Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park known as the home to the mountain gorillas lies in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley. Its mist-covered hillsides are blanketed by one of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests, which dates back over 25,000 years and contains almost 400 species of plants. More famously, this “impenetrable forest” also protects an estimated 400 mountain gorillas – roughly half of the world’s population, including several habituated groups, which can be tracked.
Established as a national park in 1991, Bwindi was later recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 due to its outstanding natural value. Its name, “Bwindi,” meaning “impenetrable” in the local language, reflects the park’s thick vegetation and rugged terrain. This impenetrability, once considered a challenge for early explorers, is now a magnet for adventurers seeking to connect with its pristine wilderness.
Situated on the edge of the Rift Valley, Bwindi’s elevation ranges from 1,160 to 2,607 meters above sea level, creating a diversity of microhabitats that support a wide range of species. The park experiences a tropical climate, with annual rainfall ranging between 1,400 and 1,900 millimeters, most of which falls during the wet seasons (March to May and September to November). These consistent rains have nurtured lush vegetation, including over 220 tree species, some of which are endemic or globally threatened.
Species diversity is a feature of the park. It provides habitat for 120 species of mammals, 350 species of birds, 310 species of butterflies, 27 species of frogs, chameleons, geckos, and many endangered species. Floristically, the park is among the most diverse forests in East Africa, with more than 1,000 flowering plant species, including 200 species of trees and 104 species of ferns. The northern (low elevation) sector has many species of Guineo-Congolian flora, including two endangered species, the brown mahogany and Brazzeia longipedicellata. In particular, the area shares in the high levels of endemism of the Albertine rift.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park is important for the conservation of the afromontane fauna, especially species endemic to the Western Rift Valley’s mountains. It is thought to have one of the richest faunal communities in East Africa, including more than 350 bird species and more than 200 butterfly species. There are an estimated 120 mammal species in the park, of which 10 are primates, and more than 45 are small mammals. Along with mountain gorilla, species in the park include common chimpanzee, L’Hoest’s monkey, African elephant, African green broadbill, and cream-banded swallowtail black and white colobus, red-tailed monkeys, vervets the giant forest hog, and small antelope species. The fish species in the park’s rivers and streams are not well known. There are also many carnivores, including the side-striped jackal, African golden cat, and African civet
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla tracking is the park’s main tourist attraction, and it generates much revenue for Uganda Wildlife Authority and the country at large for both conservation and boosting the country’s economy. Gorilla tracking first became available in April 1993, when tourists tracked the Mubare gorilla group.
Bwindi impenetrable forest is inhabited by about 459 individual mountain gorillas as per the last 2019 Gorilla Census, which makes up almost half of all the mountain gorillas in the world. The rest of the worldwide mountain gorilla population lives in the nearby Virunga Mountains. A 2006 census of the mountain gorilla population in the park showed that its numbers had increased modestly from an estimated 300 individuals in 1997 to 320 individuals in 2002 to 340 individuals in 2006 and 400 in 2018. Poaching, disease and habitat loss are the greatest threat to the gorillas.
Bwindi gorilla’s diet is markedly higher in fruit than that of the Virunga population, and that the Bwindi gorillas, even silverbacks, are more likely to climb trees to feed on foliage, fruits, and epiphytes. In some months, the Bwindi gorilla diet is very similar to that of Bwindi chimpanzees. It was also found that Bwindi gorillas travel farther per day than Virunga gorillas, particularly on days when feeding primarily on fruit than when they are feeding on fibrous foods.
Additionally, Bwindi gorillas are much more likely to build their nests in trees, nearly always in Alchornea floribunda (locally, “Echizogwa”), a small understory tree.
Selected gorillas families have been habituated to human presence, and the number of visitors is tightly controlled to prevent risks to the gorillas and degradation of the habitat. The gorillas seldom react to tourists. There are strict rules for tourists to minimize the risk of disease transmission to the gorillas
Gorilla trekking sectors in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park
Gorilla trekking is done in four sectors in Bwindi Impenetrable national park with each sector harboring different gorilla families. The current recorded number of gorilla families in Bwindi is 40 of which 21 families are not habituated and are aggressive to humans while 19 are habituated and friendly.
Buhoma sector
Entrance of Buhoma sector
Buhoma is the most developed sector in Bwindi. It is located in the northern region of the park and the most familiar sector to the visitors to Uganda. Buhoma Gorilla trekking is on high demand with the permits selling out quickly as compared to other sectors.
Buhoma was the first sector to be opened for gorilla tourism in 1993. There are 4 habituated gorilla families in this section namely; the Mubare gorilla family, Habinyanja gorilla family, Katwe gorilla family and Rushegura gorilla family.
Eight people per group are allowed to visit a particular group of gorillas per day meaning 24 gorilla trekking permits are available in a day. Make sure you book you book your trekking permit in time to avoid inconveniences.
Ruhija sector
Ruhija sector entrance
The Ruhija sector is situated in the Eastern side of Bwindi Impenetrable national park and it harbors three gorilla families namely; the Bitukura Gorilla family, Oruzogo family and Kyaguriro family though the Kyaguriro family was habituated, its there for research purposes and only 6 visitors are allowed to visit this group in a day but the family can be trekked if the visitor has asked for permission from the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Only 8 healthy right aged trekkers with valid permits are allowed to trek a particular family in a day with 24 permits available every day. Ruhija is not as busy as Buhoma and so trekking here will give the visitors ample time to do other activities like bird watching. The Bitukura gorilly family are believed the most friendly family and took the shortest time to be habituated to humans.
Though Ruhija is not as developed and has fewer gorilla families than Buhoma, the region offers more ecotourism experience due to its location.
Rushaga sector
Rushaga sector entrance
Rushaga sector is the most highly blessed sector with the highest number of gorilla families compared to other sectors. It is situated in the sourthern part of Bwindi in Kisoro district. Booking for a gorilla trekking permit should be done earlier so as to avoid interruptions during the trek with 40 trekking permits available every day at $600 throughout the year.
This sector harbors 5 gorilla families namely; Nshongi , Busingye, Kayungye, Bweza and Mishaya families. Trekking is done by 8 right aged healthy visitors in a group for a given gorilla family and one hour is spent with the apes minus the time taken to search for them.
Rushaga is well situated for gorilla trekking via Kigali, Rwanda through Chanika border. This is the greatest opportunity to trek gorilla in Uganda via Rwanda at a cheaper cost of $700 compared to Rwanda’s $1500 for a trekking permit.
Gorilla habituation also takes place in Rushaga where two gorilla families are being trained to friendly to humans and visitors pay $1500 for the activity and spend 4 hours with the apes unlike the one hour spent with the gorillas during trekking.
Nkuringo Sector
Nkuringo sector
Nkuringo Sector is one of the gorilla trekking sectors in Bwindi Impenetrable national park in southern Bwindi harboring three gorilla habituated families. Nkuringo is well situated for the spectacular views of the Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira in Virunga National park of Democratic Republic Of Congo. This sector is also difficult to hike due to the rugged terrain and so physically fit trekkers are encourage to trek in this breathtaking view sector that cannot be fully described by words but experience.
The Nkuringo family which was named after the ‘rolling hills’ where the first sighted group and they have been proved by the visitors to be the most wonderful group to interact with. The family is composed of 12 members under the leadership of a silverback, Rufiki who broke up from the Nshongi family in Rushaga sector to form his own crew. The family was habituated in 2009 and that’s when it first received visitors
Other gorilla families in Nkuringo include the Bushaho and the Bikingi gorilla families. These groups are still trekked by 8 visitors per day and health status is valued as well as the age of the trekkers.
Which sector is best to trek gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park
No matter where you trek the gorillas, the sightings are all the same. All sectors have families with a silverback or more, females, blackbacks and babies. Family member numbers may differ depending on how the family has existed and how organized it has been overtime.
What determines which sector you will trek depends on 2 factors;
- Accommodation facility (Hotel/camp). All sectors have there respective hotels and camps and choosing one will automatically determine which sector yo will be trekking the gorillas. Its quite hard and in most cases impossible to choose a hotel in a different sector and plan to trek in a different sector. Its advisable to choose a hotel in the sector you wish to trek.
- Availability. Gorilla permits are sold on a first come first serve basis, the dates you plan to trek gorillas will be confirmed according to the availability of gorilla permits in the 4 trekking sector. For a perfect gorilla trekking tour, its always advisable to contact us and talk to our tour consultant in advance.