Mountain gorilla families in Volcanoes national park; Gorilla groups to see on a visit Rwanda experience

Mountain gorilla families/ groups in Volcanoes national park

There are 16 gorilla families/ groups found in Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park. All these groups are well known by name and all their members. Each gorilla family is led by an alpha silverback male that also protects its members from threats and attacks. Names are given on a gorilla naming ceremony called “Kwita Izina” done every year to give names to newly born baby gorillas. These baby gorillas grow up to create and lead their own families.

Volcanoes national park’s gorilla families are;

Muhoza gorilla family which has 17 members and takes its name from its silverback leader Muhoza. This is easiest trekked gorilla family and is located in the middle of Volcanoes national park.
Titus gorilla family named after the legendary mountain gorilla also called “gorilla king” which was born during the time of researcher Dian Fossey.
Susa gorilla family has 38 members and is the largest family and one of the most popular gorilla family.
Umubano gorilla family has 13 members who are led by a silverback gorilla called Charles.
Hirwa gorilla family has 18 members led by a silverback called Munyinya.
Amahoro gorilla family has 19 gorillas led by a silverback called Ubumwe.
Agashya gorilla family has 13 members and is named after its leading silverback called Agashya.
Kwitonda gorilla family has 23 family members with their silverback called Akarevuro.
Sabinyo gorilla family has 17 family members led by their silverback called Guhonda.
Kwisanga gorilla family has 16 members that separated from the Kwitonda group and is led by a silverback called Kigoma.
Noheli gorilla family is a family with 7 members that are all females that separated from Isimbi and Susa groups.
Bwenge gorilla family has 11 members and is named after their silverback leader Bwenge.
Kirisimbi/ Susa B gorilla family is led by their silverback Nyagakangaga.
Igisha gorilla family has 34 members and derived its name from its leader Igisha.
Isimbi gorilla family has 16 members who are led by their silver back Muturengera.
Ugenda gorilla family with 11 members was named Ugenda which means “Mobile” for its being a mobile group.

However, these are not the only mountain gorillas in Volcanoes national park. There are still other groups that are still considered wild but are undergoing habituation by expert rangers and doctors studying their behaviors to make them adopt to get used to people and later on will also be designated for gorilla trekking experiences.

Mountain gorilla families tour packages

4 day Rwanda gorilla trekking safari

4 day gorilla trekking Rwanda safari is a focused Volcanoes national park visit that takes you to see the park's top endangered primates found in the Virunga. The Volcanoes N.P have almost 50% of the world's remaining endangered mountain gorillas guarantying 100% chances of encountering the gentle giants. After tracking mountain gorillas, you'll continue with another day's hiking session to encounter golden monkeys in the same park. Along primate trekking in the park, you also get to enjoy bird watching, butterflies, photography & sceneries, lodges and Kigali city tours before depature.

5 days Rwanda gorilla & wildlife safari

5 day gorilla trekking & wildlife Rwanda safari combines tracking mountain gorillas and wildlife game drives in Akagera national park. Day 2 of this itinerary gets you spend the whole day in Volcanoes national park vicinity for mountain gorilla trekking and nature walks. Day 3-4 are for Africa's big 5 (lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, rhinos), wildlife game drives & boat cruises in Akagera national park. Expect the best bird sightings, monkeys, giraffes, zebras, hippos, Nile crocodiles, hyenas, antelopes, and finally for Kigali city tours to museums, coffee shops & local markets

8 day primates & wildlife Rwanda safari

8 day primate trekking and wildlife Rwanda safari itinerary takes to all Rwanda's popular game parks of Nyungwe forest, Akagera and Volcanoes. In the Volcanoes national park, you enjoy gorilla trekking and golden monkey tracking. While on nature walks in Nyungwe forest national park, you go tracking chimpanzees and have canopy walks over one of Africa's oldest tropical forest bio diversities. Akagera game park, home to Africa's big 5 (lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, rhinos) in Rwanda is great for safari game drives and boat cruises on lake Ihema offering sightings. The capital Kigali also offers great social culture tours in local markets, museums etc.

10 days Rwanda wildlife safari

Arriving early for this safari itinerary in Kigali, you shall have a rest and a city if time permits before heading out to Nyungwe national park for 2nd day's activities. While in Nyungwe national park, you engage in chimpanzee tracking and canopy walks on the 70m high walk way. Lake Kivu beaches & trails host you for a rest from the Nyungwe trekking excursions at its resort beaches. From l. Kivu, you head to Volcanoes national park for gorilla trekking & golden monkey tracking excursions with an untimely bird watching experience. Akagera game park is the last safari destination for this itinerary offering top game drive tours, boat cruise on lake Ihema and hot air balloons tours.

A close-up of an infant mountain gorilla peacefully resting with mother and Silverback Father in the lush greenery of Rwanda's Volcanoes national park. The photo captures the gorilla's expressive eyes and tranquil demeanor, highlighting its connection to the wild environment

1 day Rwanda gorilla trekking safari

1 day gorilla trekking Rwanda safari starts from Kigali with a very early morning drive to Volcanoes national park headquarters on a 2.5 hours drive. Pre-trekking briefing at the Volcanoes national park starts as early as 7.00AM with the check in being at 6.30AM. To avoid panic, travelers may arrive the previous evening, travel to the park and have a night at the lodges near the park so as to cover a short distance to the park headquarters for pre-trek briefing. After tracking the assigned gorilla family/ group, you will then visit Ellen DeGeneres campus of the Dian Fossey fund for more mountain gorilla knowledge, history and conservation goals.

2 days Rwanda gorilla trekking trip

The 2 day gorilla trekking Rwanda itinerary, is another mountain gorilla trek focused safari starting with a Kigali city tour on the first day and wind up the day with a transfer to Volcanoes national park. Day 2 is the main gorilla trekking day and sees you hike into the tropical forest to track your assigned gorilla family/ group. During the hike you also enjoy bird watching, butterflies, filming & photography. After the Volcanoes N.P gorilla trekking, you have a brief visit at Ellen DeGeneres campus of Dian Fossey fund, a conservation project for the endangered mountain gorilla species.

How different gorilla families got to be identified;

Gorilla identification and their families all started through mountain gorilla conservation efforts and study that were championed by an American doctor and primatologist named “DIAN FOSSEY” who dedicated the whole of her life to study the life of mountain gorillas and protect their existence from hunters. You will know about Dian Fossey when you visit the Ellen DeGeneres campus of the Dian Fossey fund. Dian Fossey did research and lived with mountain gorillas in the volcanoes, echoed their extinction that got the rest of the world to come into combined efforts of the gentle giants.

Best time visit Volcanoes national park

The best time visit Volcanoes national park is throughout as its the most accessible destination for mountain gorilla trekking activities with well tarmacked roads to the park headquarters. During the dry season months of June- August and December- February, the trails are dry thus making hiking swift & easy. Yet still, the dry terrain is not obvious given a higher rain possibility of rain backed by these montane tropical rainforests of the Virunga massif.

Wet/ rainy/ green season months of March- May and September- November, are great time for birding since they are top breeding periods for resident species. Birdwatching is done along gorilla trekking, primate trekking and during nature walks through the tropical forests. Special bird species to watch include the Rwenzori turaco & Albertine rift endemics. Volcanoes national park has more than 150 recorded bird species. Furthermore, September- April is a special time for birders as many palearctic European and north Africa immigrant bird species join the resident species.