The Kwitonda mountain gorilla family gets its name from the silverback Kwitonda, whose name means “Humble One.”
This group migrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo and has never shown any signs of returning to Congo.
Kwitonda was known as one of the most humble silverbacks. It is said that he migrated with his family from Virunga National Park to find peace in Volcanoes National Park.
Kwitonda went missing from his group for several days and was later found dead in September 2012. He died at the age of 40.
Silverbacks leading gorilla groups usually do not allow other silverbacks in the group to mate with the females. However, this was not the case with Kwitonda.
He allowed other silverbacks in the group to mate with the females, which created a strong bond among the family members.
After Kwitonda’s death, Akarevuro took over as the leader of the group. The Kwitonda gorilla family is one of the hardest groups to trek because they often move into thick forests.
The Kwitonda family became famous in Volcanoes National Park because of Kwitonda’s kind behavior toward other gorillas and humans. The group grew to have 28 members.
