Baby Gorilla Born in Mubare Group in Buhoma Sector of Bwindi

Mubare Gorilla Family in Buhoma Sector of Bwindi forest has welcomed a new born baby mountain gorillas in Uganda. Mubare group is one the gorilla trekking families found in Buhoma sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi and Mgahinga gorilla national park are the two wildlife reserves where gorillas in Uganda live.

The birth of a new baby gorilla is great news to gorilla tourism which is the biggest income earner for Uganda in the tourism industry. Gorilla conservation efforts are all geared towards the protection, survival and continuity of the endangered Mountain gorillas in the wild.

The baby was born to Businza one of the female adults in Mubare family on 16th October 2019. The wardens of Bwindi Impenetrable forest spread the news of the new born. They found Bussinza with her little one during one of their daily checks on the gorilla families in Bwindi jungle. Peter Mbebwe, the warden in Bwindi confirmed the news and asserted that both mother and baby were fine.

“We celebrate a newborn in Mubare gorilla family, one of the groups in Buhoma region. Mother Businza and baby are in good health,” Mbebwe said.

Tourism stakeholders especially tour operators and conservationists welcomed the news with maximum joy and happiness. There is no doubt that the newborn has increased the number of mountain gorillas in the world by one member.

Kiganda Ssonko, the Managing Director for Speedway Safaris had this to say with utmost joy and enthusiasm.

Any birth by a mountain gorilla counts so much. The primate species are listed as endangered because they are prone to extinction. Anny new addition to their population has to be celebrated with joy. The continuity of any living organism is the coming of infants who now guarantee that the future generation is assured. The creation of gorilla families for tourism purposes in based on numbers at time and when such figures increase, we know that gorilla tourism in Uganda in safe and sustainable,” Kiganda observed.

The increase in the number of gorillas in Uganda is attributed to the joint efforts by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, Uganda Tourism Board, the government of Uganda, international bodies, Ugandans especially the neighbors to the gorilla parks and environmentalists at large. In the recent months, the mountain gorilla status changed from being critically endangered to merely Endangered, a conversion that gives hope to the giant species that their plight is improving. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list as well as the 2018 gorilla census which showed that the Virunga conservation area had an increase in the gorilla numbers from 880 to 1004.

About Mubare Gorilla Family

Mubare group is found in Buhoma sector in the north of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. This is the oldest gorilla family in Uganda and was habituated in 1991, then availed for trekking in 1993, roughly after 24 months of habituation by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Mubare was named after the many stones locally known as “Amabare” in Rukiga language. This was first seen at a place with several stones and then after named after it. Mubare family lives a short distance from Buhoma Park offices and this makes it the most tracked gorilla group in Buhoma region. On some occasions, the group is spotted at the banks of Mubare River, a water body that flows via Buhoma region of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Accessing Buhoma Sector

Buhoma sector is found in the north of Bwindi forest and is effortlessly accessible from Kabale town via Kihihi. Alternatively, you can fly from Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe Airport to Kihihi airstrip in Kanungu district and then after connect to Buhoma area. From Queen Elizabeth National Park, Buhoma is the nearest gorilla trekking region than any other. This means that if you are doing wildlife safaris in the park and plan to add on gorilla trekking in Bwindi forest, the best area in Buhoma. Buhoma and Ruhija sectors in the eastern side of the park are the most accessible areas than Nkuringo and Rushaga in the south of Bwindi which far and only ideal for gorilla trekking in Uganda from Rwanda. And when you are driving from Kampala, Buhoma region and Ruhija are nearer than the regions in the south.

Other Gorilla Families in Buhoma Sector

Besides Mubare group where a new gorilla was born, Buhoma region has other gorilla trekking families which include Habinyanja Gorilla Family, Rushegura Gorilla Group and Katwe Gorilla Group at the moment.