The Habinyanja gorilla family is one of the three available gorilla families habituated back in 1997 for human experience for Uganda Gorilla Safari travelers to Buhoma region of Bwindi forest national park Uganda. The group received its first Uganda Gorilla Trekking visitors in 1999.

The family has 18 members with two silverbacks, and it derives its name Habinyanja from a local word “Nyanja” literally meaning body of water or lake. It denotes the swamp in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest where the group was seen first.

Back in the 1997, by the time the group was habituated, it was led by Mugurisi (literally meaning Old man), the dominant Silverback.

Due to old age, Mugurusi passed away, and his two sons, Rwansigazi and Mwirima shared power but they were so incompatible that it could not stand the test of time.

Rwansigazi was an adventurous gorilla and liked travelling, while Mwirima liked small range stay. It is no wonder that the two silverbacks resolved to split in 2002 in order to avoid fighting.

The group that followed Rwansigazi maintained the name Habinyanja and the members who stayed with Mwirima came to be known as the Rushegura family.

Later, Rwansigazi had to cede leadership to Makara who is now the dominant silverback of the family of Habinyanja. Occasionally, two clusters still encounter each other but co-exist in harmony.

Uganda Safari Visitors tracking this family need about 3 – 8 hours since the group likes covering a wider range thus it is advisable that when considering Accommodation in Bwindi National Park, a lodge in Buhoma section of Bwindi Park should be considered first. Alpha female called Kisho is the leader of the adult females.

More mountain gorilla families can be tracked on Africa safari Tours and specifically on either Congo gorilla safaris tours and even Gorilla safaris in Rwanda, as these three countries are the only ones in the world that have the only remaining mountain gorillas in the wild.