Following an intensive two-week period of training and preparation, experts embark on the second sweep of the sixth Bwindi-Sarambwe Mountain Gorilla Census in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), along with partners; the International Gorilla Conservation Programme, the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (GVTC), the Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (Gorilla Doctors), the Max Planck Institute (MPI) Conservation Through Public Health, and the Bwindi Mgahinga Conservation Trust, officially started the second gorilla census on October 6^th, flagged off by Nelson Guma, Chief Warden of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Reflecting on the first phase of the census, which took place from April to July 2025, Guma expressed confidence in the team’s dedication. He stated, “We completed the first sweep, and this second one should be even more successful because the experience gained from the first helped you overcome challenges.” He stressed that the census is more than just a population estimate; it is a globally important initiative because these gorillas embody the exceptional universal values for which Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was designated a World Heritage Site.

Guma emphasized the census’s significance at both regional and international levels, explaining that regionally, Bwindi-Mgahinga being of the Greater Virunga Landscape, the natural habitat of mountain gorillas, and under the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration, Protected Area Authorities (PAAs), they work together to manage the endangered mountain gorillas. Therefore, it is their responsibility to sustainably manage wildlife in this region and remain accountable to the public.

He also noted that the census aligns with UWA’s strategic priorities in ecological monitoring and research and serves as a key performance indicator for the organization.

Jean Paul Hirwa, Deputy Director at the International Gorilla Conservation Programme, explained that the second sweep of the census is crucial because it increases the chances of detecting more gorillas. The census involves counting gorilla nests both on the ground and in the trees, as well as collecting fecal samples to genetically identify individual gorillas.

Nelson Enyagu, UWA’s Ecological Monitoring and Research Officer in the Bwindi Mgahinga Conservation Area, stated that the timing of the census is appropriate because Bwindi has recently recorded many gorilla births, suggesting that the population is expected to grow if no deaths occur.

The census is conducted every five years, and this second phase will continue until the first week of December 2025.