Mubare Gorilla Group – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Mubare Gorilla Group: Gorilla trekking safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable national park are one of the most selling safaris in Uganda. Gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda are also conducted from Mgahinga Gorilla National Park located in the Southwestern parts of Uganda. The Mubare gorilla family is one of the habituated gorilla groups that visitors can trek in Bwindi national park.
There are 18 habituated gorilla groups in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park alone, with 15 habituated gorilla groups available to tourists for tracking. It is a top gorilla trekking destination in the world. The national park which was first gazetted as a national park in 1991 is home to about 400 mountain gorillas, which is almost half of the world’s total population of mountain gorillas that is estimated to be at 1004 individuals.
Bwindi Impenetrable national park in southwestern Uganda covers a total surface area of 321 square kilometers. The national park is part of the famous Bwindi Impenetrable rainforest. The national park is well known for being one of the most biologically diverse conservation areas on the African Continent. It is home to more than 160 species of trees and over 100 species of ferns, 348 bird species, 27 species of frogs, geckos and chameleons, and 220 species of butterflies.
The Mubare gorilla group in Bwindi impenetrable national park is one of the most tracked gorilla groups in the national park, and a favorite among gorilla trekkers. This group can be found in the Buhoma sector of the national park. The group was habituated in 1991, making it one of the oldest habituated gorilla groups in Bwindi Impenetrable national park. It was later opened to the general public in 1993 for tracking.
The Mubare gorilla family in Bwindi derived its name from the Mubare hills on which the gorillas were first sighted. The word ‘Mubare’ means ‘plies of stones,’ which in Rukiga can be translated to ‘Amabare.’ This gorilla group started with 18 members, but due to a couple of challenges that the group faced, its number greatly declined to only 5 members in 2012.
On some occasions, this group can be found on the banks of Mubare River, which flows through Buhoma sector of the national park. The first dominant silverback who led the Mubare group was named ‘Ruhondeza’ who died later in 2012 due to injuries that he sustained during a fight to protect his family from an external attack by a wild group of gorillas. This attack not only killed Ruhondeza, but also a good number of gorillas in the group met their tragic end, and others left the group.
Currently, the Mubare gorilla family is led by a dominant silverback called Kanyonyi. Thanks to Kanyonyi, the number of members in this group has drastically increased to 13 members.
Tourists can trek the Mubare gorilla group during a gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi Impenetrable national park. Also, during trekking, visitors are shown the gravesite where Ruhondeza, the silverback of this group was buried after he was found dead on the 27th of June 2012.
Trekking the Mubare gorilla family in Bwindi national park can take between 3-5 hours, since it is easy for visitors to trek this group. The group can be found roaming the park’s headquarters at Buhoma, and the gorillas in this group are really friendly to humans.
Visitors interested in trekking the Mubare gorilla group in Bwindi need to first purchase a gorilla trekking permit at a fee of USD 600 and USD 700 dollars per person. You can also choose to combine gorilla trekking with other interesting activities such as Community cultural tours, Batwa trail experience, birding, and nature walk or even a game drive or boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Accommodation in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Accommodation in Bwindi Impenetrable national park is available for visitors who choose to trek this gorilla group, with lodges such as; Buhoma Lodge, Lake Kitandara Camp, Bwindi Guesthouse, Buhoma Community Rest Camp, and Silverback Lodge among others. These accommodation facilities offer visitors a wide range of accommodation options from budget to mid-range and luxury options.
How to Get to the Park.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda can be accessed by both road and air. Visitors travelling by road to the national park can drive from Kampala to Buhoma via the Kabale-Masaka Highway, covering a distance of about 472 kilometers, which is about 8-9 hour’s drive. The park can also be accessed by tourists travelling from Queen Elizabeth National Park, which takes about 2-3 hours covering a distance of about 133 kilometers. Alternatively, visitors can opt to fly to Kihihi airfield from Entebbe International Airport and the drive for about an hour to the park’s headquarters in Buhoma.
