Nshongi is another Mountain gorilla family found in the south western parts of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the Rushaga region. Nshongi gorilla family is among the 12 habituated in the famous Mountain gorilla park of Bwindi Impenetrable Forests. Bwindi almost has half of the Mountain gorilla population in the whole world with approximately 340 gorillas with a small number of Mountain gorillas living in the Mgahinga National Park along the Uganda – Rwanda border.
About Nshongi Gorilla Family
The Nshongi family was at once a big family comprising of 35 members in the group. But however, some wrangles emerged in the family which led 10 members parting away from the family with the leadership of Silverback Mishaya leaving the group with only 25 members. The group was named after River Nshongi which flows around their natural habitat. The Nshongi family was opened up for tourists in 2009 with a lot of fun fare and a lot celebrities attended the ceremony which led to formation of “Friend a Gorilla” program at that same time.
The group members include Silverback Nshongi (Dominant), Silverback Kakono, Kutu, Tinfayo, Munywa, Bwire, Busasa, Matama and Bweza all are blackbacks, Shida, Bukojo, Nyampundu, and Munini all are adult females, Mucunguzi, Rurehuka, Mureba, Mahoro and Tindatine all are juveniles, Ninsiima, Mukiza, Katoono, Kazani, Rotary and Bwiruka all are infants in the family. The Nshongi family is found in the Rushaga region in the south western part of Bwindi Impenetrable forests.
The Nshongi was further split up in 2012 with the formation of a new group in the Bwindi jungles known as “Bweza gorilla family.” Still, the same years, the Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers were speculating that the groups may re-unite but rather the tensions kept on increasing which led to the official confirmation of the Bweza family in 2013.
Note: The figures in the in these Gorilla families keep changing time after time due to a reasonable number of factors that arouse amongst the family members for example Death, break ups, winning a fight hence winning more family members, divorce, new born and many more factors.
The Nshongi family can be trekked for 2 – 8 hours a day and the gorilla tracking permits can be obtained from the Rushaga park headquarters or online through the Uganda Wildlife Authority website. The gorilla tracking permits go for as low as $600USD for foreigners (FNR – Foreign people who’re not living in East Africa), $500USD for foreign residents (FR – Foreigners who are living or working in East Africa) and Shs, 250,000/= East African Community (EAC) residents. The above mentioned prices are applicable in the peak season.
The Nshongi family is strategically located with good vegetation which facilitates for other Fauna like enjoying singing birds, different butterflies and a variety of primates.
