Titus Gorilla Group, one of Rwanda’s Gorilla Families

Titus gorilla group is the original group christened after the Silver back Titus that was born in the days of Dian Fossey’ conservation activities at Karisoke Research Center and was the gorilla group she was studying. Titus, the young gorilla then lost his family to poachers including his father, uncle and brother. His mother and sister joined other groups rendering Titus to be nurtured by male gorillas he had no relationship with. From Dian Fossey memoirs, Titus the infant seemed “underdeveloped and spindly” and had breathing difficulties but which he overcame later.

In the later years, 5 female gorillas joined the family and the head then; Beetsme, chased away all the other males leaving only Titus, the favored one by Papoose, the dominant female. At the age of 17 in 1991, Titus took researchers by surprise when he overthrew the dominant silver back, Beetsme, in a bloodless coup becoming the group’s leader. With the 1994 genocide, most researchers ran away from Rwanda and the family was abandoned leading to less information about it.

Titus was the head of the group until 2007 when he began experiencing confrontations from one of his sons, Kuryama who afterwards separated from the group to set up his own. In the following years, Titus had difficulties in his leadership as most of the members broke away and joined other gorilla families in the Volcanoes National Park. More problems increased with the return of his prodigal son, Kuryama in 2009.

Titus, the gorilla king as fondly known and remembered was found dead in his night nest surrounded by his family members and the doctors ruled that he had died of a natural causes. Dying at 35 year, the Late Titus was assumed to be the most successful gorilla in the park as he left behind dozens of off springs than any other silverback. Titus family as earlier intended, remained exclusively devoted for research but later Rwanda Development Board (RDB) opened it to trekking especially when permits are few or unavailable with other groups. This gorilla group lives in between Karisimbi and Bisoke volcanoes.