Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has the highest number of gorilla families in among the four Gorilla National Parks in Africa. Bwindi National Park is situated in South-Western Uganda at the extreme Rift Valley and it sites on an area of about 327 km² on the edge of the western Great Rift Valley neighboring the Democratic Republic of Congo border next to the Virunga National Park.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is the World’s primary mountain gorilla tracking destination with over 610 mountain gorillas found here with over 36 gorilla families found in Bwindi National Park.
However, there are 19 gorilla habituated groups where gorilla trekking is taking place and are located in four different sectors such include Ruhija, Buhoma, Nkuringo, and Rushaga sector. Bwindi National Park has 19 gorilla habituated families which explained below.
Mubare Gorilla Family
Mubare gorilla family is located in Buhoma sector and is the oldest habituated gorilla family in Uganda with 9 members including 1 silverback as head of the group, and was fully habituated in 1991.
Habinyanja Gorilla Family
Habinyanja gorilla family is located in Buhoma sector with 18 members including 2 silverbacks and was fully habituated in 1997.
Rushegura Gorilla Family
Rushegura gorilla family is located in Buhoma sector with 19 members including 1 silverback. Rushegura Gorilla Family was formed in 2002 with Mwirima silverback.
Katwe gorilla family
Katwe gorilla family is located in Buhoma sector and is the newest family in the Buhoma region in the northern side of Bwindi with 7 members in the family with one dominant silverback.
Nkuringo Gorilla Family
Nkuringo Gorilla group is located in the Nkuringo area with 19 members including 2 silverbacks. The group is led by one Silverback Nkuringo who died in April 2008, leaving behind 2 Silverbacks.
Bushaho gorilla family
Bushaho gorilla family is located in the southern sector in Nkuringo area with 8 members including 1 silverback known as Bahati.
Bitukura Gorilla Family
Bitukura Gorilla Family is located in Ruhija area with 14 members including 4 silverbacks and the habituation process started in 2007 thou it took over 15 months which was fully habituated.
Mishaya Gorilla Family
Mishaya Gorilla Family is located in the Rushaga area with 7 members including 1 Silverback with one silverback (Mishaya) which is the only adult in the group.
Oruzogo Gorilla Family
Oruzogo gorilla group is located in Ruhija Sector with 23 members including 1 silverback and was habituated for trekking in 2011.
Nshongi Gorilla Family
Nshongi Gorilla group is located in Rushaga area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park with 18 members and it was officially launched for trekking in 26th September 2009.
Kahungye Gorilla Family
Kahungye Gorilla group located in Rushaga area with 13 members with 3 silverbacks which are the only ones named. The dominant Silverback is called Rumansi and the group was opened for travelers in gorilla tracking in 2011.
Bweza Gorilla Family
Bweza Gorilla group is located in the Rushaga sector with 9 individuals including 1 silverback known as Bweza. Bweza split out from Nshongi family where it started its own group.
Busingye Gorilla Family
Busingye Gorilla Family is located in Rushaga with 9 members including 1 silverback and is the newest group to break away from Kahungye family in June 2012.
Kyaguriro Gorilla family
Kyaguriro Gorilla group is located in Ruhija with 20 individuals who feature a fascinating history which is an attraction of itself, and it’s known as Kyaguriro group A and B, this explains that the group’s habituated in 1995,
Bikyingi Gorilla Family
Bikyingi Gorilla group is located in Rushaga area in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with 21 individuals including 1 silverback. The only silverback and leader of the group was named the same as his group, Bikyingi and he is very friendly to all his young ones.
Christmas Gorilla family
Christmas Gorilla group is the newest family in Nkuringo region makes up three gorilla families in Nkuringo sector, with 9 members and one dominant silverback known as Christmas.
Mukiza gorilla family
Mukiza gorilla family is located in Ruhija sector and it was one of the silverbacks in Kyaguriro which splits out. The family has 10 members
Kutu gorilla family
Kutu gorilla family is located in Rushaga region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with 8 members and one dominant silverback as the head of the family.
Mucunguzi gorilla family
Mucunguzi gorilla family is located in the Rushaga sector with 8 members dominantly female; it splits from Bweza after a serious fight Mucunguzi is the head of the family
Bwindi National Park has many more Mountain Gorillas and the number keeps on increasing based on the great conservation success in Uganda. However, above are the only habituated gorillas groups that inhabit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.