The only fully habituated gorilla family in Uganda's Mgahinga National Park which is part of the Virunga Massif, is the Nyakagezi family. The park's lush forest area provide safe refuge for the survival of mountain gorillas. Its distinctive mannerisms and ease of observation make it favorite among gorilla trekkers in the Virunga region. They live in regions where there is less dense vegetation to obscure their view. By 1994, the group was suitable for trekking given its habituation began in 1991. There are more than 80 gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla national park although some are not yet habituated.
The Nyakagezi family has nine members and Mark, the dominating silverback who succeeded his father Bugingo as leader is in charge. The other members are Mutagamba, Rukundo, Nyiramwiza, Nshuti, Mathew and Mafia. Intriguingly, Bugingo - the eldest silverback, who is over 54 years old continues to reside in Nyakagezi family. Usually, once the dormant silverback is toppled, he is typically banished and exiled or he seeks safety from other gorilla groups. For instance, in the Mubare group, Ruhondeza abandoned the group and led a solitary existence until his death after Kanyonyi took over as leader from him. Silverbacks who have been defeated are extremely unlikely to accept defeat and remain in the family.
Given that it prefers low altitude regions with a constrained home range for feeding, nesting, relaxing, and entertainment, the Nyakagezi family is one of the easiest to track. Trekking them got simpler once they found a fixed habitat, as opposed to before when they were constantly on the move and always crossed into Rwanda and D.R. Congo..
Visits to Nyakagezi gorilla group should not only be exciting because of the opportunity to see mountain gorillas, but also because of the amazing three Virunga volcano summits, the gorge and stunning vegetation. You will undoubtedly enjoy going on a gorilla safari in Uganda's most beautiful and secluded national park. To track Nyakagezi gorilla family, however, there are only 8 (eight) gorilla permits available each day, which translates to 8 visitors per day. Additionally, the walk takes 2-7 hours and allows for an hour to spend time with the gorillas. Trekking permits cost $800 per person.
Since Nyakagezi group is the only fully habituated group in the park, gorilla permits for that group must be booked at
the Uganda Wildlife Authority Park headquarters in Kampala or through a
tour company. It is important to book permits ahead of your trekking
date, maybe 3-6 months earlier.
In addition to tracking Nyakagezi group, tourists can also embark on golden monkey tracking because this is the only park in Uganda where silver and gold coexist peacefully. They can also go on a fascinating Batwa trail, which provides insight into lifestyle of the first forest inhabitants which still lives on to date. Due to a wide range of intriguing activities available to visitors, a tour to Mgahinga gorilla national park is a very unique, exciting experience.
