When gorilla tourism was introduced in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest ten years ago, there were many sad faces among the communities neighboring the newly created national park. They had just said goodbye to lots of free honey, wood, and even gold, which they used to dig manually. But the sadness lasted for a very short
Gorilla Permits Increase to 32
The number of permits available for visitors trekking in Bwindi had been increased to 32 after the a split of the Habinyanja group in 2002 allowing for the tracking of what is now ‘Habinyanja ‘ and ‘Rushegura’ groups and the introduction of the Nkuringo group in September 2004. Below is a breakdown of the composition
An Outbreak of Mange Hits the Bwindi Gorillas
In July 2000, the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP) received an urgent call that 3 juveniles of the Nkuringo group on the edge of the Bwindi National Park were losing hair and one was lethargic and not eating. The problem sounded like it was probably the skin parasite Sarcoptes, commonly called mange or scabies. There
Scabies in Bwindi
At the end of July, the Ugandan park authorities asked the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Center to examine the gorillas in the Nkuringo group that is currently being habituated. The animals had lost hair and scratched themselves more than usual. Three young animals had an abnormal skin condition. One gorilla was anaesthetized, as it had lost
Tourist Killings in Buhoma
About 100 armed men entered Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo on March 1st to raid 3 tourist camps in Buhoma, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Buildings were looted and set on fire, vehicles were burnt, and 17 people were kidnapped and taken into the forest. It seems likely that the attackers had been told
New Gorilla Census in Bwindi
A team of scientists has found that nearly 300 gorillas are still living in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. A similar number (290-310) had also been found during the period of 1987 to 1993 when all groups were identified and monitored by Thomas Butynski and his team. The new census, conducted in October and November
Case Report on Scabies Infection in Bwindi Gorillas
Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) have been working together to treat a skin disease in one of the gorilla groups in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This case has involved both veterinarians and park managers in the attempt to decipher the cause of the problem and to treat it, while
Mountain Gorillas Killed in Bwindi
In mid-March 1995, poachers killed four mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, near Ruhija, with spears. The gorillas killed were an adult female, a blackback male and two juveniles. The first carcass was found on 19 March, the others later. Some of them were partially mauled by dogs that probably had accompanied the