Virunga national park located in Democratic republic of Congo covers an area of 7,800 kilometers squared, this UNESCO world heritage site is home to the endangered mountain gorillas. The park was established in 1925 to protect the endangered mountain gorillas.
Gorillas are divided into two species of western gorilla and eastern gorilla, the Western gorilla is further sub divided into Western low land gorilla and Cross river gorilla while Eastern gorilla is sub divided into Eastern low land gorilla and Mountain gorilla.
Mountain gorillas can only be found in three countries in the world and that is in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park in Uganda, Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Democratic republic of Congo.
Mapuwa mountain gorilla family was started and still dominated by Mapuwa of Rugendo mountain gorilla family. Mapuwa left Rugendo gorilla family as a solitary male in the year 1995, after three years passed he fought with a silverback at Lulengo mountain gorilla family grabbing 2 adult females that is Kanepo and Kagofero. Mapuwa was well known of fighting other groups in border to grab females to add to his own family.
Mapuwa managed to expand his gorilla family in the recent years to 22 individuals with 3 silverbacks, 3 black backs, 6 adult females, 4 juveniles, 2 sub adult females and 5 babies. Numbers can change at any time if other silverbacks grab some members to start their own families, deaths and new births. The family is currently dominated by Mvuyekure.
Allocation of mountain gorilla families is always done in the park according to strength, age and many other things, young energetic travellers always trek far gorilla families while old people trek nearby gorilla families.
