Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to the Nyakagezi gorilla family. There are over 80 mountain gorillas in this 33.7 square kilometer national park. It is also home to 79 species of birds, unique golden monkeys, and three of the eight Virunga range volcanoes.
The famous Nyakagezi mountain gorilla family is the only habituated gorilla family in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in southern Uganda. The group was known for roaming between Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda but has remained on the Ugandan side since 2012.
One interesting fact about the Nyakagezi gorilla family is that the old silverback, Bugingo, still lives in the group. This is unusual among gorillas because when another silverback takes over leadership, the defeated one is usually banished to live alone in the forest or seeks refuge in another gorilla family.
There are only eight permits available each day to visit the Nyakagezi gorilla family. The group consists of 10 members, including 2 adult females, 4 silverbacks, 2 blackbacks, 2 juveniles, and 1 infant. The family was initially led by Bugingo at the time of habituation but is now led by Mark.
The Nyakagezi mountain gorilla family is one of the easiest groups to trek because it has a narrow home range for feeding, nesting, and relaxing. Due to the abundance of food in the area, the group does not need to move long distances to forage throughout the day.
