Gorilla Malaika, Mubare group in Bwindi Forest

The name Malaika means an angel in Swahili language. Malaika Gorilla was named by an American tourist on her visit to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national Park in 2002. Malaika gorilla belongs to Mubare gorilla which is sighted in Buhoma gorilla trekking section.

Malaika gorilla is 12 year old and is one of the most entertaining mountain Gorilla in Mubare group and she managed to skip some skipped a few classes and is considered an adult due to the fact that, at seven years of age, it was sexually active and by then the group had very few adult female gorillas- so malaika was ranked an adult female.

Kashundwe is the mother and Ruhondeza gorilla is the father of Malaika who has full control of the group and doesn’t allow other males in the group to have breeding rights and privileges.

Malaika has no distinguishing physical characteristics.

She is as playful as a kitten and while papa Ruhondeza languidly whiles the afternoons away, she and brothers Muyambi and Kanyonyi play catch, wrestling and chase each other around the dense jungle foliage. Just like her brothers, she too is curious and inquisitive towards visitors. In other word, malaika gorilla and her brothers gives amazing sights to the visitors.

Despite her hanging out with the boys, it could be that her motherly instincts are coming to the fore. Before the death of Kashundwe’s baby, she would be seen helping in the motherless orphan’s up-keep and care in a most loving way and was also helpful with Kashundwe’s infant.

Bwindi impenetrable forest is surely an asset to the country as not only hosting mountain Gorillas, but even other attractions like birds, forest elephants, forest buffaloes, other primates along side wonderful tree species.