The Hirwa mountain gorilla family was formed in 2006 with members from the Sabyinyo mountain gorilla family and the Agashya gorilla family, also known as Group 13.
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” because it was formed by chance.
The Hirwa family has indeed been lucky, as it welcomed a set of twins in 2011.
The Hirwa mountain gorilla family lives on the slopes of Mount Gahinga and Mount Sabyinyo.
It should be noted that the number of members in gorilla families often changes due to reasons like separation, death, new births, and more.
The Hirwa family currently has 16 members, including one silverback.
Sabyinyo Gorilla Family
The Sabyinyo mountain 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 famous 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 a very ambitious silverback who often fights other groups to add females to his family.
He is also known for leading the group to higher elevations if 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 costs $1,500 each.
People with communicable diseases like coughs will not be allowed to trek mountain gorillas because such diseases can be transmitted to the gorillas, which could lead to severe illness or death due to their low immune systems.
