Mishaya Gorilla Family : Gorilla trekking is the most adventurous activity that attracts many tourists in Uganda and is among the top foreign exchange earners of the tourism industry in the country. Tourists planning to have a Uganda Safari to go trek gorillas can only do so in two specific National Parks that are famous for gorilla trekking and these include; Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Mishaya Gorilla Group happens to be found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which is located in southwestern part of Uganda in Kanungu district. This park is one of the smallest national parks in the country, which covers a total surface area of 321 square kilometers and as listed among the World Heritage sites by UNESCO in 1994.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was established as a national park in 1991 and is known to be a home of over 220 butterfly species, 120 mammal species, 348 bird species, and 400 Habituated mountain gorillas. A population census was conducted in the year of 2018, and it was revealed that there are 1004 mountain gorillas in the world, though out of this number, it was recorded that half of the population of these mountain gorillas, 400 mountain gorillas live in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park alone. This population census was conducted in Virunga conservation area.
In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, there are 18 habituated gorilla groups and only 15 gorilla groups are always available for tourists to track while others are strictly meant for research purposes. The process of Gorilla Habituation takes 2 to 3 years for mountain gorillas to completely get used to humans. This process’s main importance it is to help gorillas lose their natural fear of human beings and develop trustful relationships with people even when these individuals tend to observe the gorillas from a distance.
During the Habituation process, the park staff together with a team of researchers attend to monitor and learn more about the composition of the group, the behaviours, the size, body scars, and other unique features on each particular gorilla. The process of habituation is tiring and hectic for the parties who are always part of it since it involves monitoring and tracking these gorillas on a daily basis.
Mishaya Gorilla Family/ group.
Therefore, the Mishaya Gorilla family is one of the 18 habituated gorilla groups located in Rushaga sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The group was formed in 2011 after following a split from the Nshongi gorilla family. Mishaya gorilla family was formed by a silver back named Mishaya after he challenged the dominate silverback of Nshogi group. The group started with 12 members who were from Nshongi group however the number of the members in the group kept fluctuating to several circumstances such as the new births, break a ways and death pf some members and many other reasons.
Mishaya the group leader of this group was a good man to many and he was well known for being aggressive and protect full especially when it came to defending his family members from external threats from the habituated and unhabituated gorilla groups. Unfortunately on the sad note, the park rangers and a group of trekkers found Mishaya in the park dead on 3rd February 2014, he died at an age of 28 years but till today, the cause of his death is unknown yet he also had no reported any signs of illness or injuries.
Currently, Mishaya Gorilla Group is led by a dominate leader named Mwine. The group has four infants and the members in the group include; Bukunzi, Mwiza, Rutaro, and Mize.
Tourists trekking the Mishaya group are supposed to be present in the place by 7am in the being that gorilla trekking activities in Bwindi National park begin at 8am. Therefore, visitors should be there in time for briefing and registration, which takes place at the visitors centre in Buhoma. After that session, visitors will be placed in different trekking groups and these groups strictly do not exceed number of eight members each group.
Gorilla trekking activity of Mishaya group in Bwindi National Park usually takes 4 to 8 hours including the one special hour that is always given to the tourists to interact with the gorillas after they have been allocated. However, during that period of one hour, they are always advised to be careful and keep a distance of 7 meters between them and the gorillas to avoid any harm.
Cost of a gorilla trekking permit in Mishaya Gorilla Family.
Tourists planning to go for gorilla trekking in Rushaga sector to trek the Mishaya Gorilla group in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are encouraged to acquire a gorilla trekking permit of at least 6 months in advance to avoid inconveniences that may occur due to acquire the permits late. In addition, these gorilla trekking permits cost 700 USD per person.
Best Time to trek Mishaya Gorilla Group in Bwindi Impenetrable National park.
The best time to go trek the Mishaya gorilla group in Bwindi Impenetrable National park is in the dry season between the months of June to August and December to mid- February. This is the period only in a year when there are fewer rains, which help the tourists to explore during their safari, and it becomes very easy foe the trekkers to track gorillas and hike through the forest when the head trails are not muddy and slippery at this time of the year.
Accommodation facilities in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Tourists trekking Mishaya gorilla group will be able to find affordable, comfortable accommodation facilities in Bwindi Impenetrable National park which range from; Budget, Mid-range and Luxury. These lodging facilities include; Rushaga gorilla camp, Gorilla safari lodge, Clouds Mountain lodge, Chameleon Hill lodge, Bwindi jungle lodge, Bwindi gorilla lodge and Mutanda Lake resort.
How to get to Mishaya Gorila group in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Tourists planning a tour to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can access the park by using both road and air transport.
Road Transport.
Tourists using Road transport to Bwindi National Park can take a drive from Kampala the capital city of Uganda to Buhoma via Kabale- Masaka Highway, which is about 8-9hour’s drive covering a distance of 472 square kilometers to reach the park. However, travelers can access the park by travelling from Queen Elizabeth National Park for about 2-3 hours, which covers a distance of 133 square kilometers.
Air Transport.
Alternatively, Travelers heading to Bwindi National Park can decide to take a flight from Entebbe International Airport to Kihihi Airfield and then take a drive the parks headquarters in Buhoma, which takes only one hour.
In Conclusion, tourists trekking mountain gorillas in Mishaya group in Bwindi national park can also participate in other activities like; The Batwa Trail Experience, Birding, Nature walks, Game drives, Boat cruise in queen Elizabeth National park and community visits. A tour to Bwindi National park gives fascinating and remarkable memories to the visitors. Therefore Book now your gorilla trekking tour to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and get a chance to glance at the Mishaya Gorilla Family/ group.
