Volcanoes National Park is a popular destination among the four national parks in Rwanda. It is located in the northwest part of the country. Volcanoes National Park is home to many mountain gorillas, which are divided into groups.
Simply put, gorillas are great primates that only live in the Virunga region of East Africa, covering southern Uganda, eastern D.R. Congo, and northern Rwanda. They live in groups, also called families, and each group is led by one dominant silverback.
It is well known and recorded that there are 12 gorilla groups found in Volcanoes National Park, including Ugyenda group with 27 members, Bwenge group with 11 members, Kwitonda group with 23 individuals, Hirwa group, Susa group, Umubano group, and others.
Umubano is a Kinyarwanda word that means living together in harmony. It is believed that the group separated from the Amahoro family and was formed by the silverback Charles after many fights with the then dominant silverback. The family currently has 13 members, including one silverback.
As is common, when a lead silverback dies, another male takes over, usually through a fight, if there is more than one silverback in the group. Surprisingly, after the sudden death of the Amahoro leader, Charles did not fight Ubumwe. Instead, he broke away peacefully and formed his own group, Umubano, leaving with only two females.
Normally, a new group forms after a great fight between two silverbacks, but Charles formed his group without fighting Ubumwe. Ubumwe allowed Charles to form his family and chose two females from the Amahoro group to go with him. This happened after the death of their father.
Charles, being young and ambitious, managed to maintain his group and attracted more females in a short time. On your safari to Rwanda for a mountain gorilla experience in Volcanoes National Park, you can expect to meet this group, which is very interesting and will make your safari memorable and enjoyable.
Furthermore, trekking Umubano gorilla family is like trekking any other group. It takes about three hours, including one hour in the presence of the gorillas, and the time spent descending back to the starting point.
Taking photos is allowed, but flashlights must not be used. Only adults aged 15 years and above are allowed to trek this group. If you have a cough or flu, you are not allowed to trek this group.
Although these primates are habituated, they still remain wild. A distance of seven meters must be maintained between visitors and gorillas, along with other rules explained by the ranger guide.
After reaching the place where the Umubano family slept the previous night, you will spend one hour watching and enjoying the gorillas grooming each other, communicating, mothers taking care of infants, feeding habits, and many more interesting behaviors.
It is important to note that to trek a gorilla family, you must have a document known as a gorilla permit, which allows you to be in the presence of the gorillas. You can reserve this permit directly from the Rwanda Development Board or book through a registered tour company, which is easier and saves time.
Booking a gorilla permit should be done early, at least one or two months before the trek, to enjoy the best safari experience. Only eight people are allowed to trek each gorilla group, and a briefing is done at the park headquarters before the trek.
The best time to trek the Umubano gorilla family is during the dry season when the trails are dry and easier to pass. The long dry season runs from June to September, and the short dry season runs from December to March. Book your Umubano gorilla family trek during this time to enjoy a memorable safari.
