UGANDA’S OLDEST MOUNTAIN GORILLA FAMILY WELCOMES A NEW BABY GORILLA

Mubare gorilla family which is the oldest mountain gorilla family in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park welcomes a new baby Gorilla, the baby comes to life on 16^th October 2019, the birth of the new baby Gorilla in Uganda’s oldest mountain Gorilla family was confirmed by Mr. Peter Mbwebwe who is the Uganda Wildlife Authority Warden in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. Mr. Mbwebwe adds that “the newly born baby Gorilla is in its proper shape and it has been delivered by Mother Businza”.

Mubare gorilla family was the first habituated mountain gorilla family located in Buhoma and was opened for tourism in 1993, the family group derives its name from the Mubare Hill which is deep located in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, in this place it is believed that the gorilla family was first sighted by mountain gorilla trekkers, the group consists of 19 individuals led by Ruhondeza which is the dominant Silverback.

Today there is over 1000 mountain gorillas in the world that currently live in the tropical rain forests of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the Republic of Uganda hosting half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas as it is pending from Bwindi gorilla Census.

However the increasing number of new born mountain gorillas in Uganda brings great hope for the future compared to 30 years ago in extinction, therefore the hope can be achieved through continues efforts of the conservation organizations among 3 countries and also stepping up each one’s efforts of not only preserving the endangered mountain gorillas but also wildlife species, bird species, fauna and flora species among others around the world.

Today Uganda gorilla safaris yield high revenues to the government through the Uganda Wildlife Authority which is the current mandated organization to operate and manage the top tourist destinations in Uganda (10 national parks and 12 wildlife reserves). Even though the Uganda wildlife Authority raised the price for gorilla trekking permits for both Foreign and non-residents citizens from $600 to $700 making an increase of $100, the country still gives affordable gorilla trekking safaris compared to her neighbors who doubled the fee in 2017 from $750 – $1500 per person trekking the mountain gorillas which gets it $800 more expensive to Uganda gorilla safaris.

Mr. Sam Mwandha, who is the current Uganda Wildlife Authority Executive Director, added during the stakeholders meeting last month that; the sum of money collected from selling gorilla trekking permits has been used to conserve different species of animals including the endangered mountain gorillas and also supporting the local communities staying and doing Agriculture around the Mgahinga national park and Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

Mr. Mwandha illustrates furthermore in funding Educational institutions, Health facilities, road constructions, including other community projects which have done great in changing people’s way of living around the two destinations and also lifting the economic and social activities around the country thus high levels of development of the country, strategically being known, politically modernized, commercially and internationally accepted.