Rwanda Gorilla Families or Groups at the Volcanoes National Park Africa
Rwanda Gorilla Families are groups of habituated mountain gorillas living in Volcanoes national park adapted to human presence. There are 10 habituated mountain gorilla groups in the park for visitors to trek. Each gorilla family is allocated 8 gorilla permits and this translates to 80 permits in total available visitors in need of seeing gorillas in Rwanda on a particular day. A Rwanda gorilla permit costs USD 1500 paid by every gorilla tourist to the country. Astoundingly, every gorilla family unit has different and exceptional attributes dissimilar from another. Gorilla families in Rwanda Volcanoes National Park are spread across different locations of the park and differ in terms of trekking and accessibility.
Rwanda Development Board (RDB), a government body in charge of conservation and managing parks has developed the gorilla groups over a period of time to reach ten in numbers. With conservation efforts going and gorilla trekking being increasingly demanded tourism activity, more gorilla families are expected to be habituated and availed for trekking in the future.
Below are the available Gorilla Families in the Volcanoes National Park Rwanda:-
Titus Family
Titus family is the original group named after the Silver back Titus born during the days of Dian Fossey conservation research. And this was the group of her study at Karisoke at the time of her death in 1985. The young Titus lost his family members to poachers including his father, uncle and brother. His mother and sister joined other families leaving the infant Titus to be brought up by male gorillas with whom he had no relationship attachment. According to Dian Fossey, Titus the infant seemed “underdeveloped and spindly” with breathing difficulty but overcame these complications.
Susa group (Susa A)
The most popular family with formerly 42 members before it disjointed. This group was also studied by Diana Fossey during her times in Rwanda from 1967 to 1985 when she passed on. In the 2008, the family of 42 individuals divided into 2 since it had become so huge. And breakaway unit came to be called Karisimbi group or Susa B. Susa A group is well celebrated for its lively twins of Byishimo and Impano. The family derived its name from Susa River that runs through its habitat range. The group has 33 members comprising of 2 silverbacks and lives in the forests on the lower slopes of Mount Karisimbi.
Karisimbi Group or Susa B
This Karisimbi gorilla family is also called Susa B and it is the unit of gorillas that in 2008 separated from the original Susa group. The group is composed of 16 members out of whom are 2 silver backs. Karisimbi is the most challenging family to trek as its members dwell on the upper slopes of Mount Karisimbi at an elevation of 4507 metres. The family established its stay in the higher gradients, however gorilla trackers with passion in challenging trekking love this group. The group is sometimes hard to track as its gorillas go higher even though the park rangers and guides do their best to locate their movements a day before.
Amahoro group
Amahoro gorilla family is a gorilla group in Volcanoes Nationa Park with 17 individual members headed by Ubumwe the Silverback. The group also has two black backs, five juvenile gorillas, five adult females plus 4 infants. Amahoro is a local Kinyarwanda word meaning serenity or peace. And going by the name, the family is recognized for its tranquility and friendliness but which attributes made Ubumwe lose some members into another family known as Umubano. However, the family is somehow challenging to visit since accessing it involves climbing the slopes of Mount Bisoke on which it resides.
Umubano group
This family broke away from Ubumwe silverback, the head of Amahoro group following unending fights between Charles and Ubumwe the two head silver backs. Charles constantly opposed the supremacy of Ubumwe and finally succeeded in seceding away with some individuals leading to formation of Umubano group. The group has 13 members composed of 2 silver backs. The word Umubano locally means living together.
Sabyinyo group
Sabyinyo gorilla group is the nearest family and easiest to track as it lives on the gentle slopes between Mount Sabyinyo and Gahinga. This unit is well known for its massive silver back, Guhonda who is said to have kept his main rival, Ryango away from the family to live a life of a loner. There are 13 individuals in this group including one silver back following the eviction of the second one. The group head, Guhonda is believed to be the largest silver back in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda weighing around 220 kilograms. The group derived its name from Sabinyo volcano meaning the ‘old man’s teeth’.
Agashya group – Group 13
Agashya group gets it name from the initial family individual who were 13 at the time its habituation. At first, a silverback Nyakarima headed the group and was unfortunately deposed by Agashya meaning the ‘News’. Being the head, the family was named after him. At present, there are 27 members including one silver back (Agashya). The group resides with Sabyinyo group in same area even though at times Agashya leads his members deeper into the mountain upon being suspicious of imminent danger.
Kwitonda group
Kwitonda group migrated from Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and was named after its dominant silver back, Kwitonda meaning ‘Humble one’. With its migration nature, the group of 23 individuals including 4 silverback wanders in the lower slopes of Mount Muhabura. Similar to Karisimbi family, Kwitonda group is burdensome to track since at times it moves to the upper slopes of Muhabura.
Hirwa group
Hirwa Gorup was jointly set up in 2006 by some members from Sabyinyo group and others from Agashya family. With time, more gorillas joined the group which is now made up of 16 members including one silver back. Hirwa group lives at the foothills of Mount Sabyinyo overlooking Mount Gahinga.
Ugenda group
The word ‘Ugenda’ in Kinyarwanda implies ‘movement’ or ‘mobility’. Because of its unique character of wandering from place to another, it was named Ugenda. Ugenda group comprises of 11 members including 2 silver backs. Its gorillas stroll around Karisimbi area and therefore not easy to track as it has no specific home.
Bwenge group
Bwenge group was created in early 2007 by dominant silverback, Bwenge whose name was given to the group. Bwenge he had left his biological group and some females joined him. The family is found on Karisoke volcano slopes located between Karisimbi and Bisoke mountains and went through hard times when it lost its 6 young ones. The group have increased over time and there are 11 members comprising of one silver back. In Kinyarwanda language, Bwenge means Wisdom and probably it the reason that the group featured in the Movie code-named “Gorillas in the Mist”.