Kimura Keiko, who is 82 years old, and Kurihara Shiyu, who is 11 years old, have officially become the oldest and youngest people to see gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park on a trip with Magical Gorilla Adventures. They are standing on the far left in the photo. Even though it rained early in the morning, they still managed to go into the forest and meet the Bweza Gorilla Family.
The Bweza group lives in the Rushaga area of the park. It is now led by a male gorilla called Rurehuka, who took over from another male named Kakono. Kakono is 37 years old and had started to grow weaker with age. This gave Rurehuka, who is 25 years old, the chance to become the new leader.
The Bweza group was first part of another group called Shongi. In early 2013, they separated and formed their own group under the leadership of Kakono. This group often looks for food in the nearby community land close to the park.
According to the latest update, the Bweza group has 14 gorillas. These include:
- 3 Silverbacks
- 1 Blackback
- 4 Adult females
- 1 Sub-adult female
- 1 Sub-adult male
- 1 Juvenile
- 3 Infants
About Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is found in southwestern Uganda, about 540 km from Kampala, near the edge of the Rift Valley. It is home to over 120 types of mammals and more than 300 types of birds. The park is best known for having half of the world’s mountain gorillas, which makes it a popular place for gorilla trekking. Tourists visit the park all year round, and it is one of the top places for tourism.
To help Keiko and Shiyu achieve their dream of seeing gorillas, we asked that she be placed in the group nearest to her, with a walking route that was not too hard, in the Rushaga Sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This made it easier for them to reach the gorillas and return safely.
Would you like to go gorilla trekking with children? You will need to write a letter to the Executive Director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority to ask for permission. Magical Gorilla Adventures will also write a letter to support your request. If it is approved, you will need to sign a waiver form to take full responsibility for anything that might happen if the children do not follow the gorilla trekking rules and guidelines. Once that is done, you will be allowed to go.
