BWINDI’S NKURINGO SECTOR

BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK_NKURINGO SECTOR

Bwindi is home to over 50% of the total population of the endangered mountain gorillas. The rest of the population lives in the virunga massive that covers the borders of three countries, Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. When conservation efforts started in 1990’s, it was believed that only 300 individuals were still left in nature in the whole world. As such they were classified as critically endangered animals. However over time conservation efforts have paid off. A recent census put the number to slightly over 1000 for both bwondi and the virunga massive. for example nkuringo sector which started with one gorilla family, the nkuringo family, has now more three habituated families, ie bushaho gorilla family, bikingi gorilla family, and the recently habituated Christmas gorilla family, effectively bringing the total number of habituated and ready for tourism gorilla families to four. That means, if fully booked, nkuringo sector can host 32 visitors a day with eight people visiting a particular gorilla family a day. The growth has not been limited to nkuringo sector alone, for example, buhoma sector which for long time has only had only three habituated gorilla families, ie habinyanja gorilla family, rushegura gorilla family and mubare gorilla family, has had another family in the names of katwe successfully habituated and added to the list. At the moment bwindi has 17 fully habituated gorilla families that can be visited by tourists. This is not to forget the nyakagezi gorilla family in the virunga massive that inhabit mgahinga gorilla national park also in Uganda. In the past it used to mobile, crisscrossing the borders of Uganda,Rwanda and Congo but now  permanently settled in mgahinga national park as permanent residents