Kyaguliro Gorilla Group
The Kyaguliro Gorilla Group located in the Ruhija sector of the park. This group set aside for research purposes to help in the conservation. Of these critically endangered mountain gorillas in Uganda. It provided to the apprehension of the ecology and social behavior of Mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Due to the focus of the research on the group by the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology from 1998. The Kyaguliro Group promoted the predicament of the critically endangered mountain gorillas around the globe. Filmed for a number of documentary films including those by the BBC.
By closely keeping contact with this group, a lot has been learnt about the mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Believed that the gorillas in the impenetrable forest are similar to those of the Virungas with a few differences. For instance, it seems that the blackbacks in the Virungas mature into silverbacks much earlier than the ones in Bwindi.
During habituation and shortly thereafter, the Kyaguliro family under the leadership of an aging silverback, “Zeus” named after the Greek god. This was because he was ‘lord and master’ over all the gorillas in his family. However, his reign cut short when his rival Rukina took over power. Leading to his banishment into the forest where he died in exile.
Rukina meaning “playful” in Rukiga was born in around 1984. And became popular in the 1990s as a young brilliant Silverback. He took over power from silverback Zeus in August 2004 after 3 years’ struggle. Making him the leader of the family until 2015 during the Easter season when he died. Through the genetic analysis of his fecal samples, it was discovered that Rukina fathered his first off springs in 2002. When he was still an underling male and in total, he is believed to have fathered 10 offsprings during his 11 year tenure as the governing silverback.
During Rukina’s time as a leader, he tried to expand the family through luring 4 adult females into the family from other neighboring gorilla families. Corroborating to his ability as a good leader. Rukina also considered a very open-minded character who spent much of his time with the adult females in addition to his numerous offsprings. At the time he died, the family was at its peak size comprising of 21 members including 8 Adult females.
The group is currently led by Silverback “Rukara” but from the time of Rukina’s death. There has been instability in the family up to date and there are speculations that the group is soon splitting.
Much as the Kyaguliro gorilla group reserved for research purposes, it is full of drama. This makes it one of the most interesting groups to trek of all the groups in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. The group found within the Ruhija sector in the Eastern part of the Park . Only tracked when the demand for gorilla permits goes high. The other 2 habituated gorilla groups within the Ruhija sector include; Bitukura and Oruzogo gorillas groups.
It is an interesting adventure to go on a Uganda Gorilla Safari specifically to visit this group.