Mpungwe is still there, with his family. On 4 and 5 November 2026, trackers from Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) located the silverback and his family near Mount Bugulumiza, in the Tshivanga sector. This is the first gorilla family located by the trackers since monitoring activities in the Park were suspended in February 2025 due to the security situation in South Kivu.
After nearly two years without being able to follow their tracks, the trackers used signs left in the forest to locate the family: nests, fresh droppings and, finally, the gorillas themselves. They counted 14 individuals, including two juveniles. When the trackers approached, the gorillas remained calm and continued their activities in the forest.
During the last census before February 2025, the Mpungwe family comprised 16 individuals, compared to the 14 recorded during this tracking exercise. According to the Park Management, this new information will help update data on the structural composition of gorilla families and monitor their evolution.
As they moved through the forest, the trackers also recorded signs of human pressure on gorilla habitat. They discovered structures set up by poachers for illegal logging and timber sawing.
This sighting is part of the gradual and adaptive resumption of KBNP activities. Park teams will progressively resume their work of monitoring gorillas and protecting wildlife and forest habitats.
-1.jpeg)