Located in the southernmost part of Bwindi National Park, Nkuringo was for a long time the only habituated gorilla family in the Nkuringo region. Named after a nearby hill, Nkuringo, this family is preferred by travelers interested in exploring the less-visited groups in Bwindi. It is undoubtedly one of the most interesting gorilla families in Bwindi.
The name Nkuringo means “a round hill” in the Rukiga language, referring to a nearby hill where the group was first sighted. For many years, the Nkuringo family lived in tense conflict with the community as the group was fond of sneaking into people’s gardens and destroying crops, like bananas, maize, and potatoes, which caused immense pressure on their survival.
This conflict prompted the Uganda Wildlife Authority to begin the habituation process to reduce their movements. Being the pioneer group to be habituated, it was not easy to habituate the Nkuringo family given the poor infrastructure, unfavorable weather conditions, and the wild nature of the family; which is why the habituation process lasted from 1997 to 2004, longer than any other gorilla family.
Nkuringo family was officially launched for tourism in 2004, and some communities were displaced to allow ample space for the family. Since that time, the group has enjoyed a harmonious life with the neighboring communities. At the time, the group was composed of 17 gorillas under the leadership of silverback Nkuringo, but following continuous internal fights, the group reduced to only 12 members.
Until April 2008, silverback Nkuringo was still at the helm of leadership of this historical group. He perished due to natural causes and age, leaving behind his two sons, silverbacks Rafiki and Safari. It was Safari who succeeded as the dominant silverback for the family.
Fortune befell the family in the same year, 2008, when a set of twins, Katungi and Muhozi, was born to mother Kwitonda. Unfortunately, due to illness, Katungi perished at the age of one and a half years.
Nkuringo family previously experienced another split when silverback Christmas moved on to form his own group, named Christmas. This brought the total number of gorilla families in the Nkuringo region to two.
Nkuringo family is currently home to 12 members, with 4 silverbacks. Some of the members are Rwamutwe, Muhozi, Tabu, Furaha, and Kiza (infants); Kwesima, Kuhirwa, and Magara (juveniles); Karibu and Posho (blackbacks); and Kwitonda, Mama Christmas, Samehe, and Kasotora (adult females). The dominant silverback is Safari, along with three others: Rafiki, Bahati, and Kirungi.
