Uganda is the leading gorilla destination in the world having more than half of the entire world’s population of mountain gorillas. This is because the country falls under the Virunga conservation area. This conservation area is the last remaining habitat of the endangered mountain gorillas. The Virunga conservation area stretches from Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo through Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the southwestern region of Uganda on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. It harbors the largest population of mountain gorillas in the country followed by Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park takes the first position in the entire Virunga conservation area for hosting the largest population of mountain gorillas.

Mountain gorillas are social beings that live in groups known as families. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has over 50 gorilla families with 24 of these habituated and ready for trekking. These are the most for any national park in the Virunga conservation area. Each of these gorilla families is protected by a strong dominant male gorilla known as a silverback. It is very possible to have more than one silverback in a single family however the dominant and head of the entire family is always one.

There can be so many as 20-30 gorillas in a single family however such big families with many members tend to be divided. This is because of the internal fights for dominancy from young silverbacks hence dividing the family. These divisions lead to the creation of new families after the defected male split to start their own family. In some cases, some families choose to divide after disagreements but without violence or fights.

The gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are scattered in four different sectors or locations. These sectors include the following.

Buhoma gorilla sector

The Buhoma gorilla sector is the most popularly visited in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This is because it is the most developed sector with up-to-date infrastructure in the form of roads and state-of-the-art accommodation facilities. The Buhoma sector is located in the northern region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It is the closest sector to Queen Elizabeth National Park making it easy for visitors to connect from there. The Buhoma gorilla sector is found in the Kanungu district.

Buhoma gorilla sector was the first to be opened dating back to 1993 shortly after the first family gorilla Mubare was sited. This sector is home to several other gorilla families including Habinyanja, Muyambi, Rushegura, and Katwe to mention but a few.

Nkuringo gorilla sector

The Nkuringo gorilla sector is located in the northwestern part of Bwindi. This is the closest sector to Buhoma. Nkuringo has a steep terrain posing a challenge to the nature lovers who attempt to maneuver it to the mountain gorillas. It is the best sector to do a Batwa community walk. This Batwa ethnic group is among the oldest ethnic groups in Africa and they lived in Bwindi premises before it was established into a national park.

Nkuringo gorilla sector gives the best views of the Virunga mountain ranges in the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are several gorilla families in this sector and they include the following Bushaho and Nkuringo gorilla families among others.

Ruhija gorilla sector

The Ruhija gorilla sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park offers the best views of the park. This sector has the densest vegetation cover with a relatively steep terrain but is navigable. The Ruhija gorilla sector has several gorilla families including Mukiza, Oruzogo, and Kyaguliro among other gorilla families.

Rushaga gorilla sector

The Rushaga gorilla sector is the largest gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This sector is adjusted to the Nkuringo gorilla sector offering beautiful views of the Virunga National Park. The Rushaga gorilla sector has the most number of mountain gorillas in Bwindi. These families include the Bweza, Busingye, Nshongi, Kahungye, and Mishaya gorilla families. The Rushaga gorilla sector is the largest in the park.

Rushaga gorilla sector also gives stunning views of Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale. This lake is a crate and the deepest in the country. This sector is strategically located close to the local communities with a variety of accommodation facilities.

Costs of gorilla trekking permits in Uganda

The gorilla trekking permits in Uganda’s costs range from nationality to the region a visitor comes from. Foreign non-resident permits cost USD 800 per person, resident foreign permits cost USD 700, and UGX 300, 000 for East African citizens and nationals. A significant percentage of each amount of a gorilla permit goes to conservation efforts that tend to protect and conserve the endangered mountain gorillas.

The best time to visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is ever open all year round to visitors and can be accessed any time of the year. Uganda experiences two dry and wet seasons in a year. The dry seasons begin from June to September and from December to February.

During this time, the park is relatively dry and the navigation trails in the park are passable. The vegetation in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is also very sparse thus allowing clear viewing of the endangered mountain gorillas. The conditions in the dry season are warm and hence the best for viewing the endangered mountain gorillas.

However, the wet season also presents its advantages for gorilla trekking. Visitors traveling on budget the wet season is the best time to travel to the park for gorilla trekking. This is because during the wet season, the accommodation facilities tend to low their prices to facilitate the low turn up of guests. The wet season also is a great time to spot the migratory bird species of the park. These birds include African green broadbill, grey cuckoo-shrike, shelly’s greenbul, yellow-streaked greenbul, red-throated alethe, archer’s robin-chat, white-bellied robin-chat, kivu ground-thrush, mountain yellow warbler, and grauer’s rush warbler to mention but a few.