RWANDA GORILLA TREKKING

Rwanda Gorilla Trekking

 Rwanda is located in East Africa and is bordered by Uganda in the north, Burundi in the south, Tanzania in the East and Democratic Republic of Congo in the west. Rwanda Gorilla Trekking is the biggest of all the tourism activities and attracts thousands of tourists who journey into the wilderness of Volcanoes National Park to have close encounters with Rwanda mountain gorillas which are found in volcanoes National Park [Par National Des Volcans] at a place called Ruhengeri in the north west of Rwanda. Rwanda is a home to   over half of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population. Rwanda is a wonderful family destination and is superb for primates in general including the fun loving syke monkey, the golden monkey and the boisterous chimpanzee in the Nyungwe Forest. The mountain gorillas were not known to the man until 1902 when a Germany officer encountered two and killed them.Defforestration and poaching led to the decrease of the mountain gorillas ‘population which almost made them less known to the world. By 1985, the mountain gorillas’had reduced in numbers about 300 mountain gorillas were left in the wild. The amount has increased since then and half of the mountain gorillas’ population in the world lives in the volcanoes National park.

Rwanda Gorilla Trekking is done indifferent mountain gorilla group found in Rwanda

There are over 10 groups of habituated gorillas in volcanoes National park that are available for tourist activities and the other group are for research purposes. The mountain gorillas usually climb up the mountains in dry seasons and slope down during the wet season. The mountain gorilla in Rwanda has over 10 groups and includes the following

Susa group [A]: Susa group derives its name from River Susa which flows through the home range of Susa group of gorillas .The Susa group has over 28 members with three silverbacks and it is the biggest gorilla group before separating with 42 members.

Susa group [B].Suza group B known as the karisimbi group was separated from the initial group of 42 individuals to form their 15 members and mainly found on the slopes of Mt .Karisimbi.

Sabinyo gorilla group.Sabinyo gorilla group is found between mt sabinyo and mt Gahinga ,the sabinyo group has over 12 members with a couple silverbacks in the group .The strongest silverback is known as Guhonda which is the biggest silverback gorilla in the entire group in the volcanoes national park.Sabinyo has fewer members but very impressive to watch.

Amahoro Gorilla group. The calmest gorilla group is the Amahoro group which has 17 members and the silverback known as Ubumwe the leader of the group. The group has 2 Black –blacks, 5adults’females, 2 sub-adults males, 2 juveniles as wellas 5 babies.

Umubano group. The group consists of 11 members and these gorillas were part of the Amahoro group  but eventually separated  from them forming their  group known as Umubano.Their  first leader was Ubumwe  who later fought with Charles and Charles  became the new leader .Charles overpowered  Ubumwe and was able to take  a few  females with him forming another group.

Bwenge group.Bwenge group is usually found on the slopes of karisoke volcano and the group has over 11 members with a silverback. The group is becoming stronger aftergetting 2new infants that joined the group in recent years. The trekking of this group is a bit challenging in that it involves moving for around 3 hours.

The Agashya group. This group is known as group 13 ,the agashya group is normally found near the sabinyo group and has over 25 members with 2 silverbacks .Agashiya the leader increased  the number of his members by incorporating  solitary gorillas and getting others from other groups in Rwanda .

Ugenda group. The name of these gorillas mean s ‘’on the move’’ because they are always moving from one area to another looking for food within the forests. This group has over 11 members and it is one of the challenging groups to trek.

Kwitonda group.Kwitonda group has over 18 group members and it is led bykwitonda thesilverback. The group was habituated  in the Democratic  Republic of  Congo  and later moved to Rwanda  in 2005 , this group stays far away  in the higlands  which makes it a challenge for trekking.

Hirwa group.Hirwa group has 11 members including 1 silver back, 3 adult females, 2 sub-adult females as well as 3 babies. The group happens to have been created after some members of the Agasha group and sabinyo group joined to form another group.

How to reach volcanoes national park

Volcanoes National park positioned in Rushengeri, Musaze District can be reached by both public and private transport. Volcanoes National park is 116km about 2 ½ -3 hours from Kigali which makes it possible  to even do transfer  from Kigali and catch up  with mountain gorilla trekking encounter  in volcanoes on the same day  and transfer back. From Muasaze it is 30-40 minutes’ drive to kiningi Headquarters which is the main starting point for the activities in volcanoes national park including mountain gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking, Dian fossey hike, and volcano climbing among others. Public transport is available from Kigali to Musaze but you will have to arrange a private transfer from Musaze to the volcanoes park headquarters as there is no public transfer there. Besides Kigali, volcanoes national park can as well be accessed from the neighboring destination of Uganda and Rwanda .While visiting volcanoes national park Rwanda as an extension of a Uganda safari, you can cross at chanica border post 10km from kisoro town to the southwest of Uganda. This is close to Uganda tour destination of Mgahinga gorilla national park, Lake Bunyonyi, Queen Elizabeth national park, Lake Mburo national park and Bwindi impenetrable national park. From Democratic Republic of Congo, the volcanoes national park can be accessed via Goma the border between the two countries before connecting to Gisenyi on the shores of Lake kivu 110km about 2hours drive to Volcanoes national park