Mountain gorilla families in Uganda
Mountain gorilla families in Uganda habituated number to 20 families with majority living in the misty Bwindi impenetrable forest and two families living in Mgahinga gorilla national park.
Mountain gorillas are only found in three countries located in East and Central Africa. Apart from Uganda; Mountain gorillas are also found in the Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and the Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Uganda boasts of the highest number of mountain gorillas with more than half of the world’s gorilla population found in Uganda. The second highest population of gorillas is found in Rwanda with a third of the world’s gorilla population living in Rwanda.
Gorilla families range from 10 individual gorillas to up to 20 individual gorillas or less.
Mountain gorillas differ from lowland gorillas. Mountain gorillas have longer and thicker fur than other gorilla subspecies making them adapted to the cold temperatures in highlands and thick natural forests.
Lowland gorillas are also found in Eastern Central Africa in Kahuzi-Biega national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Adult male gorillas can weigh more than 200Kg or less and they physically look almost twice the size of adult female gorillas.
Mountain gorillas are very sociable and live in groups of families led by a dorminant male gorilla called a Silverback. A male gorilla reaches maturity at around 12 or 13 years old. Male gorillas develop a silver fur on their back which makes them earn the iconic name ‘Silverback’.
BINP – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | No. – Number of individuals in a family | SB – Silverbacks | BB – Black-backs | AF – Adult Females | SAF – Sub-adult Females | J – Juveniles | I – Infants
| Family Name | No. | Location | SB | BB | AF | SAF | J | I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakingi | 10 | BINP - Rushaga | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Bitukura | 11 | BINP - Ruhija | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Bushaho | 11 | BINP - Nkuringo | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Busingye | 12 | BINP - Rushaga | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Bweza | 11 | BINP - Rushaga | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Habinyanja | 16 | BINP - Buhoma | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Hirwa | 11 | Mgahinga | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Kahungye | 19 | BINP - Rushaga | 2 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Katwe | 7 | BINP - Buhoma | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Kutu | 11 | BINP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyaguliro | 8 | BINP - Ruhija | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Mishaya | 10 | BINP - Rushaga | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Mubare | 6 | BINP - Buhoma | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mukiza | 13 | BINP - Ruhija | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Nkuringo | 15 | BINP - Nkuringo | 1 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Nyakagezi | 9 | Mgahinga | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Oruzogo | 17 | BINP - Ruhija | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Rushegura | 15 | BINP - Buhoma | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Shongi | 8 | BINP - Rushaga | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |