Introduction

Mgahinga National Park is Uganda’s smallest national park located in southwestern Uganda in the Kisoro district. It borders the Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda in the south and the Virunga National Park of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the west. A gorilla family is a group of habituated gorillas living together in a certain section of a national park. In the case of the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, there is only one habituated gorilla family.

The Nyakagezi gorilla family is the only gorilla family in Mgahinga. The Nyakagezi gorilla family dwells in the thick forests of Mgahinga. This gorilla family makes up the estimated number of 100 mountain gorillas in the park together with other individual gorillas in the park.

Nyakagezi Gorilla Family

The Nyakagezi gorilla family was the first and only habituated gorilla family in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and it has been tracked severally by trekkers from different parts of the world. The name Nyakagezi originates from an area in the park where there is much foliage. This is where the gorillas were first sighted and spent much time. This gorilla family is well known for migrating to the neighboring national parks especially Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and the  Democratic Republic of Congo in Virunga National Park searching for food.

The Nyakagezi gorilla family was habituated after the park was gazette in 1991 and by 1994 the gorilla family was open to trekking. The first silverback to lead the family was Bugingo who was later overthrown by Mark making Bugingo inferior. However, he was not banished from the family instead stayed as an elder and named Mzee. The Nyakagezi gorilla family is composed of 10 members. These include 5 silverbacks Mark, Ndungutse, Mafia, Rukundo, and Bugingo, 2 females Nshuti and Nyiramwiza, 3 infants Fred, Mutagamba, and Nshuti. This is the easiest gorilla family to track since they can easily be seen in foliage area which is a lowland compared to other gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Volcanoes National Park which are found in highland areas and on steep slopes.

Gorilla trekking permit prices 

A gorilla trekking permit in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park costs USD 800 for foreign non-residents, USD 700 for foreign residents, USD 500 for the rest of Africa, and 300,000 UGX for East Africans and nationals. If you want to track gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park you can only book through a legit local tour operator who can purchase your permit with ease. It is advisable to purchase the gorilla trekking permit at least 2 to 6 weeks before the actual trekking day.

Gorilla trekking activity starts with a briefing in the early morning by 7 am where the rules and regulations are recited as well as the expected code of conduct around the gorillas. Thereafter you are assigned a gorilla family to track with the aid of a ranger guide after the permits have been checked.

From here you will head to the jungle in search of the mountain gorillas and it may take you about an hour or more to locate the gorilla family. This trekking time for the gorillas depends on how far the gorilla family is. Upon location of the mountain gorillas, you are given a maximum of an hour with these endangered primates. You will take pictures, record videos, and capture every moment in the jungle with the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

Mountain gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is one of the most enjoyable gorilla-tracking destinations in the world. This is because the park has only 2 habituated gorilla families and therefore there is less competition and few crowds while tracking in the park.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is famous for other activities including bird watching with over 184 bird species and the Batwa cultural experience to mention but a few. Golden monkey trekking just like gorilla trekking is also a major activity in Mgahinga since this is the only park in Uganda that hosts golden monkeys. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the only place where silver meets gold.

Best time to Visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park?

It is always better to visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in the dry season during the months of June to September. This is the long dry season and the short dry season occurs from December to February. It is during this time when the fruits are ripe and the forests are not so thick aiding clear views of the mountain gorillas in the forests also the trekking trails are always dry and easy to navigate.