Kampala — Gorilla tracking in Mgahinga National Park has been suspended after the habituated mountain gorillas there returned to the Rwanda side of the park.

Habituation is a delicate process through which primates get used to human presence without losing their wild character.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority's (UWA) acting chief, Moses Mapesa, said yesterday 10 Nyakagezi gorillas had crossed from the Ugandan side to the DR Congo forests before proceeding to the Rwandan side. The group had returned to Uganda only a month earlier, he said.

Mapesa said wildlife agencies in the three countries had formed a task force to harmonise gorilla tourism. Gorillas crossing the borders was natural, he said, because wild animals did not have borders. But, he said, their migration has economic implications to gorilla tourism for the countries. "We have agreed that the 'hosting' country will not do anything to delay the gorillas' return to the country of 'origin' if they cross the border," Mapesa said.

Mapesa said the migrating gorillas were discussed after the naming ceremony for over 30 baby gorillas. But the babies in the Nyakagezi group were not part of the ones that were named and Rwanda was monitoring the situation, he said. "We know for sure that no one is stopping them (Nyakagezi gorillas) from coming back and we know that they are not being tracked," he said.