwindi forest and this gorilla family used to leave around the area with those plants.

At the time of habituation, the gorilla family had 25 members and was led by a silverback called Tibirikwata. As of today, Oruzogo gorilla family has 17 members that are still led by Tibirikwata. Oruzogo gorilla family became more famous in 2012 when one of its females called Kakobe gave birth to twins.

Trekking Oruzogo gorilla group

Trekking Oruzogo gorilla family is an activity that involves tourists moving around the tropical forests of Bwindi searching for mountain gorillas. Trekking Oruzogo gorilla group is done by only 8 people and the activity starts early in the morning. Trekkers are first taught about the rules and regulations of the trekking activity and then armed ranger guides lead them into the jungle.

Searching and finding Oruzogog0rilla family takes 2-7 hours but trekkers have opportunities of meeting different park animals such as elephants, antelopes, buffaloes, monkeys, olive baboons, birds, and different vegetation. When the mountain gorilla family is located, the trekkers are given 1 hour to be around the group, watch them members do daily activities, learn about their habits and take photos.

Gorilla permits for Oruzogo gorilla family

Oruzogo gorilla family permits are of the same price as those of any other gorilla family in Bwindi gorilla park. Each gorilla permit goes for $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 for East African citizens. The gorilla permits for any of the gorilla families in Bwindi gorilla park are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority and can be got from a trusted local tour operator.

How to book gorilla permits for Oruzogo gorilla family

Booking gorilla permits for Oruzogo gorilla family can be done by emailing Uganda Wildlife Authority but the best way is to use a trusted local tour operator. Africa adventure vacations limited is one of the local companies that does help tourists to book gorilla permits for the gorilla families they want to trek in Bwindi gorilla park.

All a traveler has to do is send us an email containing Oruzogo gorilla group as the group they want to trek, the dates of the month and year they want to travel. We shall use these dates to check for the availability of the trekking permits with Uganda Wildlife Authority and once the permits are available, we shall send you banking details and when you send money we shall book the permits for you.

some of the items to carry with on a Gorilla Safari to Bwindi

What to pack for Oruzogo gorilla family trekking?

There is so much need in order to have an amazing time with Oruzogo gorilla family but some of the most needed things include waterproof hiking shoes, cotton stocks, a pair of gaiters, gardening gloves, a rain jacket, a light backpack, a camera, a pair of binoculars, sanitizer, insect repellents, first aid kit, long-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved pants, energy-giving snacks, and drinking water bottle.

When is the best to visit Oruzogo gorilla family?

Oruzogo gorilla family is open for trekking at any time of the year for trekking but there are moths that are better than the rest. The dry months are the best to trek Oruzogo gorilla group and they occur from June to September and December to February. They are characterized by little or no rainfall that leaves the trekking trails dry, the roads leading to the park are in good conditions and the vegetation is short with good vies of the park animals.

Tourists can still visit Oruzogo gorilla family in the rainy season to enjoy accommodations at a cheap price but they should know that in this period that happens from March to May and October to November there is too much rainfall that makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, the roads leading to Ruhija sector ae in poor conditions and the vegetation is tall with unclear views of the gorillas.

Where to stay on Oruzogo gorilla family trekking safari

Ruhija sector has a number of accommodation facilities that offer different services and are of different prices. The accommodation does range from budget to mid-range to luxury options and they include Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge, Ruhija Community Rest Camp, Bakiga Lodge, Gorilla Mist Camp, Broadbill Forest Camp, Agandi Lodge, Gift of Nature Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Cuckoo Land Tented Lodge, Ecomarvels Gorilla Lodge, and Trekkers Tavern.

Travel by air to Bwindi Forest National Park

Accessing Ruhija sector

Ruhija sector can be accessed using air transport or road transport, using road transport the sector can be accessed from Buhoma sector, or Kabale town. Travelers from Kampala can pass via Masaka, Mbararra, Ntungamo, Kabale, Butogota, and branch off to Ruhija sector. Travelers from Kigali can access Ruhija sector of Bwindi gorilla park and trek Oruzogo gorilla family by crossing to Uganda using Katuna border in Kabale and connecting to Ruhija sector.

By using air transport, there are chattered flights in Kampala and Entebbe that do daily flights to Kisoro airstrip. The flights take about 2 hours to get to Kisoro airstrip and from there you can connect to the sector within a few hours. Flights to Kisoro airstrip start from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airstrip and land at Kihihi airstrip.