Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is Ugandan’s biggest gorilla national park. It is divided into four sectors; the Nkuringo sector, the Rushaga sector, the Buhoma sector, and the Ruhija sector. Each sector has varying numbers of habituated gorilla families.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Habituated gorilla families are families of gorillas that have undergone the process that involves acclimating wild animals to human presence and activities. It does not make gorillas less wild, rather it makes them aware that human beings are part of their environment. They cease to see human beings as threats making it possible for humans to co-exist with the mountain gorillas.
Gorilla habituation is what has made gorilla trekking possible. Without gorilla habituation, all gorillas will flee or attack people in self-defense. However, gorilla habituation has also posed a serious challenge since habituated gorillas now see community gardens as mere extensions of their habitat.
The human-gorilla conflict was previously one of the leading challenges among communities living around the Gorilla National Park. But through gorilla trekking, communities have come to appreciate how much transformation and economic empowerment have come to their communities courtesy of gorilla trekking in Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
There are still gorilla families in the Nkuringo sector that have not undergone habituation. Eco-tourism and sustainable tourism do not permit massive habituation. There have been recommendations to habituate more gorilla families however this recommendation has not been received positively among people who have conservation above financial gain.
It is important to note that a gorilla trekking permit goes for $700 for foreign non-residents. Permits are fond of selling out during the months of July and August. To a financial mind, the logical recommendation is obviously to have more gorilla families available for tourism but to a conservation mind; the recommendation is more financially oriented than it is conservation-oriented.
Habituated Gorilla Families in the Nkuringo Sector
There are four habituated gorilla families in the Nkuringo sector. That is Bushaho with 8 members, Christmas with 8 members, Nkuringo with 13 members, and Posho with 18 members. However, it is important to note that even though the Posho family. As of 2023; the Posho family has not been opened up to tourists even though its habituation was completed on 30th June 2023.
This brings the total of habituated families in the Nkuringo sector to four with a total of 46 habituated mountain gorillas.
Number of permits Available per day in the Nkuringo Sector
Gorilla trekking is only offered to people with gorilla trekking permits. Uganda Wildlife Authority offers a total of eight gorilla trekking permits per family. With three trekable families in the Nkuringo sector at the moment, the sector offers 24 gorilla trekking permits. However, in the near future, the sector will start offering 32 gorilla trekking permits per day once the Posho family is opened up to tourists.
Nkuringo sector is known for having the least options of accommodation compared to all other sectors of Bwindi. Its location also makes it difficult to transfer from Queen Elizabeth National Park to Bwindi within a few hours. Many people still find the Buhoma sector as the best sector due to accessibility.