Bukima Sector of Congo

When visiting Virunga National Park, the Bukima sector is where most people go to see the gorillas. Situated in the southern portion of Virunga National Park, close to Goma, the Bukima region is an ideal location for the park’s headquarters. As a result of its abundance of mountain gorilla families—more than five have been found in the Bukima region alone—Virunga National Park’s most visited area. 

Below is the habituated Mountain gorilla families that located in Bukima sector

Kabirizi Gorilla Family

There are nineteen members of the Kabirizi gorilla family, which is found in Virunga National Park’s Bukima section. In the beginning, there was Zunguruka, who passed away from old age; his elder son Ndungutse took over after him; both men were assassinated in the 1996 conflict between Rwanda and Uganda, when the latter invaded the former to remove any surviving genocide offenders. There was a leadership void in the family after the war, which led to the rise of Buhanga Silverback, who died. His sister took over, but Munyaga Silverback, who was inherently weak, was attacked severely and never ruled for long. Eventually, Kabirizi won and continued the family line. 

Humba Gorilla Family

In the Bukima sector, which is located in the park’s southern region, you can find the Humba Gorilla Family. After a breakup with the Rugendo family—who had around six members—in 1998, this family was founded. A total of twelve members make up the family: two silverbacks, three adult females, one subadult male, one juvenile, and five infants. This growth has been steady and fruitful. 

Munyaga Gorilla family

The Bukima area of Virunga National Park is home to the Munyaga gorilla family. Munyaga, a lone silverback, became a leader in the Buhanga family before vanishing after the death of his female relatives. Mawazo is currently the head of the nine-member Munyaga Gorilla family. 

Nyakamwe Gorilla Family

Since its 2014 formation following the breakdown of its previous family, Humba, which consisted of ten members, the Nyakamwe Gorilla Family has emerged as the most recent addition to Virunga National Park. Located in the Bukima area in the park’s southern region, the Nyakamwe Gorilla Family is comprised of twelve individuals. 

Bageni Gorilla Family

This is the second gorilla family to be formed in Virunga National Park in the past seven years; the first is the Bageni family. His family is currently residing in the Bukima sector of Virunga National Park, but he has also relocated to the Gatovu sector. After bickering with the Kabirizi Gorilla Family, Bageni silverback started a family of twenty in January 2013. The family now has twenty-six members. 

Best time to do gorilla tracking in the Bukima sector of Virunga National Park

The best time to do gorilla tracking in the Bukima sector in Congo is all year round from January to December. However, the best time for gorilla tracking in Bukima the region is done in the dry season of June, July, August, and mid-September, December to February. During this season, there is less rainfall and the trails tend to be less slippery making the gorilla trekking easier for all trackers.