History of Mgahinga National Park

Mountain gorilla conservation on the Virungas dates back to 1925 when the Belgians gazetted the portion of the range in present-day Congo and Rwanda as a national park. The British administration declared the Ugandan section as a game sanctuary in 1930. Mgahinga was upgraded to national park status in 1991.

What Does Mgahinga Mean?

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park derives its name from Mount Gahinga which is one of the three mountain peaks in the park. “Gahinga” is a local word that means piles of volcanic stones cleared from farmland at the foot of the volcanoes.