- Susa A gorilla family
Susa A is famed because of the twins that are in the family and the fact that it still has one of the oldest habituated gorilla members. The family was named after River Susa that meanders majestically through their home area.
The group is too huge to be managed by one individual and on that note, it has three silverbacks.
The group has a record of surviving with the highest number of members in the group with over 42 members before 9 defiant split off to make the Susa B group.
It is one of the groups where the adult female bore twins, Impano and Byishimo and took full responsibility for both of them happily unlike most mothers that abandon one due to the huge work that is required of these two infants at the same time.
The family has some of the oldest habituated gorillas still living.
Susa A family is proud to shelter 28 members, including the twin infants.
- Susa B / Karisimbi gorilla family
This group emerged through a break up that occurred in the original Susa gorilla group forming a new family group called Susa B / Karisimbi family. The group is led by two silverbacks.
The group enjoys surveying the park hence normally reside on the slopes of Mount. Karisimbi at heights that are 4,507m above sea level.
There are 16 members that strive through the forests and mountains together in this gorilla family.
- Sabyinyo gorilla family
The demise of a dominant silverback led to the loss of trust in the family and some females left the group to join others that led to the emergency of a new gorilla group called Sabyinyo.
Leadership of this family is completely done by the approval of two silverbacks that rule alongside each other. It is the easiest to track as it roams around the park bamboo plantations and can easily be spotted by the guides.
Visitors who get the chance of trekking this family get lost into the behavior and an hour in a day in life of 13 members that make up the family.
- Agashya gorilla family
This group was named after Agashya which means news, after this silverback overthrew the then silverback called Nyakarima.
Agashya proved all the members beyond reasonable doubt that is the leader of the family.
This family is quick at sensing danger and as soon as they do so, they travel to a better hiding place deeper into the mountains. The family is big, with 27 members including their supreme leader Agashya.
- Bwenge gorilla family
Bwenge is a native word for wisdom and this group was named after their dominant silverback called Bwenge who left his original group with a few family members and females to start his own group in 2007. Bwenge is the alpha and omega of the group.
This family is not difficult to trek therefore tourists who are not used to hiking long distances are entertained by this gorilla family
The family is complete with a population of 11 individuals that make it through the day together.
- Amahoro gorilla family
Amahoro is a very peaceful gorilla family that chose to reside on the slopes of Mount. Bisoke and requires an acceptable level of physical fitness to be accessed. The family is named after a Kinyarwanda word Amahoro that means peace.
The group is under the leadership of two silverbacks and is well known for its peaceful and calm nature to the extent that aggressive families over attack it.
Visitors who get a chance of trekking this family enjoy fantastic views of 18 members in the one hour that they are offered to appreciate and learn about these huge gorillas.
- Umubano gorilla family
Umubano means harmony in Kinyarwanda. This group was named and formed by a gorilla who was tired of the unending violent fights in Amahoro family. He convinced some 12 members who believed in his ideology of peace and came up with a peaceful gorilla family.
The leader of this group is Charles the silverback, who believes in settling disputes through creating peace other than violence that is common in most families.
Umubano group maintains peace among all the 13 individuals that include a silverback, blackback, three adults and six infants.
- Kwitonda gorilla family
The group was named after their former leader Kwitonda who led the family from the unsafe areas of Virunga massif during the terrible unrests caused by civil wars. Unfortunately, he died at 40 years and leadership was passed on to Akarevuro.
Nothing in the group is done without the knowledge of Akarevuro their lead silverback.
This gorilla family is among Congo war survivors, having crossed from the Virunga national park to Volcanoes national park during unrests that were in eastern D.R. Congo.
Kwitonda family is safe with all the 23 members that make up the country.
- Muhoza gorilla family
Visitors who enjoy freshness should trek to this gorilla family as it is one of the newest habituated gorillas in the park. It enjoys low slopes hence easy to trek. Leadership of this family is under Muhoza which means tax collector.
Unlike most gorillas that enjoy bird’s eye views on high altitudes, their haven are low slopes of Volcanoes National Park, making it easy to hike. 12 members have the back of each other while in this family.
- Titus gorilla family
The history of this gorilla family originates way back from the era of Dian Fossey as this is the family that she was studying. The family was named after their silverback called Titus who was the youngest but unfortunately became an orphan after losing all his family members to poaching.
Titus was their celebrity silverback in the group and died at the age of 35 years due to natural death. His death demoralized many members and majority existed the group and hence the leader of the group isn’t known.
Orphaned Titus was grown by a male gorilla that he was entirely not connected and related to.
This gorilla family brags about having the never to forget successful silverbacks. Titus went through a lot of torture after the demise of all his family members but was able to beat all odds and went on the hall of fame of gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.
Titus fathered over 20 gorillas breaking the record of being the silverback with most number of babies in the park.
- Ugenda gorilla family
Ugenda gorilla family enjoys discoveries because it keeps wandering throughout the whole park and hence called Ugenda which means “wanderer”. Hiking this group is troublesome as they are unpredictable about their location.
The name of lead silverback remains anonymous however it is well known that the group has two silver backs. Ugenda loves expeditions and hence never settles in one place however it is mainly sighted around mount Bisoke.
The family shines and moves around the whole park with 11 members including infants, mothers and juveniles.
