Kyaguriro Gorilla family in Ruhija sector
Kyaguriro gorilla family in Ruhija sector is a group located in the Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park situated in the south west of Uganda, it is home to almost half of the world’s total mountain gorilla population and covers more than 321 square kilometers. It was established in 1991 and marked as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994, the same year it received its very first gorilla trekking visit from tourists.
Gorilla trekking is one of the most popular and exciting activities in Uganda, tourists endure the steep slopes and cold in order to meet the endangered primates found in only three African countries, Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo.
Bwindi has 22 gorilla groups and over 20 are available for trekking because they have fully undergone the habituation process that lasts for 2 years. Kyaguriro is one of the fully habituated gorilla groups located in the eastern part of Bwindi in one of its four sectors known as Ruhija sector.
This is one of the first gorilla groups to be habituated, its habituation process started in 1995 and during this time tourists couldn’t visit it. The group was majorly set aside for research done by the German Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology whose headquarters were setup within the park.
The group’s first leader was Rukina, a dominant silverback who died on 7th April, 2015 after being struck by lightning, when in the eastern part of the park, you will be able to cross paths with this group.
After Rukina’s death, Mukiza another dominant silverback became leader at a very tender age however his leadership wasn’t smooth at all as he faced attacks from a silverback known as Mukiza who was part of the Bitukura family, these attacks eventually succeeded and led into separating the group in 2016 into forming different groups like Kyaguriro A led by Rukara who was once a member of the Bitukura group, Kyaguriro B led by Mukiza the attacker. Each of these groups has 10 members each, these numbers keep on changing on factors like new members joining in, birth of newborns, death of members and some who leave the group.
Trekking the Kyaguriro gorilla family in Ruhija sector
Trekking this group is at times challenging as they tend to go very deep into the forest due to different factors like food and comfort. The trek starts as early as 7 am with briefing at the headquarters done by the head ranger, by 8 am you have already started you hike to the groups last known location, there are always rangers who go ahead of the group in order to confirm on the exact location of the gorillas. Once you get to see the gorillas, one hour is allocated to spend with the gorillas observing their nature and character before you make a return journey.
The trekking lasts between 2-7 hours both going and coming back, the time spent depends on the physical ability of the trekkers and how far deep the gorillas are currently staying. Only 8 permits are given out daily to visit a specific gorilla group, the trekkers should be 15 years and above. Gorilla trekking permits cost between $700 and $600 per head and can be purchased from the Uganda wildlife authority offices or website or you can entrust this part with your trusted tour operator.
When preparing for your trek, ensure that you are physically and mentally fit and able to conquer this challenge, you can always inquire from your personal doctor to check if you are ready for such an activity because it is similar to mountain climbing because the gorillas live in mountains just as their name suggests. Carry all the necessary items like your camera, enough food and water, insect repellants, raincoats and long clothing before embarking on the trek.
The best time to trek the Kyaguriro group is during the dry season between the months of June to September and December to February, during this period the navigation during the treks is easy due to less frequent rains that can be disruptive and the trails are dry and not muddy hence easy to walk through.
Some of the accommodation facilities close to the Kyaguriro gorilla family are Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge, Cuckoo land Tented Camp and Ruhija Gorilla Resort among so many others.
When to visit kyaguriro gorilla family in Ruhija sector.
Kyaguriro gorilla family in Ruhija sector is now visited at any time of the year, from June to August and December to February this time of the year the trails are drier for trekking in the forests of Bwindi to see kyaguriro gorilla family in its natural habitat
