Congo is one of the three African countries where you can trek the endangered mountain gorillas from, the park has also got an advantage on gorilla permits in that they offer the cheapest gorilla permits to travellers compared to Rwanda and Uganda.
Virunga national park situated in the eastern part of Congo is the place to trek the endangered mountain gorillas, the park is Africa’s oldest conservation area established in 1925 to protect mountain gorillas. Today there are 8 mountain gorilla families that can be trekked from Virunga national park.
Mountain gorillas are a sub species of Eastern gorilla inhabiting sub tropical and tropical rain forests of Africa, they have thick and long fur that helps them adapt to their environment. Gorillas live in social groups of several individuals dominated by a silverback gorilla.
Munyaga mountain gorilla family can be trekked from Bukima sector of Virunga national park, this is one of the recent habituated mountain gorilla families in the park. This group was dominated by Munyaga the silverback in 1998 when it was being led by a female Nsekuye and he took an advantage to lead the group because of absence of a silverback.
When Munyaga was the leading silverback the group interacted several times with Kabirizi gorilla family until Munyaga lost all his females to Kabirizi and Munyaga disappeared for two year that’s how Mawazo took advantage of the group leadership.
Munyaga gorilla family was later dominated by Mawazo who was once in Buhanga and Katareja gorilla families before going Munyaga family.Gasore the current dominating silverback now leads the group. This gorilla family is now composed of 7 individuals with 2 silverbacks.
One of the mist interesting things about trekking Munyaga mountain gorilla family is seeing Kadogo a bold headed silverback who despite of all gorillas always having hair he is bold headed.
