Nkuringo sector is located in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. In Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has almost half of the world’s mountain gorillas. The park is also referred to as the home of Gorillas. Bwindi impenetrable National Park has four sectors for gorilla tracking namely: Ruhija, Rushaga, Buhoma and Nkuringo sector. These sectors offer different levels of difficulty when tracking the gorillas and the easiest is Buhoma sector. This article gives you details about the Nkuringo sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
This sector is normally visited by tourists who are physically fit because it’s one of the hardest sectors to trek in and mostly preferred by tourists who prefer longer hour treks. In this sector the weather is different compared to other sectors since the sector has high altitudes.
Nkuringo sector is also known for its incredible views from mount Nyiragongo and mount Nyamuragira and a number of crater lakes which reward tourists with a life time experience. This sector is a home to three fully habituated gorilla families. There are other activities carried out in this sector which include; nature walks, bird watching, and community encounters.
Nkuringo sector which is in the southern part of Bwindi has the following habituated gorilla families that are visited by tourists.
1.Nkuringo Gorilla Family.
This family has 12 members. The Uganda wildlife authority availed this family for tourism in April 2004. This family was the first habituated gorilla group in southern sector of Bwindi and the habituation process was for four years.
This family had 20 members with three silver backs under the leadership of silverback Nkuringo whose name is got from a local word meaning “round hill’ ’Silverback Nkuringo led this group until his death in 2008 at the age of 45 years. After the death of Nkuringo, the family was left under the leadership of silver back safari. Despite of the fact that he had potential leadership, he disappeared after a deadly encounter with the Bushaho gorilla group who lived nearby. However, up to this day the Uganda wildlife authority has failed to locate the whereabouts of silver back safari. After his disappearance, Rafik whose name means friend in Swahili took over the leadership of Nkuringo gorilla group.
Rafiki had a family friendly manner of allowing his brothers on occasional visits that led other groups. No wounder during his reign, Silverback Christmas and Posho left to start their own families around the Nkuringo sector. In addition, during Rafiki’s tenure, Nkuringo group became one of the most favorite gorilla group to watch in the southern sector.
Unfortunately, his life came to an end in June 2020 after an attack from an illegal hunter in the park. His body was found with deep wound in his left abdomen. It appeared that the spear had pierced his internal organs causing the gorilla to suffer a slow painful death. Rafiki’s death was not good news to the whole world losing a friendly mountain gorilla. Rafiki’s presence will forever be missed by his care takers, researchers, conservationists, tourists and researchers in Bwindi impenetrable forest. Fortunately, one of Rafiki’s sons Blackback Rwamutwa took over leadership. however due to his teenage age some gorillas do not trust his leadership since he has not grown silver hair on his back.
2. Bushaho Gorilla family
This is the second gorilla family in Nkuringo sector of Bwindi. It is under the leadership of Bahati. The group is habituated and named Bushawo locally meaning “there is nothing’. This family is one of the three gorilla families available for gorilla trekking in the Nkuringo sector in the south of Bwindi. This family comprises of 12 individuals that is one silverback-Bahati. One blackback-kaheru, five adult females, one sud adult female, two juveniles, two infants. This is the most entertaining gorilla family in Bwindi.
3.Chrismas gorilla family
This is the third habituated gorilla family in Nkuringo sector of Bwindi. This family has 8 members under the leadership of Christmas. The name comes after the dominant silver back was born on Christmas day in the Nkuringo group.
The formation of the Christmas gorilla family is fission from the Nkuringo group that didn’t need to go through the habituation process because all its members were from a fully Habituated family.
Christmas gorilla family currently (July 2021) has 8 members, including:
1 Silverback — Christmas
2 Adult Females — Kiza
1 Sub-adult Female – Guma
2 Juveniles — Owamani
2 infants
The Nkuringo sector has 3 fully habituated gorilla families. The gorilla tracking activity is completely handled by the park officials .it is accompanied by the main guide,2 rangers and two armed military rangers. With this assurance you can book your gorilla trekking activity in Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable national park with Ganyana safaris.
