The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has announced the increase in the number of mountain gorilla families for tracking from 15 to 17 following the successful habituation of the Katwe group in Buhoma and the Christmas group in Nkuringo.
For enthusiasts looking for more time with gorillas, it’s still possible to embark on a habituation trek with the Rushaga group in southern Bwindi National Park. Habituation experiences allow trekkers to travel with researchers and spend four hours with gorillas versus the standard one hour experience.
In other good news, the UWA announced that the mountain gorilla population has surpassed 1000. Results of the Virunga Mountain Gorilla census puts that population at 604 individuals, up from 480 in 2010. According to a 2011 census in Bwindi, numbers there were over 400. A new census is underway in Bwindi so numbers may be even higher.