Overview
The Nkuringo gorilla family is the one of the gorilla groups in the Nkuringo region of Bwindi Impenetrable national park out of all the habituated families in the park. Additionally, the park lies in the Southwest part of Uganda and is one of the largest parks in Africa. It is also famous for having half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas.
The name Nkuringo is a product of a local word that means rolling hills. It was named after the rolling hills where the group was first sighted. Furthermore, this family was habituated in 2004.
A brief summary about mountain gorillas
Did you know that mountain gorillas share 98% DNA with human beings? Interestingly, they are one of the human cousins after baboons and chimpanzees. Additionally, mountain gorillas are one of the world’s most intriguing creatures since an encounter with them is one of the best experiences ever! This is also because they behave and organize themselves like human beings.
The family structure and leadership
There was a time when the leader of this family was a silverback, Nkuringo but he passed away in 2008. After his death, two silver backs; Safari and Rafiki took over power and became the new family heads. The sharing of power was temporary as Safari was able to fully take over power within a period of seven months.
During the leadership of Safari the silverback, the family was lucky to receive a bundle of joy when the female gorilla Kwitonda bore twins; Katungi and Muhoozi. Unfortunately, Katungi was not able to make it to his second birthday due to an illness that claimed his life so prematurely.
Events that led to the group’s habituation process
Before this gorilla group was habituated, they were known for frequently wandering in the villages that were neighboring Bwindi Impenetrable forest and feeding on people’s crops such as bananas and sweet potatoes. This created a conflict between the locals and the gorillas which further led to considering this group for habituation. In simple terms, habituation refers to the process of training wild gorillas to get familiar with human interaction and presence. After habituation, it was available for tourism which benefits the local people as well through employment opportunities and better infrastructure.
At Pamoja tours and travel, we offer amazing gorilla trekking packages such as the following;
- 7 days Uganda Safari gorilla and chimpanzee trekking (https://africasafaritravellers.com/7-days-uganda-safari-gorilla-and-chimpanzee-trekking/)
- 18 days best of Uganda Gorilla and chimp trekking, birding and wildlife safari (https://africasafaritravellers.com/18-day-best-of-uganda-gorilla-chimp-trekking-birding-and-wildlife-safari/)
- 10 days Uganda Gorilla chimps and wildlife safari (https://africasafaritravellers.com/10-days-uganda-gorilla-chimps-wildlife/)
- 3 day Bwindi Gorilla Trekking flying in safari (https://africasafaritravellers.com/3-day-bwindi-gorilla-trekking-flying-in-safari/
The gorilla trekking experience
First off, gorilla trekking refers to a hike to the Tropical forests of Africa in order to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. More to that, gorilla trekking is an activity that requires one to be energetic and physically fit due to its strenuous nature. However, majority of the people who take part in this activity do not complain about that fact because it is all extraordinary and worthwhile.
It takes about 3 hours to meet the Nkuringo gorilla group and when trekkers actually find them, they have only one hour to spend with the family. You can see these gorillas eating, playing, carrying the infants on their backs and so on.
Conclusion
Visiting a gorilla family is an experience that one cannot adequately describe due to the magnitude of its beauty. If you would like to make a gorilla trekking safari booking with us, kindly contact us. We will ensure that you get the best experience along with value for money and everlasting memories. The Nkuringo Gorilla Family.
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