The Nkuringo gorilla group lives in the southernmost part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and was, for many years, the only habituated family in the Nkuringo region. The family takes its name from a nearby hill, “Nkuringo,” meaning “a round hill” in the Rukiga language, where the group was first spotted.
A Difficult Habituation
Before habituation, Nkuringo lived in ongoing conflict with local communities, regularly raiding gardens for bananas, maize, and potatoes. This tension prompted the Uganda Wildlife Authority to begin habituating the family in an effort to manage their movements. As the first group ever habituated in Bwindi, the process proved especially difficult given limited infrastructure, harsh weather, and the family’s wild temperament, stretching the habituation process from 1997 to 2004, the longest of any Bwindi family.
Nkuringo officially opened to tourism in 2004, with some community relocation required to make space for the family. Relations with neighboring communities have remained peaceful since. At launch, the group had 17 members under founding silverback Nkuringo, though internal conflict later reduced it to around 12.
Leadership History
Silverback Nkuringo led the family until his death from natural causes in April 2008, leaving behind two sons, silverbacks Rafiki and Safari. Safari took over as dominant silverback following his father’s death. That same year, mother Kwitonda gave birth to twins, Katungi and Muhozi, though Katungi died at around a year and a half old due to illness.
The family later split when silverback Christmas left to form his own group, bringing the total number of gorilla families in the Nkuringo region to two.
Family Structure Today
Nkuringo now has 18 members, led by dominant silverback Safari alongside fellow silverbacks Rafiki, Bahati, and Kirungi. Other members include adult females Kwitonda, Mama Christmas, Samehe, and Kasotora, blackbacks Karibu and Posho, juveniles Kwesima, Kuhirwa, and Magara, and infants Rwamutwe, Muhozi, Tabu, Furaha, and Kiza.
Book Your Nkuringo Gorilla Trekking Permit
With one of the longest habituation stories in Bwindi and a family history shaped by real hardship and recovery, Nkuringo offers a genuinely different trekking experience in the park’s southern reaches. Book your Nkuringo gorilla trekking permit with our team today, and we’ll help you plan the trek alongside the rest of your Bwindi itinerary.
