Nkuringo gorilla group
Nkuringo gorilla group : The Nkuringo gorilla group is strategically located in the Nkuringo sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This gorilla group happens to be one of the three habituated gorilla families located in the Nkuringo sector of the national park.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is among the few places in the world where visitors have the opportunity to track some of the only populations of the endangered species of Mountain gorillas. The total population of mountain gorillas believed to be living in the world today is estimated to be around 1004 individuals, and these can be found living within the Virunga Volcano Massif. This includes Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable national park alone, has 400 mountain gorillas living within its dense forest. This means that almost half of the total population of mountain gorillas can be found in Bwindi national park alone.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the Southwestern part of Uganda, and is one of the 10 national parks that Uganda proudly boosts of. The national park is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. It was first established in 1991 and named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994. The national park spans over a radius of 321 square kilometers making it one of the smallest national parks in Uganda. This national park is home to over 120 species of mammals, about 220 butterfly species and over 348 bird species.
The Nkuringo gorilla group is just one of the 18 habituated gorilla groups that live within Bwindi national park. Among the habituated gorilla groups in Bwindi national park, 15 are available for tourists to track while the rest are strictly meant for research purposes.
The Nkuringo gorilla group was first opened for tourism in 2004 by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Park rangers and guides first spotted the group at a hill named Nkuringo, and immediately begun the long process of habituating the gorillas in this group.
The process of gorilla habituation experience is a long one which can even take 2 to 3 years to completely get the gorillas used to the presence of humans. The process of habituation of gorillas requires that the gorillas lose their natural fear of humans and instead develop a trustful relationship with people, even when these individuals are simply observing from a distance. This process of habituation can be hectic and tiring for the parties involved since it involves tracking and monitoring the gorillas on a daily basis.
During the gorilla habituation process, park staff and a team of researchers monitor the gorilla group in order to learn more about the composition of the group, and identify individual gorillas. Gorillas in a group can be easily identified by their behavior, size, body scars, and other unique features on a particular gorilla.
The Nkuringo gorilla group was named after its former led Silverback who was called Nkuringo. Nkuringo fathered two silverbacks in the group called Safari and Rafiki. Following the death of Nkuringo in 2008, his son Safari took over the leadership of the group. The group was later blessed with the birth of twins named Muhoza and Katungi. However, Katungi died later on. This gorilla group has a total of 19 members inclusive of 2 Silverbacks, and is currently being led by a Silverback named Alpha.
The Nkuringo gorilla group in Bwindi National Park be tracked by tourists in a group of a maximum of 8 members. Trekking this gorilla group can take about 6 to 8 hours including an hour that is allocated to visitors to spend with the gorillas.
Tourists who wish to trek the Nkuringo gorilla group need to obtain a gorilla trekking permit at a fee of USD 600 dollars per person. Visitors are advised to buy your gorilla permits at least 6 months in advance in order to avoid any inconveniences that you may incur by booking your gorilla permit late. Gorilla trekking permits are always on high demand especially during the peak seasons which are in the months of January, February, June, July, August, September, October and mid-December.
Visitors trekking the Nkuringo group in Bwindi national park can find accommodation in the following lodging facilities; Nkuringo Gorilla Camp, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Nyundo Valley Hill Bandas, Nshongi Camp, and Chameleon Hill Lodge to mention but a few. These facilities carter for both Budget, Mid-range and Luxury travelers.
Visitors who wish to trek this gorilla group will have to drive for about 9-10 hours from Kampala City to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Alternatively, visitors can fly-in to Kihihi airfield from Entebbe International Airport, and then drive for 1½ hours to the park’s headquarters in Buhoma.
In Conclusion; Gorilla trekking in Uganda is such a wonderful and memorable experience, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Southwestern Uganda is the ideal destination for any gorilla trekking tour in the country.
Contact us for the best gorilla trekking tour packages in Uganda, and get a chance to trek this gorilla group.