Rwanda Gorilla Families

Rwanda Gorilla Families/ gorilla families in Rwanda can be found in Volcanoes national park, a park famous for the Rwanda gorilla because it is the only place where gorilla trekking in Rwanda can be carried out along the different virunga mountains slopes in the park. Volcanoes national park is known for a number of attractions including five of the eight virunga mountains namely; Mount Karisimbi, Mount Muhabura, Mount Bisoke, Mount Gahinga and Mount Sabyinyo where you can find the gentle giants, Dian Fossey’s grave, the golden monkeys, the Musanze caves among other interesting attractions that can be seen during a number of activities like golden monkey trekking in volcanoes national park, hiking Dian Fossey’s grave but among the different activities in the park gorilla trekking is the most rewarding activity that can be carried out where you will get to know more about the gentle giants where you will get to know more about interesting features of the gorilla families in the park.

Rwanda Gorilla Families

The different gorilla families that can be seen in Volcanoes national park to have memorable Rwanda tours include the following;

SUSA GORILLA FAMILY

Susa gorilla family is one of the most rewarding Rwanda gorilla families in Rwanda that can be visited during gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park to have an amazing time by understanding more about their gorilla family. 

The gorilla family was one of the first gorilla families to be habituated in volcanoes national park and the one that Dian Fossey researched during her time in volcanoes national park. Interesting about the gorilla family in the only gorilla family among the Rwanda gorilla families gave birth to twins which is quite uncommon among the gorillas because they usually give birth to only one infant and when they do give birth to twins most of them pass on like Munyanga gorilla families of the Congo gorilla families whose twins died after birth. 

Therefore visiting the Susa gorilla families will offer you amazing and rewarding experiences. However, just like any family, the Susa gorilla family split leading to the formation of karisimbi gorilla family and a few members remained in the Susa gorilla family currently the group has 28 members and this can be found along mount karisimbi.

Karisimbi group

The Karisimbi gorilla family is another interesting gorilla family among the Rwanda gorilla families that can be visited during gorilla trekking in the park, the gorilla family was established after splitting from Susa gorilla family. The gorilla family can be found along the slopes of mountain karisimbi thus its name karisimbi gorilla family. Interesting in the gorilla family is the fact that after its split from the Susa gorilla family, the gorilla family is able to leave in harmony with one another without having any trouble and being one of the calm and peaceful Rwanda gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park.  

For tourists interested in accessing the gorilla family, they will find near the caldera of Mount Karisimbi which will offer scenic views and opportunities for photography which will offer amazing wildlife safaris in volcanoes national park. The group comprises of 15 members and it is headed by Nyakangaga silverback who works hard to protect the gorilla family.

Kwitonda group

Kwitonda Gorilla family derived its name from the silverback Kwitonda who was the most humble silverback in Volcanoes National Park that died at the age of 40 years after falling sick for quite some time. Interesting about Kwitonda reign before his death is the fact that he allowed a number of other silver backs and black backs to mate with the adult females of the group to ensure reproduction which is very unusual among the gorillas because it is only the dominant silverback that is supposed to mate with the adult females but because of the fact that kwitonda was a sick silverback he allowed them to mate with the adult females in the park. 

Currently, the group comprises of 28 gorilla members and they are able to live with one another without any disputes and it can be found along the slopes of Mount Muhabura where you will also have exceptional views of the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo during your hike to the different Rwanda gorilla families in the park.

Amahoro family 

If you are looking for an easy gorilla family to track during your gorilla trekking activity in volcanoes national park, Amahoro gorilla family is the family to choose because it is the most rewarding family that can be visited. The gorilla family is among the most peaceful Rwanda Gorilla Families in the park because the gorilla family is very peaceful it was named Amahoro which means peace in Kinyarwanda and it is headed by Ubumwe the dominant silverback whose name means togetherness which is evident from how the group works hand in hand for the well being of the gorilla family. It should also be noted that it can be hard to track but can be interesting to visit during gorilla trekking in Rwanda and it can be found along the slopes of Mountain Bisoke.

Sabyinyo family

For tourists that might have difficulty in hiking the different virunga mountains in order to access a number of Gorilla families along the slopes of the different virunga mountains in the park, Sabyinyo gorilla family is the easiest gorilla family to trek in order to have an amazing time while carrying out gorilla trekking in Rwanda. Interesting about the gorilla family in the park is the fact that the family is one of the most amazing Rwanda gorilla families that can be visited with interesting facts about the gorilla family while in the park.  The family is famous for its dominant silverback Guhonda who is the tallest, largest and the heaviest silver backs who has protected its family against any internal and external attacks and this interesting gorilla family can be found along the slopes of Mount Gahinga which is shared by Mgahinga National Park where you can find the Nyakagezi gorilla family when you participate in gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Hirwa group

The gorilla family is one of the interesting Rwanda gorilla families that can be seen in volcanoes national park. It was formed after some members from the Susa and sabyinyo gorilla family left the groups to make their own group the Hirwa gorilla family which is a very mobile group.

It is located along Mount Sabyinyo and it comprises of 16 members and it is also among the few Rwanda gorilla families that was able to bare twins. However it should be noted that the gorilla family migrated from volcanoes national park to mgahinga national park in Uganda.

Ugenda family

One of the hardest gorilla families to trek in Rwanda is the Ugenda gorilla family whose name means mobile in Kinyarwanda. Just like the Hirwa gorilla family, Ugenda gorilla family is always on the move  searching for food and better living conditions and this has led it to move back and forth from mgahinga national park to Volcanoes National park and it can be found along the slopes of Mount Bisoke.

Titus family

The Titus family is among the Rwanda gorilla families that have a lot to offer in regards to the interesting history that is attached to the group. During Dian Fossey’s research on the mountain gorillas in the park, she rescued a baby gorilla ‘’Titus’’ whose parents an all the family members were killed by poachers and it was left to die but because of Dian Fossey’s rescue efforts she took in the gorilla nursed it of its wound and it was left to go back in the wild and was later adopted by betsmee who ensured that he was well taken care of and fit in the group very well he even chased away all the males in the group  because he had fear of losing power to the males in the group but he spared Titus because of his love for him. However with all the love they showed Titus, he challenged Beetsme for leadership and he won and led to the expansion of the family through reproduction, it should be noted he produced over 20 gorillas. Titus died but his legacy still lives on  with the very many offsprings that can be seen during gorilla trekking in the park.

Umubano family

The Umubano gorilla family is headed by Charles the youngest and strongest silver backs Volcanoes National park who has expanded, maintained and protected the group members against any internal and external attacks it against any external attacks the group has  17 members with 3 silver backs which is quite a good number since it has just split not so long ago from Amahoro gorilla family because of the tension between Ubumwe and Charles who wanted to be the leader. 

Rwanda Gorilla Families
Rwanda Gorilla Families

On leaving Amahoro gorilla family the dominant silverback Ubumwe gave him two females to start a family with which is such a difficult thing to do among gorillas and even though Charles left the gorilla family, they still meet up with Ubumwe for peaceful talks and hanging with one another.

Bwenge family

Bwenge Gorilla family is among the different Rwanda gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park where you will get to visit to have an amazing time in the park. The gorilla family faced the most horrifying time when it lost 6 of all its infants died but this did not keep them down they struggled so hard to increase the numbers and today they have 13 members and it can be trekked by the lazy trekkers in the park and can be found along the slopes of Mount Bisoke which will offer amazing experiences during your Rwanda tour.

Agashya gorilla family

Agashya gorilla family was first headed by Nyakarima who was not as strong as Agashya who defeated him to take control of the family. It should be noted that even though Nyakarima expanded the group from 13 to 25 members but this didn’t guarantee him to be the leader for a long time because leadership among the gorillas is survival for the fittest which was the case for Agashya who defeated Nyakarima, the group can be found along the slopes of Mount Sabyinyo.

book a safari