The Nyakagezi Gorilla Family: Complete Guide

The Only Gorilla Family in Mgahinga

The Nyakagezi Gorilla Family holds a distinction unlike any other mountain gorilla group in Uganda: they are the only habituated family in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. While Bwindi Impenetrable National Park offers multiple families across four sectors, Mgahinga — Uganda’s smallest national park at 33.9 square kilometres — has one gorilla group, and that group is Nyakagezi. Every gorilla permit issued for Mgahinga is a Nyakagezi permit. Every trekker who sees mountain gorillas against the backdrop of the Virunga volcanoes is seeing this one extraordinary family.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park sits at the base of three of the eight Virunga volcanoes — Mount Muhabura (4,127m), Mount Gahinga (3,474m), and Mount Sabyinyo (3,669m) — and forms part of the greater Virunga Conservation Area that spans Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The park is contiguous with Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and the DRC’s Virunga National Park, and the Nyakagezi family moves freely across these international borders — a behaviour that has shaped their story in ways no other gorilla family’s story has been shaped.

The Family That Left Uganda — and Came Back

Between 2013 and 2016, the Nyakagezi family departed Uganda entirely. Following movements driven by food availability, social dynamics, and the transboundary nature of their home range, the family relocated to Rwanda for an extended period, which temporarily suspended gorilla trekking in Mgahinga. Their absence was a reminder of the most fundamental truth about mountain gorilla conservation: these animals do not live within national boundaries, and protecting them requires cooperation between nations that share the Virunga Massif.

When the Nyakagezi family returned to Uganda in 2016, it was celebrated as a conservation success and a welcome piece of news for the Mgahinga tourism sector that had been without gorilla trekking for three years. Since their return, the family has remained within Uganda’s portion of the Virunga conservation area, and trekking has been consistently available. Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers monitor the family’s movements daily and are in contact with their Rwandan and DRC counterparts to track cross-border movement patterns.

Three Silverbacks: Mark, Mafia, and Ndungutse

The Nyakagezi family is led by dominant silverback Mark, with sub-silverbacks Mafia and Ndungutse also present in the group. This three-male structure gives the family a social complexity that makes encounters particularly rich for behavioural observation. Mark’s dominance is established, but the interactions between the three silverbacks — spatial positioning, access to females, the careful social protocols that prevent open conflict — are visible throughout the encounter. With approximately 9 individuals in total, the family is small enough that all members can be observed and individually recognised during the permitted hour.

The presence of three silverbacks in a 9-member family is a significant detail. It means the family is male-heavy relative to most gorilla groups and that the social dynamics between the adult males are unusually prominent. Researchers who have studied the Nyakagezi family’s social structure find it a compelling case study in how multi-male gorilla groups manage competition — and guides who accompany trekkers to this family are expert at interpreting what trekkers are seeing in terms of those dynamics.

The Most Scenic Gorilla Trek in Uganda

Trekking the Nyakagezi family in Mgahinga is the most visually spectacular gorilla experience in Uganda. The approach from the Mgahinga park entrance takes trekkers through the park’s montane forest with the three Virunga volcanoes visible above the canopy on clear days — a backdrop that no Bwindi trek can match in pure landscape drama. The forest itself is beautiful: dense, diverse, and filled with bamboo stands that the Nyakagezi family frequently forages in for shoots, particularly during the bamboo growing seasons.

When the family is found — and the rangers who monitor them daily almost always locate them efficiently — the encounter adds an extraordinary dimension to the standard gorilla trekking experience: three silverbacks, a small family group, and the silent presence of three of Africa’s most dramatic volcanoes above the treeline. On clear mornings, trekkers can look up from the gorillas to see the snow-capped peak of Muhabura framed by forest canopy. No other gorilla family in Uganda offers this combination.

Combining Mgahinga with Bwindi

Many travellers combine a Nyakagezi trek in Mgahinga with a gorilla trek in Bwindi’s Rushaga sector, which is approximately 30 kilometres away by road. This combination — two different gorilla families in two different parks, one with the volcano backdrop and one in the deep forest of Bwindi — represents one of the most complete gorilla trekking experiences available anywhere in Africa. Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga is also available and provides an excellent complementary half-day activity for travellers based in the Kisoro area.

Best Time to Trek

Mgahinga treks run year-round. June–August and December–February dry seasons offer the best weather and clearest volcano views. The bamboo zones within the park are most actively foraged by the Nyakagezi family during the wet seasons when new shoots are available, which can bring the gorillas into more accessible forest zones. The altitude (park entrance at 2,227m, trekking areas higher) means cool temperatures throughout the year — warm layers essential at dawn.

Practical Information

Nyakagezi permits are $800 USD per person (2025/2026) — the same price as Bwindi permits. With only one family in Mgahinga, daily permit availability is very limited (maximum 8 visitors per day). Book as far in advance as possible, particularly for peak season months. Moderate difficulty; altitude is the main additional challenge beyond standard gorilla trek fitness requirements. Kisoro town, 14 kilometres from the park entrance, has good accommodation options at various price points and is the standard base for Mgahinga trekkers.