The Bitukura gorilla family lives in the Ruhija sector of Bwindi. The group is named after the Bitukura River, part of its home range, where it was first sighted.
The family was opened for tourism in 2008. It became the easiest group to habituate in Bwindi, taking only one year instead of the usual 2–3 years. This was because rangers and trackers often saw them while visiting the Kyaguriro family, which made them get used to humans quickly.
Bitukura and Kyaguriro families are known to meet peacefully. Some members of Bitukura, including an elderly female called Twigukye, even joined Kyaguriro permanently. At the time of habituation, Bitukura had 24 members and was led by silverback Karamusizi. After his death at 40 years old, Ndahura became leader.
Ndahura led until 2016, when he died after falling from a tree. Unusually, he was the second youngest silverback but still dominated the group, which is rare since the oldest male usually leads. After his death, Rukumu became the dominant silverback. Today the family has about 15 members.
The number of gorillas in each family often changes due to births, deaths, or movements to other groups. Bitukura is considered one of the most peaceful families to visit in Bwindi.
Gorilla trekking is the main reason people visit Bwindi. Treks begin in the morning with a briefing. The walk can take 30 minutes to several hours, depending on the family’s location and the hikers’ pace. Once found, tourists are given one hour to observe and take photos before returning.
Bwindi can be visited all year, but the best months are the dry seasons from June to August and December to February, when the trails are easier to hike.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is home to half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas. It also shelters about 350 bird species, 200 butterfly species, 320 tree species, and many other forms of wildlife.
Mountain gorillas can only be seen in four national parks in the world: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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