Rwanda Gorilla families

Rwanda Gorilla families, Mountain gorillas inhabit familial groups and exhibit a significant degree of socializing. Several families traverse the Volcanoes National Park. Several families among these have been acclimatized for tourism and scientific purposes.

At now, there are 18 gorilla families that have been habituated for tourism and scientific research. The families comprise a minimum of one silverback, accompanied by multiple females and juveniles.

Twelve gorilla families have been acclimatized for tourism within the park. A maximum of eight tourists may visit these families daily, and the Rwanda Development Board guarantees that the carrying capacity is not surpassed.

Are the Gorilla Families Safe for Tourist Visits?

The groups designated for tourism undergo a habituation process facilitated by researchers to acclimate the family to human presence. Among around 18 gorilla groups in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, 12 are fully habituated and available for daily tracking. The gorilla groups in Volcanoes National Park comprise the Karisimbi family, Agashya, Sabyinyo, Susa A, Kwitonda, Hirwa, Amahoro family, Titus, Ugenda, Bwenge, and Umubano, among others.

A maximum of eight visitors is permitted to track the gorilla family. This occurs on the day of the gorilla trek at the park headquarters.

Below is a list of the twelve gorilla families that have been acclimatized for tourism in Volcanoes National Park;

Agashya Group (formerly Group 13)

Previously designated as Group 13, this is the most ancient of the habituated gorilla families for tourism. This family was initially visited by visitors in the 1970s. The family comprises more than twenty people. It is said to extend across the saddle between Mount Bisoke and Mount Sabyinyo.

The Agashya group derives its name from its leader, the dominant silverback known as Agashya. Agashya is a Kinyarwanda term signifying ‘News.’ Agasha assumed control of the family from Nyakarima. Agashya conducted a thorough study of Nyakarima before to confronting and beating him to assume leadership of the gang.

Amahoro Group

Amahoro is a medium-sized assemblage including more than twenty gorillas. Amahoro signifies serenity, and the family is recognized as one of the most serene in the park. The leader Ubumwe has remarkable composure, which Charles exploited to abduct several girls and establish the Umubano family. The family inhabits the lower slopes of Mount Visoke, adjacent to Lake Ngezi.

Hirwa Group

This is a medium-sized group including approximately twenty persons. It traverses the region between Mount Sabyinyo and Mount Gahinga. This group occasionally traverses Mgahinga National Park in South Western Uganda.

Kwitonda Group

The Kwitonda group was the second gorilla family to be acclimatized for tourism purposes. It is recognized to inhabit the Mount Gahinga region. This group has more than twenty individuals residing within the park.

Sabyinyo Group

This medium-sized troop consists of approximately 10 mountain gorillas. It is commanded by Guhonda, a silverback gorilla weighing approximately 220 kg. Guhonda is regarded as the largest mountain gorilla in the wild.

Susa Group

This gorilla family is cherished because of the presence of multiple mature silverback gorillas. This family is historically significant as it was the first to be studied by the late Dian Fossey. The family traverses the Mount Karisimbi region.

Ugenda Gorilla Family

This medium-sized family inhabits the vicinity of Mount Karisimbi. It is recognized for its constant motion, hence the name “ugenda.” The group consists of 11 individuals, including two silverback males responsible for its protection.

Karisimbi group

This is a subgroup from the Susa Gorilla Family. Susa was formerly the largest gorilla family globally. In 2009, it bifurcated into two subfamilies: Susa A and Susa B. Both families persisted in uniting and subsequently separating once more. Subsequently, Susa B developed its own territory and was nicknamed the “Karisimbi” group. This family is also distributed around Mount Karisimbi.

Bwenge Gorilla Family

This gorilla family is well-known, with some members appearing in the film “Gorillas in the Mist.” It was established in 2007 when Bwenge separated from his natal family and initiated his own family with multiple girls. The family comprises 12 individuals and traverses the Karisoke volcano.

Kwisanga Gorilla Group

This is a division group from Kwitonda. This is one of the recently established gorilla families. The gang divided into two, and notably, Kwisanga possesses an equal number of members as Kwitonda. Since the establishment of Kwisanga and Kwitonda, the groups have convened multiple times without any hostile interactions, facilitating socialization among members of the two families. Kwisanga was named by Sauti Sol, a Kenyan music band, at the Kwita Izina 2022 event.

Umubano Group

This is another medium-sized gorilla family. Umubano is a Kinyarwanda term signifying coexistence. This family is a faction derived from Amahoro. Under Charles’s leadership, Umubano separated from Ubumwe, the silverback gorilla ruling the Amahoro Family. Umubano extends along the inclines of Mount Visoke.

Pablo Gorilla Family

Pablo is a member of one of the extensive gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park. By 2010, although still under investigation, the gorilla family comprised 44 individuals. The Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is now accessible to tourists engaging in gorilla trekking. This group is recognized for having achieved the largest membership. In 2006, it attained a record-breaking population of 65 gorillas. It was named in honor of Pablo, a silverback gorilla that initially led the family.

Gorilla Family Structures for Research

Volcanoes National Park hosts multiple gorilla families that have been acclimatized for scientific study. Numerous gorilla families were habituated by the late Dr. Dian Fossey and her teams. Research groups are typically inaccessible to tourists and are monitored daily by researchers and trackers from the Karisoke Research Centre. The researchers allocate more time to the mountain gorillas; yet, they often do not approach the large apes as closely as tourists do. The surveillance of these mountain gorillas significantly contributes to conservation efforts. The researchers undertake a longitudinal study of the gentle giants, and today the Virunga Massif boasts being one of the most extensively studied areas in the world.

The research groups in the Volcanoes National Park are :

• Muhoza Gorilla Family
• Igisha Gorilla Family
• Kureba Gorilla Family
• Ntambara Gorilla Family
• Noheli Gorilla Family
• Mutobo Gorilla Family
• Musirikale Gorilla Family
• Kuryama group (hosting about 15 gorillas )
• Ntambara group (with 11gorillas)
• Isabukuru group (with 11 gorillas)
• Inshuti group  (with 6 gorillas)
• Titus group (with 6 gorillas)
• Urugamba  group ( 6 gorillas)

Importance of Gorilla Research

The research on mountain gorillas has persisted for an extended duration. Since the era of Dian Fossey, investigations have been conducted to get deeper insights into the life and behavior of mountain gorillas. During the tumultuous period of the 1994 Rwanda Genocide, research was halted. Nevertheless, research recommenced in 1999. Military personnel accompanied researchers from the Karisoke Research Centre to assess the efforts of Dian Fossey.

Significant progress has been achieved in research. The population of gorillas has risen, and tourism is now governed by stringent rules and restrictions designed to ensure the survival of these magnificent primates.

The research facilitates precise identification of animals and detailed observation of their behavior, allowing for habituation in preparation for the gorilla trekking experience. The tracking expedition is one of the sources of cash for funding conservation efforts.

The gorilla research facilitates prompt access to veterinarian interventions during disease epidemics. Through these scientific investigations, professionals can identify novel diseases that significantly impact gorilla populations. This necessitates additional research on these afflictions and the discovery of treatments to save the gorillas from inevitable death.

The gorilla scientific survey facilitates the identification of risks impacting gorillas in a specific locality. In addition to well-documented environmental concerns such as habitat loss from climate change and diseases, there are also issues including poaching, deforestation, and human-animal conflicts that can be promptly mitigated upon detection.

The Ugly Side of Gorilla Research

Gorilla study is typically regarded as a means of understanding gorilla behaviors and facilitating their habituation for tourism purposes. Nonetheless, acclimatizing over 70% of the gorillas for tourism will undermine tourism as a conservation strategy, as a greater proportion of gorillas will be subjected to human interaction. Interaction with humans will elevate the likelihood of disease transmission.

Exposure of gorillas to humans may induce stress, resulting in adverse experiences for the gorillas.

Stress and additional consequences, including behavioral alterations, diminished reproductive success, and ecological disruption, may jeopardize the welfare of gorillas.