Gorilla tourism is one of the highest income earners among all the tourist attractions in Uganda. It is carried out in only two national parks that is Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga National Parks thus being referred to as a home of seven habituated gorilla groups. The Rushegura, Habinyibnja, Mubare live in the forest around Buhoma. The Nkuringo, Nshongi and Bitukura groups live in Nkuringo, Rushaga and Ruhija.
One group known as the Nyakagezi lives in Mgahinga and consists of 9 members though they move freely between Uganda and Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda. Eight permits are available daily to track each of these groups. The family unit is headed by one dominant male i.e. which is silver backed and usually consists of several females and their young ones including the young males (with black backs).
Mountain Gorillas are vegetarians and on rare occasions feed on larve, snails, and ants to mention but a few. They normally consume about 25 kilograms of vegetation daily therefore spend most of the day eating and their life span is between 40 – 50 years. Females have their first off- spring between the ages of 10 – 20 years and their reproduction is 28 days of which they are fertile only for 1-3 days. They have a nine month gestation period and usually take 3-5 years before they give birth to another baby.