Gorilla Families in Rushaga Sector in Bwindi – gorilla trekking safaris to Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Rushaga Gorilla sector is one of the most visited and famous sectors of Bwindi and is home to the most habituated gorilla families, including Kahungye, Nshongi, Bweza, Busingye, Bikyingi, Mishaya, Muchunguzi, and Rwigi. Gorilla safaris in these rainforests will offer you a transformative wildlife encounter and perhaps one of Africa’s most profound wildlife encounters. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is made up of four major sectors namely; Rushaga Sector, Nkuringo Sector, Ruhija Sector, and Ruhija Sector. The four sectors of Bwindi habituate different gorilla families from which tourists are allocated to trek.

Bwindi Impenetrable NP Uganda

The size of these gorilla families varies, however. The Silverback, as in all other gorilla areas, leads the family and determines its movements and other daily activities. There are 40 permits available for visitors to Rushaga on a daily basis. Because there are so many gorilla families in the Rushaga Gorilla sector, you will be able to pick which gorilla family you want to track. Trek with mountain gorillas in the Rushaga sector and let the experts, Acacia Safaris Limited, plan your gorilla safari with you for a more memorable experience.

Why go mountain gorilla trekking in Rushaga Sector?

The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is too large to trek or monitor at 331 km2 (127 sq mi). To make it easier for tourists and researchers to visit habituated gorilla families, UWA divided the sanctuary into four sectors. Trekkers can see gorillas in the Buhoma sector from the north. Ruhija is located east of the park, while Nkuringo is located south of it and Rushaga is located 18 kilometers (11 miles) away.

Rushaga Sector is beautifully situated on a hill, with views of the vast, rugged rift valley landscapes and the Virunga Mountains. It’s a spectacular sight from the top of any ridge in this area. It will enchant you and make you feel like you’re in a movie.

The Rushaga Gorilla Sector is one of four sectors that comprise the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The national park has recently recorded the highest number of mountain gorillas compared to all other habituation areas in the world. The exceptional Rushaga is located in the southern part of Bwindi National Park.

The high cost of gorilla trekking in Rwanda has driven most tourists to the Rushaga Gorilla sector, which is cheaper and accessible from Kigali via Cyanika border in Kisoro district. In addition to gorilla trekking, the Rushaga sector offers gorilla habituation experiences, in which mountain gorillas are trained to become accustomed to human presence.

Gorilla Families in Rushaga Sector in Bwindi

Nshongi Gorilla Family – Group

After the current split with the Mweza group, this is one of the largest habituated gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. This group used to have 36 gorillas, but it now has over 25 mountain gorillas, including a dominant silverback, two sub-silverbacks, three blackbacks, six adult females, six juveniles, and three infants.

This is one of the few gorilla groups with more than four silverbacks, and it is still led by Nshongi, the group’s youngest silverback. Surprisingly, all three silverbacks and seven silverbacks coexisted peacefully, with no power struggles. The Nshongi gorilla group was established with great fanfare, and celebrities from all over the world visited in 2009.

Busingye Gorilla Group – Family

This group consists of 9 mountain gorillas, including one silverback, three infants, two adults, and numerous young ones. In 2012, the Busingye gorilla group split from the Kahungye gorilla group. Busingye Silverback was the one who decided to break away and form his own group. Busingye means “peace,” which is surprising given his ambitious silverback’s legendary battles with other gorilla families. He enjoys displaying his power, and whenever he comes across a wild group, he mercilessly steals a female gorilla to add to his own.

Bweza Gorilla Group – Family

There are only seven mountain gorillas in this group, including one silverback and two infants. The Bweza gorilla group is a splitter group of the Nshongi gorilla family, and it is the most versatile and exciting gorilla group to visit during a safari to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

How to Get to Rushaga Sector

Rushaga Gorilla Sector is accessible by both land and air. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is reachable by road from Queen Elizabeth National Park in the north (2-3 hours), Kabale in the south (1-2 hours), or Kampala via Mbarara (6-8 hours). The roads come together at Butogota, 17 kilometers from the Buhoma entrance gate. There are also scheduled flights from Entebbe International Airport to Bwindi.