Ruhija Gorilla Sector In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda and is inhabited by a good number of mountain gorillas that can be tracked down in its gorilla sectors. Each of the gorilla sectors has several families in it.

Visitors flock to the country from all corners of the world to go to Bwindi and have an experience with these gorillas. The National Park is approximately a 10 hours and 5 minutes’ drive from Kampala capital city centre which is about 504.4 kilometres using the Kampala- Mbarara highway.

Visitors can also use air transport by boarding from Entebbe International Airport or its sister airstrips such as Kajjansi up to Kihihi airstrip in the southwestern part of Uganda from where they can be received by tourist guides with cozy tourist vans and head to the park.

Ruhija is one of the sectors that are the most visited in the national park due to the dynamics of the gorilla families in it and they are as explained below;

Kyaguliro: This family is renowned for its calm and extraordinarily gentle demeanor. The strong family is led by a dominant silverback called Kyaguliro. This dominant group is made up of 20 fully habituated gorillas and they can be tracked down by visitors since they are so familiar with the presence of human beings in their environment. The group was first habituated in 1999 and is one of the very first groups to be habituated by researchers from the Mav Plank School of Anthropology. The welcoming family has several female aunties and playful juveniles. The peaceful atmosphere they create for visitors makes it an ideal group for travelers interested in observing gentle giants’ behaviour up close in the trees and shrubs.

Bitukura: The Bitukura family is led by a calm silverback named Ndahura. This hospitable gorilla family was named after a river called Bitukura that flows through Bwindi Impenetrable National Park where it was first sighted. It’s a relatively small family due to few members including females, juveniles and infants. Habituation of this family started in early 2007 and tourism activities were opened to it in 2008. Ndahura’s sensational leadership style is characterized by a daily protective and caring demeanour towards all the group members.

Mukiza: Mukiza is yet another gorilla family in the spectacular Ruhija sector. This welcoming family was formerly known as Kyaguliro B because most of its members originated from the original Kyaguliro. It was formed in May 2016 after the split of Kyaguliro. The family gets its name from their leader Silverback Mukiza. This gorilla family is popular for its playful and active nature in the presence of guests. Visitors often enjoy to the fullest watching the juveniles engage in various playful and social activities under the close supervision of Mukiza. This timid and amiable family is made up of 17 terrifically strong mountain gorillas that is to say one dominant silverback, seven adult aunties, one young adult, one playful juvenile and five lovely infants.

Oruzogo: The Oruzogo family is one of the dominant larger groups in the Ruhija sector. The group is led by a terrifically strong silverback too. This hospitable family consists of numerous gentle members, including adult females, playful juveniles and cute infants. Oruzogo family is known for its lively interactions in the jungle with visitors and social dynamics. All these make it an exciting family to observe during gorilla trekking expeditions. The group is made up of 17 gorillas.

Visits to this sector are guided by professional tourist guides who provide deeper insights into the families in the sector.

 Gorilla tracking in the Ruhija sector normally starts with a briefing where guests are told about the dos and don’t while on the treks, the history of the sector, the goals and vision of the sector and the conservation activities.

Gorilla tracking normally starts at 9:00 AM and goes for 7 hours. When the families are encountered, visitors are allowed an uninterrupted hour to observe the gentle giants in their natural habitat.

 The Ruhija sector has cosy accommodation facilities within it to help boost the experiences of the visitors. Blend the Ruhija sector in your safari and you will have unforgettable experiences in Uganda.