Gorilla Groups in Rwanda – Location, Number & Trek Guide

As visitors prepared to join a gorilla safari in Rwanda, Its responsible to have an idea of the existing gorilla families / groups. Each of the 10 Rwanda Gorilla groups is quiet independent and unique of the other. Volcanoes national park is home to 10 habituated gorilla groups spread over different locations of the park. Lets look at the different gorilla groups and their differences. Why you should choose one group over the other, which group is easier to hike over the other and the toughest groups to hike.

The Susa group A is found on slopes of Karisimbi volcano

This gorilla group is very impressive with a number of 28 gorillas with 3 silverbacks. It was the largest in Rwanda with over 42 individuals before it split into another group called Susa B. The group derived its name from Susa River that flows through their home range and renowned for the twin infant gorillas which are attractively playful. The most interesting aspect that attracts visitors to this Susa A is the presence of 3 silverbacks living in harmony, a pair of twin gorillas, several juvenile gorillas, and females. The group has one of the oldest habituated gorillas in Rwanda among which were carried out research by the famous Dian fossey an American naturalist. The group still remains impressively attractive with many gorillas.
Although the group is known to be the hardest to trek, your guides will help to locate the gorillas hence its best suited for serious hikers.

The Karisimbi group also called Susa B.

This group split from Susa A in 2008, made up of 15 gorillas including two silverbacks usually found on the upper slopes of Karisimbi volcano at a high altitude of about 4,500 m above sea level making it the highest peak of the park hence visitors to trek this group should be averagely fit. It may take a full day to track this group because of steep terrain and unreliable movements of gorillas to the highest peak of the volcano; however experienced guides in close contact with trackers will locate gorillas.

Amahoro Group

The group is composed of 18 gorillas with 1 silverback, 2 Black backs, 2 sub adult males, juveniles and many gorilla babies which lives up on the slopes of mount Bisoke one of the volcanoes in park. The silverback of this group called Ubumwe is peaceful thus lost some of its members to other groups. Amahoro means calmness in Kinyarawanda as the name suggest the group is well known to the most peaceful hence it lost some of its members to other groups because due to the calmness of the silverback that leads the group. Tracking this group is quite uneasy due to their home range on the higher and steep slopes of Bisoke and Karisoke volcanoes.

Umubano Group

The group was formerly part of the Amahoro group but later split and formed its own family with 11 gorillas. Composed of 1 silverback, 1 sub adult, male three adult females and 6 juveniles living together, as the name propose, Umubano means living together. Originally the group was part of the Amahoro when the current leader of the group Charles matured to a silverback, it broke away taking some of the members from Amahoro to form Umubano group. Amazingly these two groups have been observed interacting at times.

Sabinyo Group

This group is composed of 13 members including one silverback in habiting the gentle slopes of between Sabinyo and Gahinga mountains. Named after the Sabinyo volcano, which means “the old man’s teeth” the group is well known to be with the giant silverback in the whole park called Guhonda which has challenged other silverbacks that try to gain access to its group. Most tourists are attracted to this group because of the biggest silverback weighing up to 220 kg and it has been known to be the easiest to track.

Hirwa Group

The group is composed of 9 gorillas with 1 Silverback, 3 Adult females, 2 sub adult females, and 3 babies it inhabits the slopes of mount Sabinyo near mount Gahinga. Hirwa is a Kinyarwanda word meaning “lucky one”. As the name recommend the group was luckily formed in 2006 when some few gorillas from Sabinyo group joined Hirwa.

Kwitonda Group

This is one of the amazing groups to track composed of 18 gorillas with 4 silverbacks. The group established its home range on the lower slopes of mount Muhavura but it has been know to have migrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo named after the dominant silverback Kwitonda which means meek. Kwitonda has managed to control the group despite being large with other 3 silverbacks hence remains one of the best but difficult groups to track because of its home range being associated with the Virunga mountains.

Agashya group

This group was formerly called thirteen because at the time of habituation, it had 13 gorillas only. The dominant silverback is called Agashya hence named after its leader which has increased its group from 13 to 25 gorillas as of now. These include 1 silverback, 12 Adult females, 2 sub Adults, 3 juveniles and 7 infant babies. This implies the strength of the silverback has to protect its family. After fierce fighting between two of the silverbacks called Nyakarima and Agashya, Nyakarima that lost to Agashya which has constantly snatched gorillas from other groups. The group occupies the Sabinyo territory but due to the presence of other groups in the same range, Agashya tends to move deeper up to the higher slopes of the volcano hence not easy to track.

Ugenda Group

Ugenda is a local Kinyarwanda utterance which means “mobile” hence the group is known to be frequently moving from place to place thus it may be difficult to track because it involves walking for several hours in the forest searching for them. Although mobile, it is usually found in Karisimbi range consisting of 11 gorillas with 2 silverbacks.

Bwenge Group

This group lives between Karisimbi and Bisoke mountains formed as early as 2007; the group has suffered fatal death of its 6 infant gorillas. Apparently the group has improved and now has 11 gorillas led by Bwenge the dominant silverback. Bwenge means “wisdom” a reason why the group was featured in the popular gorilla movie titled “gorillas in the mist”. The trails leading to the group’s home range are very steep and muddy hence visitors who want to see this group should be prepared enough.