Bikingi Gorilla Group
Bikingi Gorilla Group one of the existing gorilla groups ready for trekking. In the Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. It got its name Bikingi from an area within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park where the gorillas were first seen.
The family provides an exceptional experience in the impenetrable forest. Due to the fact that it is made up of calm and collected gorillas. The habituation process of the Bikingi group begun in 2012. In the aftermath of the evacuation of some of the dissatisfied members in the Mishaya group. These then went ahead to form the exhilarating Bikingi family. Later availed for tourism activities by the team of researchers and conservationists in the region through thorough habituation.
The Bikingi family had some isolated individuals in the Rushaga Sector who slowed its habituation process. It became habituated and began to receive trekkers later on. This group came from Mishaya in 2012 with a few members to start the group and they eventually grew to over 15 members, led by a dominant silverback named Bikingi. Other members of the Bikingi group include; 1 silverback, 5 adult females, 2 sub-adults, 2 juveniles and 5 infants. Visitors to this group usually enjoy beautiful moments with the infants that showcase adorable playful characters.
However, the composition of the group is keeps changing due to certain inevitable factors. Like, death of some members, family members moving to other groups, birth of new baby gorillas among other factors.
The family’s name “Bikingi” passed on to the first silverback of the group which the whole family later undertook. Information from Bwindi conservation team shows that after the demise of the first silverback known as Bikingi, succeeded by another silverback also named Bikingi. The name hereditary in the Bikingi family passed on to so far 2 generations.
Most of the group members joined other established groups in the forest after the death of Silverback Bikingi, he died following a fight in the forest which led to the split of the group hence the highest number became part of the Kahungye group.
Trekking the Gorillas starts early in the morning with a briefing conducted by the UWA Rangers. Who equip the tourists with guidelines on the dos and don’ts while on the gorilla tracking activities. After the briefing, visitors are assigned a ranger guide who will then take them through the forest as they embark on the gorilla tracking activity.
The duration of the activity between 2 to 6 hours depending on the location of the family assigned. Sometimes the gorillas go deep into the forest which makes tracking them to possibly go on for hours. The trekking experience takes you through forests, valleys, thick bushes and hiking through highlands. All these activities add up to the overall memorable moments in the forest as the tourists have the opportunity to encounter some other exciting flora and fauna during their trekking experience.