Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, located in the southwestern part of Uganda, is one of the places where you can trek the endangered mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas are a species of apes that were almost extinct in the 1990s, but due to conservation efforts, their numbers have slowly increased in recent years. Book a Uganda trek to see how a Mishaya visit fits into your safari.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to half of the world’s mountain gorilla population, with the rest living in the Virunga range volcanoes, which stretch across Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda. The park is also home to over 350 bird species, 13 primate species, 120 mammal species, and much more.
How the Mishaya Gorilla Family Formed
The Mishaya mountain gorilla family was formed when the silverback Mishaya challenged the leadership of the dominant silverback in the Nshongi family. Mishaya left the group with ten members to start his own family.
Mishaya’s Reputation as a Fighting Silverback
Mishaya was a very ambitious silverback, known for fighting other gorilla families to take females and add them to his group. It is said that Mishaya once fought with a wild, unhabituated mountain gorilla family, which caused severe injuries. The injuries were treated by veterinary doctors in Bwindi, but he lost one member of his group during the fight.
Mishaya’s Death and the Family’s New Leadership
The famous silverback Mishaya died in February 2014. A silverback named Mwiine now leads the group, which can be trekked from the Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Mishaya was found dead one early morning, and the cause of his death remains unknown.
Trekking the Mishaya Family Today
Despite the loss of its founding silverback, the Mishaya family remains one of the more notable groups to trek in the Rushaga sector, in part because of the story behind its formation and the reputation Mishaya built during his time leading it. Visitors trekking this family today are essentially following the legacy of a gorilla whose ambition and combativeness shaped the dynamics of several gorilla families in the area, making the Mishaya trek an interesting choice for anyone wanting to understand how gorilla groups in Bwindi form, split, and evolve over time.
