Rwanda: A Comprehensive Guide to Gorillas.
Rwanda is a country known for its breathtaking landscapes, vibrant culture, and remarkable wildlife. One of the most iconic and sought-after wildlife experiences in Rwanda is the chance to encounter the magnificent mountain gorillas. In this article, we will delve into the world of these gentle giants, exploring their habitat in Rwanda, how to access them, their intricate social structure, and fascinating details about the different gorilla families residing in the Volcanoes National Park.
Rwanda, often referred to as the “Land of a Thousand Hills,” is a country in East Africa renowned for its lush greenery and stunning landscapes. It is within this picturesque nation that you can find the critically endangered mountain gorillas. These majestic creatures are primarily located in the Volcanoes National Park, a protected area in the northwestern part of Rwanda.
Accessing the Gorillas
Accessing the mountain gorillas in Rwanda is a thrilling adventure, but it’s important to plan your visit responsibly and ethically. Permits are required to track gorillas, and they must be obtained through the Rwanda Development Board or authorized tour operators. These permits go for 1500USD and help manage tourism and protect the gorillas from overexposure to humans.
Visitors will be accompanied by experienced guides and trackers to ensure a safe and educational experience. The trek to find the gorillas can be physically demanding, as it often involves hiking through dense forest terrain, but the reward is well worth the effort.
Social Structure of Mountain Gorillas
Mountain gorillas are known for their intricate social structures and strong family bonds. They live in close-knit groups, called troops or families, and each family is led by a dominant silverback, who is typically the largest and oldest male in the group.
Within these families, you’ll find several adult females, their offspring, and occasionally subordinate males. The females form strong relationships with the silverback, who protects and leads the group. Observing these social dynamics is one of the highlights of gorilla trekking.
Meet the Gorilla Families of Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park is home to several gorilla families, each with its own unique story, personalities, and family members. Let’s delve into the details of some of these remarkable families:
Susa Group: 
This group was made famous by Dian Fossey, who conducted extensive research on them. Their original group was one of the largest ever observed, with as many as 42 members. Over the years, the group has split into two groups: Susa A and Susa B. Susa A is known for its large size and beautiful location, residing in the slopes of Mount Karisimbi. This group is one of the luckiest few families that are blessed with twins Impano and Byishimo
Susa family is indeed historical and one of the popular groups in as far as conversation studies of mountain gorillas is concerned. The group derives its name after river Susa which runs through the area where the gorilla family normally calls homes.
This is the highest group to trek in volcanoes national park due to the fact that it is normally found in high altitudes. There are days when this family climbs so high and it gets becomes extremely physically challenging to track
Kwitonda Group: Named after the dominant silverback, Kwitonda, this family has an intriguing story. Kwitonda was a lone silverback who ventured into Rwanda from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He formed his own family with females from other groups. Today, the Kwitonda Group is known for its gentleness and peaceful nature just as their silverback. The group tallies a huge number of 23 including 4 silverbacks. It inhabits the slopes of mount Muhabura. Kwitonda died at the age of 40 in September 2012 due to old age.
Before his death, he had allowed other gorillas to mate with the females of the group. It’s believed that he also knew he wasn’t strong enough to lead the group yet the group needed to grow. By allowing this, he strengthened the family bond. He was of a noble character indeed.
Hirwa Group: Hirwa, meaning “lucky one” in Kinyarwanda, is a relatively new family 0f 16 members formed in 2006. It’s a unique mix of gorillas from various groups, brought together by a twist of fate. Despite their diverse backgrounds, the Hirwa Group has thrived and is known for its harmonious interactions.
If we talk about preference, this group turns out to be among the most liked by trekkers and one of the most trekked groups as well, hence be rest assured that you will fall in love with it too. Its luck sometimes manifests itself when you take a short time locating them.
Amahoro Group:
Amahoro, which means “peaceful,” lives up to its name with its tranquil nature. Led by silverback Ubumwe, this family group resides in the slopes of Mount Bisoke. Observing Amahoro’s interactions can be a serene and heartwarming experience. Amahoro gorilla family has 17 individuals including Ubumwe the head silverback, two black backs, five juvenile gorillas, five adult females and four young gorillas. The numbers keep on changing depending on migrations, births and deaths.
This gorilla family is difficult to track as the hike is long, although the experience is rewarding for those that have tracked it as due to their togetherness and peacefulness they are best to observe. This is also one of the safest mountain gorilla families to track as these primates hardly get emotional. If you are humble in character this is the best family to connect with.
Umubano Group: Umubano, translated as “neighborliness,” is known for its close ties to the Amahoro Group. This family was formed when silverback Charles, once a member of Amahoro, decided to start his own family. While there have been occasional conflicts between the two groups, they often spend time in proximity to one another.
The mountain gorilla family has 13 members with one silverback, a sub adult, six infants, three adults and you have a chance to meet them while on a safari in Rwanda.
Agashya family: Agasya means “the news”, the family has twenty five members and 0ne silverback. Thai group was formerly known as a group of 13 but recently changed its name. This group got its name due to the initial number of 13 individuals that started the group. The group was initially led by a dominant silverback called nyakarima who was later on overthrown by another dominant leader, Agashya who leads till today.
On several occasions Agashya assessed the credibility of nyakarima before winning much contested battle and taking over the leadership of the group. Nyakarima is credited for increasing the size of the family 13 to 25.
Karisimbi family: Karisimbi Gorilla group has 11 members with 4 silverbacks. It is also called Susa B because it is the group that split from the original Susa family. This group wanders around the slopes of karisimbi volcano and it is led by a silverback named nyakangaga.
Karisimbi previously stood at a score of 15 members unfortunately some of their members called it quits and joined other groups. Today this group has 11 members including 1 adult female, 4 silverbacks, a black back and 2 infants. This susa B family is also one of the hardest groups to trek since the group shelters near a caldera in mount karisimbi, they can move even a higher altitude. If you need to test your physical fitness then this mountain gorilla group should be top on your list.
Sabinyo family: Sabinyo family has 12 members and two silverbacks. This group got its name from mount Sabinyo. It inhabits the slopes of mount Sabinyo and mount Gahinga. It stays in between these two Virunga volcano mountains. Sabinyo means “old man’s teeth” in Kinyarwanda. This is one of the closest groups normally found at the edges of the park therefore easily accessed and allocated by the trackers for visitors to trek.
The gorilla family was formerly known as “amavubi” a word that means “WASPS” in native Kinyarwanda. This family also turned out the hardest to habituate. This group is very common for its giant silver back in the park weighing about 220kg and it has kept its main challenger, Ryango away from the family to remain as a dominant silverback. Trekking this group is interesting because it involves interesting activities like hiking in dense vegetation and forested slopes of MT Sabinyo and Gahinga that gives an incredible experience about gorillas
Ugyenda group:
ugyenda implies “departure” or “mobile”, the family consists of eleven members and one silverback. The family inhabits the region of mount visoke. Just like any of vegetation only that its movements are frequent. The Rwanda development Board has assigned skilled trackers to locate it a day or hours before the visitors tracking it. It is not difficult anymore to find this group but this depends on their previous day movements too.
Bwengye family: the name Bwengye translates as “wisdom” in the local dialect. Bwengye family consists of ten family members with one silverback. This family lives close to ugyenda family on mount Bisoke. Bwengye- A leader of Bwengye gorilla group left his Natal family and joined by another female group, they formed the Bwengye Gorilla Group.
Bwengye gorilla family apparently has 11 members and one silverback. The group faced a very hard time when 6 of its infants died in an incident that turned out to be a very terrible horror for the whole family. Most of the Rwandan gorilla families are unique and each has things that characterize them. You need to read about their characteristics to know which one suits you better.
Contribution to Conservation
The conservation efforts in Rwanda, particularly for the mountain gorillas, have been nothing short of remarkable. The country’s commitment to protecting these endangered species has led to significant population growth over the years. The revenue generated from gorilla trekking permits directly contributes to conservation efforts, including anti-poaching measures and community development programs.
Conclusion
Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park offers a unique opportunity to connect with nature and witness the incredible mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. From the lush greenery of Rwanda’s landscapes to the heartwarming social interactions within gorilla families, this experience is truly unforgettable. As we continue to prioritize conservation and responsible tourism, we can hope that future generations will also have the privilege of encountering these gentle giants in the wild. check out the Ugandan side of gorillas The 13 spectacular gorilla families of uganda
