The Rushaga sector of Bwindi is located in the southern part of the park and boasts the highest number of habituated gorillas among all the sectors.
The Rushaga region is very close to Rwanda, making it an ideal choice for Kigali to Bwindi gorilla trekking tours.
It is only a four-hour drive away from Kigali.
The Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the four sectors in the park where you can trek mountain gorillas.
The other sectors include the Nkuringo sector (Western sector), Buhoma sector (Northern sector), and Ruhija sector (Eastern sector).
To trek gorillas in Rushaga, you need to book Rushaga gorilla permits.
Gorilla groups in Rushaga sector
Some of the most popular gorilla groups in Rushaga sector of Bwindi include:
- Busingye gorilla family. The name “Busingye” is derived from a local word meaning “peace.” This group was named after the dominating silverback, Busingye, who is fond of fighting fellow wild gorillas in order to capture more members for his group. This group is one of the groups you can see during your Rushaga gorilla trekking experience. Busingye gorilla family separated from the Kahungye gorilla family in 2012 to form his own gorilla family. The Kahungye gorilla family had 27 members before the split.
- Nshongi gorilla family. Nshongi gorilla family was the largest-ever habituated group in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with 36 members at the time of habituation in 2006. The group derives its name from a river where it was first sighted. The group was under the leadership of Nshongi at the time of habituation. Mishaya, one of the silverbacks in Nshongi gorilla family, ran away with 10 members to form his own gorilla family, leaving the group with only 25 members.
- Mishaya gorilla family. Mishaya gorilla family is a splinter group from the Nshongi gorilla family. Silverback Mishaya took away ten members from his former family (Nshongi) to form his own. Mishaya was known for fighting other gorilla groups in order to capture females for his own group. He felt stronger as he captured more females. Due to several fights with unhabituated gorilla families, Mishaya died in 2014 at the age of 28 years, but the cause of his death is still not clearly known to date. The leadership of the group was taken over by an alpha silverback called Mwinne.
- Kahungye gorilla family. Kahungye gorilla family now consists of 13 members after Busingye broke off with some individuals to form his own gorilla family. The group previously had 27 members, dominated by Rumansizi. Kahungye gorilla family is now dominated by the silverback “Gwigi,” whose name means “door” in the local language.
Other activities to do in the Rushaga Region of Bwindi
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to about 348 species of birds, and some of them are endemic to this area.
Some of the birds that can be spotted in the park include the western green tinkerbird, Shelley’s greenbul, African green broadbill, red-throated alethe, grey cuckoo shrike, fine-banded woodpecker, bar-tailed trogon, Kivu ground thrush, mountain yellow warbler, African wood owl, and many others.
These birds are distributed among the four sectors.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is not only home to mountain gorillas but also to other wildlife, such as bushbucks, warthogs, bush pigs, forest elephants (rarely seen), giant forest genet, African civet, and 13 primate species, including vervet monkeys, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, and red-tailed monkeys, to name a few.
Where to stay
The Rushaga sector offers various accommodation options for tourists who’d like to spend nights in the misty forest of Bwindi.
Some of the lodges in Rushaga include Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, and Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, among others.
Best time to visit
Bwindi Forest National Park can be visited all year round, but visiting in certain months is recommended.
June to August and December to February are the peak season months.
These are the best months to visit Bwindi because the weather is favorable with minimal chances of rainfall.
Despite planning to visit during the dry season, the weather can sometimes be unpredictable.
Gorillas live in higher-altitude areas, which tend to be cold most of the time.
You should carry warm clothing, raincoats, hiking boots, garden gloves, drinking water, energy snacks, insect repellents, sunscreens, and more.
Porters can also be hired at the park’s headquarters if needed.
Rushaga sector can easily be accessed from Kigali in Rwanda, as it is only approximately 4 hours away.
Traveling from Kampala calls for an 8-9-hour, tiresome but adventurous drive.
