Nkuringo gorilla sector is one of the four gorilla sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park situated in the southern section of the Park. Other than Nkuringo gorilla sector, other sectors include Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the west and Rushaga in the south. The word Nkuringo is a Rukiga word that means hills and therefor the Nkuringo sector was named after the rolling hills that make up this area. The Nkuringo sector was the second gorilla sector to be opened for mountain gorilla trekking in 2014 after Buhoma sector. This sector is known to harbor three fully habituated gorilla families namely Nkuringo gorilla family, Bushaho gorilla family and Christmas gorilla family which are readily available for trekking and Posho gorilla family which is still under the habituation process making it one of the best gorilla sectors within the Park. This is the perfect gorilla sector with in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for those eager and yearning for a strenuous gorilla trekking experience that involves hiking through hills due to its terrain.
Gorilla families
Mountain gorilla families in Nkuringo gorilla sector include;
Nkuringo gorilla family
This was the first gorilla family to be habituated in the entire southern section of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park that was habituated in 1997. The Nkuringo gorilla family got its name from the area where this gorilla family was first sighted. This gorilla family possesses the pride of being the first gorilla family within the entire Park to record the birth of twins from Kwitonda the twin mother. The twins were named Katungi and Muhozi unfortunately Katungi died before making two years. Ever since the discovery of this gorilla family, it was in the leadership of a dominant silverback known as Nkuringo with his subordinate silverbacks Rafiki, Safari, and Christmas. Nkuringo later died on 27th April 2008 at the age of 45 years leaving the family under the leadership of Safari deputized by his two silverback brothers. Safari silverback was attacked by a wild silverback and mysteriously went missing to date. His brother Rafiki assumed power not until he was killed by a group of hunters who speared him down in June 2020. The Nkuringo gorilla family is currently headed by a male blackback gorilla known as Rwamutwe in close partnership with his counterpart Tabu who is also a blackback male gorilla. The entire family is therefore made up of 12 members that are subjected to change due to deaths, new births, and other gorillas joining or quitting the family that is to say 4 blackbacks, 4 adult females, 2 juveniles and 2 infants.
Bushaho gorilla family
Bushaho gorilla family is a breakaway from the Nkuringo gorilla family where some of the former members of the Nkuringo family were reported missing in 2012 and after serious efforts of tracing for them, they were later discovered to have started their own family. Several other wild or non-habituated gorillas joined the family under the leadership of Bahati silverback that is a former member of the Nkuringo family. This Bushaho gorilla family is named after the area where it was usually seen foraging. This gorilla family consists of 11members and among its members there is 1 silverback, 1 blackback, 4 adult females, 2 juveniles and 3 infants.
Christmas gorilla family
Christmas gorilla family is led by a dominant silverback know as Christmas silverback that is a former member of the Nkuringo gorilla family. This silverback was born on Christmas day and thus the reason to be named Christmas. The gorilla family was also named after this silverback having realized that he was the head of this family. This is therefore the newly habituated family in the Nkuringo gorilla sector consisting of 9 members categorized as follows, 1 silverback, 1 blackback, 3 adult females, 3 juveniles and 1 infant.
Posho gorilla family
Posho gorilla family is a newly introduced family that is still under the habituation process and yet to be opened for visitors to experience the habituation process in the Nkuringo sector since currently it’s only experienced in the Rushaga gorilla sector. This Posho gorilla family is currently under the leadership of a silverback known as Magara consisting of 17 family members. This gorilla family derived its name from the phrase “Posho” a corn meal that trackers usually fed on during the habituation process. Family members of this gorilla family include 1 silverback, 8 adult females, 2 sub-adults, 2 juveniles and 4 infants.
Accessibility
Nkuringo gorilla sector can be accessed by road transportation means from Kampala or Entebbe via Masaka-Mbarara and Mbarara-Kabale then connect to Nkuringo sector via Muko-Nkuringo which is about a 10 hours’ drive. By air this sector can be accessed by booking a chartered flight from either Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airstrip to Kisoro airstrip after which you are driven for about an hour to Nkuringo sector.
Nkuringo gorilla sector can as well be accessed from Kigali Rwanda by booking a flight to Kigali International Airport and then driving to Kisoro via Cyanika border. You proceed and connect to Nkuringo gorilla sector via Kabale-Kisoro road which is about 1 and a half hours drive. The driving distance from Kigali to Nkuringo sector via Cyanika border in Kisoro is 162 kilometers which takes to about 4 to 5 hours. This sector can as well be accessed from Kigali via Katuna border in Kabale and then connect to Nkuringo.