The Rwigi gorilla family was formed when silverback Rwigi left the Kahungye gorilla family. He took with him an adult female and some juveniles to start a new group. The name Rwigi comes from the silverback himself and means “door” in the local language.
The Rwigi family now has six members: one silverback, three adult females, two juveniles, and one baby. Gorilla family sizes often change because of births, deaths, members leaving, or others joining the group.
The Kahungye gorilla family is the group that Rwigi separated from to create his own family. The name Kahungye comes from a hill in Bwindi where the family was first seen. At the time of habituation in 2011, this family had 27 members, including three silverbacks.
Gorilla trekking is one of the most popular tourist activities in Africa. Mountain gorillas cannot live in zoos, so the only way to see them is by trekking in their natural home.
Trekking starts in the early morning with a briefing at the park headquarters. The trek can take 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the gorilla family is and how fast the group walks. Once the gorillas are found, visitors are allowed one hour to watch and take photos.
Mountain gorillas are the world’s largest apes. They live in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mountain gorillas share 98% of their DNA with humans. Each gorilla has a unique nose print, just like humans have unique fingerprints. Gorilla babies are born weak and depend fully on their mothers, just like human babies.
In Uganda, gorilla trekking permits cost $800 per person, while gorilla habituation permits cost $1,500 per person. Permits should be booked at least 3 months in advance because they are limited and often sell out quickly.
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