The Bikyingi habituation gorilla group welcomes a baby gorilla early this September. The Bikyingi group is one is the two newly created gorilla groups in the Rushaga region of the park by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, still undergoing habituation and open to visitors interested in joining the gorilla habituation process, along side Bushaho group in Nkuringo sector of the national park. Gorilla habituation process open to visitors is only be done in Uganda’s Bwindi national park and no where else in other gorilla destination. Bikyingi’s new baby gorilla brought happiness; excitement and joy in the entire community of Bwindi impenetrable national park.
The Bikyingi group comprises of 21 members bringing the number to 22 now with 1 dominant silverback, 9 female gorillas, 2 juveniles and 10 infants. Discovered by one of the park rangers who were monitoring the gorilla groups in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. The Bikyingi gorilla group is found in the southern part of the national park in the Rushaga sector and it is currently going under habituation along side Bushaho group in Nkuringo sector of the national park.
In addition to that, the famous habituation experience is also done in the family. Here travelers spend more time (4 hours) with the gorillas that enable the travelers to gain a phenomenal experience.
The name Bikyingi was derived from the first area where the gorilla family was sited before its habituation process began. The dominant silverback is also called Bikyingi whereas the other members are not yet named since the habituation is still going on. By 2017, the habituation process will be complete and all the Bikyingi group members will have names. The members are presently shy to interact with the travelers since they are not fully habituated.
Bikyingi is the father to the newborn baby but the mother is not known, all the 9 adult females in the family have babies yet with no names, this make their identification difficult.
More still, the difficulty to know the real mother to each infant is because Bikyingi the silver back is very friendly to all babies and is always with them most of the times. All the babies only go their mothers for breast-feeding after which they go back to the dad (Bikyingi). The very young ones like this newly born only stay with the mums.
In conclusion therefore, 900 mountain gorillas in the whole world is still minimal, the born of anew born baby is therefore considered a blessing to the national park and the country as well.
