Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Increase in numbers

Bwindi National Park in Uganda now has 400 mountain gorillas in its impenetrable forest. This report is according to the mountain gorilla census which was carried out in September to October 2011 in Bwindi. The latest gorilla census found that there was an increment by 60 gorillas to 340 counted in the last one in 2006 and because of this, tourists could now find it easier to track the gorillas in Bwindi. The report was confirmed and announced yesterday by the ministry of Tourism and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). With the increase in gorilla numbers, Uganda has been ranked the highest in the world as far as gorilla safaris and population is concerned. 

This gorilla population census was carried out by Uganda Wildlife Authority officials with the assistance from the international Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP), the Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) in Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda Development Board (RDB) from Rwanda.

Mountain Gorilla in Bwindi National Park

According to the Minister of Tourism Ms Mutagambwa, there were currently 36 gorilla families in the park of Bwindi and 16 solitary males. Of the above families, only 10 are habituated for both tourism and research purposes. As of now, the world population of mountain gorillas stand at 880 in total following the two census that were carried out in Bwindi National Park in 2011 and the Virunga massif in 2010. The Virunga massif census results showed that there were 480 mountain gorillas in the parks of Mgahinga National Park (Uganda) National Park (Rwanda) and Virunga National Park (DRC). 

The gorilla population increase in Bwindi is a testimony to the sound natural resources management policies that are being implemented in the protected areas by the concerned organizations