Location: Buhoma
Family Size: 12 Members
Silverback: Ruhondeza
Blackback: Kanyonyi, Muyambi
Adult Female: Kashundwe, Malaika
Infant: Kashundwe Baby
This family was the first of the Uganda mountain gorillas to be habituated in 1993. It was first sighted by trackers around the Mubare hills that are to be found deep in Bwindi Impenetrable forest.
The dominant silverback who first led the group has always been Ruhondeza and back then he ruled a family with over 18 gorillas. Over the years his family has shrunk in number (as Ruhondeza has shrunk in size). This is because the now aging monarch had not groomed a successor. He was the jealous type it seems. and the UWA trackers long suspected that he killed off any up coming blackbacks who may be tempted to usurp his position.
The year 2009 was a particularly hard year for this family with a loss of three of its members. Early in the year one of the adult females died of a fracture to the skull. She left behind a wee infant of six months, whom the group tried to care for. The baby was found dead on Ruhondeza’s bed by trackers one morning. As the little mite had not been weaned and couldn’t eat
Currently, the group is proud of 12 individuals and it was once led by Ruhondeza who later passed on in 2013 when it became very old and wasn’t in position to protect itself and the rest of the group members something which later weakened the group. At the time of Ruhondeza passed on, this troop comprised of four individuals and later when the new leader took over, more new members were captured into the group increasing it to 9 individuals.
In a few years the group grew to 18 individuals. Unfortunately, due to fights with wild gorilla groups and loss of members, Mubare lessened to a family of 5 individuals.
Visit This Family
The Mubare gorilla family is loved since it features as the oldest habituated gorilla family in Uganda. The pioneers of gorilla habituation discovered the group in the Mubare hills, deep in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. It was found in the Mubare hills, deep in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and was fully habituated in 1993. The group started with 12 family members, led by the dominant silverback Ruhondeza.
The first family to be habituated in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park thrives within Buhoma area and it roams around Mubare Hill. This troop was habituated in 1993 and it was the first to be visited by the first travelers.
It was fully habituated in 1998. At that time, it composed of 9 individuals plus one silverback. It began with 12 members, led by a dominant silverback gorilla; Ruhondeza. In a few years the family increases up to 18 members.
But unfortunately, as a result of fights with other groups in wild, most its members were taken including the one Ruhondeza who used to take care of everyone else in the party. About 5 individuals remained for many years till March 2013 that four other individuals including the new dominant silverback joined the group to increase its number to 9 individuals. The group is now settled and has increased to 12 individuals as of 2020. Today it still remains of one of the fascinating groups to visit while on a gorilla safari in Bwindi.