The Hirwa gorilla family was formed in 2006 with members from the Sabyinyo mountain gorilla family and the Agashya gorilla family, also known as Group 13. Book a Rwanda trek to see how a Hirwa visit fits into your safari.
If you consider yourself a lucky person, this is the gorilla family to trek while in Rwanda.
The Hirwa mountain gorilla family can be trekked in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. The group gets its name from a Kinyarwanda word meaning “Lucky One,” a nod to how the family came together by chance.
The Hirwa family has indeed had its share of luck, welcoming a set of twins in 2011.
The Hirwa mountain gorilla family lives on the slopes of Mount Gahinga and Mount Sabyinyo.
It’s worth noting that the number of members in gorilla families often changes over time, due to factors like separation, death, new births, and more. The Hirwa family currently has 16 members, including one silverback.
Sabyinyo Gorilla Family
The Sabyinyo gorilla family is the group where some members of the Hirwa family originated.
This group lives on the slopes of Mount Sabyinyo and Mount Gahinga and is led by a well known silverback named Guhonda. Guhonda is the largest and heaviest silverback in Volcanoes National Park, weighing 220 kilograms.
The Sabyinyo family is one of the easiest groups to trek and is named after Mount Sabyinyo.
Agashya Gorilla Family
The Agashya mountain gorilla family, sometimes called Group 13, got its name from the initial number of members it had during habituation.
The group is now named after the dominant silverback, Agashya, whose name means “News.” Agashya took over leadership from Nyakarima, who led the group during habituation.
Agashya expanded the group to 27 members. He is an ambitious silverback who often fights other groups to bring more females into his family.
He is also known for leading the group to higher elevations when he senses danger. Some members of the Hirwa mountain gorilla family originally came from the Agashya family.
Gorilla Permits
Gorilla permits are required to trek mountain gorillas. Rwanda gorilla permits cost $1,500 each.
People with communicable illnesses, such as coughs, will not be allowed to trek mountain gorillas, since such illnesses can be transmitted to the gorillas and could lead to severe sickness or death, given their weaker immune systems.
