It’s good news to conservationist about the reception of a baby gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, in Kigezi region, southwestern Uganda.
The great news were announced through UWA social media, “”We are glad to share this first mobile image of the world’s newest Mountain Gorilla baby. Born to Furaha a female adult of the Nkuringo family. Mother, baby & dad in perfect health, “UWA announced Saturday (April 20) in a post on social media X (Twitter).
The news about the born of this baby gorilla leaves Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), tour operators, and Wildlife conservationists are in a celebratory mood.
UWA through their social media platforms of X-media and facebook shared photos of the mother and baby which were taken by one of the UWA rangers at Bwindi.
The reception of a baby gorilla has increased the number of gorilla individual in the Nkuringo family to 15.
Nkuringo gorilla family was the first habituated gorilla family in Nkuringo sector southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Nkuringo is a local word meaning ‘Rolling hills’. The group was named after the rolling hills where the group was first spotted. The habituation of this group started in 2004.
The family had many members who however broke away to form their own families.
Before, the Nkuringo Gorilla Group was led by a silverback called Nkuringo, who later on died in 2008. After his death, two silverbacks managed to take over power Rafiki, and Safari.
However, his son Safari managed to take over power and became the leader after a period of seven months. In his leadership, the group welcomed a bundle of joy, when the female gorilla Kwitonda gave birth to twins Muhoozi and Katungi.
However, Katungi could not live to see his second birthday he died at 18 months due to an illness.
Recently in the month of March 2024, the Nkuringo gorilla family received baby gorilla in the month of March. The baby gorilla was received to a female adult kwitonda.
Another baby gorilla was of 2024, was born on 2nd of February to a female gorilla Mucecuru Bakiga gorilla group of Rushaga sector. This group is mainly known for Gorilla Habituation Experience, which experience remained for only in Uganda, at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park hosts over half of the remaining population of the mountain gorillas. And the remaining half of the population resides in the Virunga Conservation Areas shared among the three parks of Mgahinga, Volcanoes and Virunga National Parks.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park remains the only park which offers habituation experiences where trackers have a chance to interact with the gorillas for a period of about 4 hours following them. The experience is only available in Uganda, though gorilla trekking is available in three countries.
Bwindi’s gorilla population is divided in about 50 groups and 13 solitary individuals, however, 21 groups are habituated and open to be accessed by tourists through the 4 sectors of the park.
The trek to meet the Nkuringo Gorilla Group takes a period of 3 hours.
For adventurous trackers who are interested in the more adrenaline activities of going deeper into the thick jungle, Nkuringo sector is the best option.
