Virunga's Mountain Gorilla Families

Of all the gorilla families that roam the Virunga Mountain Range, eight families have been habituated, and two families are still in the process of being so. Learn more about the mountain gorilla families you are helping to protect.

  • Family Dynamics
  • Habituation and its Benefits
  • Mountain Gorillas Katya

    Mountain gorillas live in family units, also known as troops, led by a dominant male silverback. While there may be other silverbacks within a troop, all gorillas are subordinate to the dominant silverback, who directs troop activities and retains mating rights over females. Mature females regularly migrate between families to improve reproductive chances and avoid inbreeding.

    Photo credit: Virunga National Park
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    Mountain gorilla conservation would be challenging without habituation. This painstaking process involves Rangers and trackers gradually increasing the duration and proximity of troop visits until the gorillas no longer perceive human observers as a threat. Age, sex, and unique noseprints are then logged as part of the identification process. Once established, names are assigned, each in memory of one of Virunga’s fallen rangers. A troop is normally fully habituated after two years, at which point tourist groups can visit.

    Since it began in 1994, habituation has allowed researchers to observe how mountain gorillas affect their environment and better understand behaviour for the purpose of improving conservation efforts.

    It is also critical for tracking births, deaths, migrations, and silverback clashes, which can lead to the superseding of dominant males or the division of troops.

    Photo credit: Bobby Neptune
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    Aside from monitoring behaviour and family dynamics, daily visitations allow individual health issues to be identified and illegal activities to be detected and brought to the attention of Park Rangers.

    All in all, habituation has supported the healthy population growth of mountain gorillas, a sub-species that is central not only to healthy ecosystems but to Virunga’s conservation and developmental aims as well.By the end of 2021, there were 17 births within the Park, and with similar successes in neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda, the mountain gorilla has been reclassified from critically endangered to endangered by the IUCN.

    Photo credit: Bobby Neptune
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The Bageni Family

Family Origins – Bageni became a silverback in 2010 and stayed with his father Kabirizi until 2013. After repeated confrontations, Bageni left with 20 individuals on 27th January 2013 to form his own troop. Among them were eight females, including his mother Mapedo and mature Kamoso, as well as the silverback Kanamahalagi and subadult male Ntamuvulira.

Surpassing Kabirizi – In January 2015, Bageni gained another female during a confrontation, leaving Kabirizi with only three females.

Clashes with Willungunla – In May 2019, Bageni fought with Willungunla, leader of a troop of 40 undergoing habituation. Bageni emerged with two more adult females.

The Bageni Family Today – With 56 members, Bageni’s is the largest troop in the Park. Recent assessments note conflicts among the three silverbacks, suggesting a possible split. Each silverback now moves with different members, sometimes 200–400 meters apart. Still, Bageni’s troop remains the largest in the Virunga Massif.

The Wilungula Family

The Wilungula family, recently accustomed to human presence, counts 36 individuals, including five silverbacks. The Park’s community trackers observed Shabani, a female from the Kabirizi family, switching allegiances to the Wilungula group after a recent family interaction.

The Kabirizi Family

Family Origins – Many Kabirizi family members came from the Zunguruka troop, habituated in 1994 in Bukima. After Zunguruka died of old age, his son Ndungutse became leader but was killed by poachers in 1997. His son Buhanga then led the group. Ndungutse’s killers were arrested and jailed.

Kabirizi Challenges – On 2nd February 1998, Buhanga was killed during a clash with Kabirizi. The group was briefly led by matriarch Nsekuye, who died on 1st April 2010.

Kabirizi Prevails – In February 1998, Munyaga, a solitary male of unknown origin, led the group briefly. After several confrontations, Kabirizi took all his females.

Bageni Challenges – Between 1998 and 2012, Kabirizi’s family grew to 36. At its peak, Kabirizi’s son Bageni challenged his father and left with 20 individuals.

The Kabirizi Family Today – The troop now has 25 members. Two young males left to live alone, and a female with her baby joined the Wilungula family. Kabirizi holds the highest number of silverbacks—seven. With current dynamics, further emigrations may occur.

The Mapuwa Family

Family Origins – Silverback Mapuwa belonged to his father Rugendo’s family until August 1995, when he left with his brother Ruzirabwoba to live as a solitary male. It took three years and several clashes with Lulengo before Mapuwa secured two adult females to form a troop.

Mapuwa, The Aggressor – In 1999, he clashed with the Kwitondo and Rugabo families, gaining four more individuals.

Rapid Expansion – Between 2000 and 2009, the troop grew to 15 members through births and migrations. By March 2020, it reached around 22.

Mvuyekure Challenges – In 2017, the ageing Mapuwa lost leadership to silverback Mvuyekure. He was exiled temporarily, later returning as a subordinate.

The Mapuwa Family Today – The troop now has 28 members, led by silverbacks Mvuyekure and Wathaut. Mapuwa has not been seen recently, confirming Mvuyekure as the new leader.

The Rugendo Family

Family Origin – Alongside the Rugabo and Zunguruka families, the Rugendo troop was among the first habituated in Jomba in 1984. From then to March 1998, the group grew from 10 to 18 members before splitting in December 1998 after a clash between Rugendo and his son Humba. In 2001, Rugendo was killed by rebels in Bukima, and his son Senkwekwe became the new leader.

Senkwekwe Massacre – Senkwekwe led until 2007, when he and five others were killed, likely to intimidate rangers.

Hope From Tragedy – The five surviving gorillas carried on without a leader. In 2009, Virunga opened the world’s only mountain gorilla sanctuary, named the Senkwekwe Centre, for orphans of poaching and conflict.

A New Leader – In 2008, after conflict eased, tracking resumed. A formerly solitary silverback, Bukima, was found leading the group.

The Rugendo Family Today – Now numbering 18 members, the troop saw five births from 2022 to 2024. Before his death in June 2024, Bukima had integrated a young female from the Humba family. The new leader is silverback Gongomani.

The Humba Family

Family Origins – In December 1998, the Humba family formed after ongoing clashes between Humba and his father Rugendo split the Rugendo troop in two. Humba left with his brother Nyakamwe, who later became a silverback.

Troop Expansion – Between 1998 and 2009, the troop grew to 17 members through births and emigrations, with only one recorded death.

Clash With Nyakamwe – In April 2014, tensions led to a split. Humba kept six members, while Nyakamwe departed with nine.

Clash With Munyaga – In February 2015, the adult female Kakule joined the Humba family after a confrontation with Munyaga.

The Humba Family Today – Now with 18 members, the troop gained three individuals since 2022. One young female joined the Rugendo family. To maintain harmony within the group, the two silverbacks, Humba and Mahindure, have split the females between them to ensure balance and stability within the troop.

The Nyakamwe Family

Family Origins – The year 2014 saw the inception of the Nyakamwe family. The silverback of the same name was originally part of the Rugendo family with his brother Humba. When the family split in 1998, Nyakamwe followed his brother to form a new troop as a subordinate male. Following several confrontations between the two brothers in 2014, a further family division took place on 5th April, leaving Humba with six individuals and Nyakamwe with ten.

Clash With Kabirizi – On 20th August 2015 a confrontation with Kabirizi led to the migration of the adult female Kabila to Nyakamwe’s troop. 

The Nyakamwe Family Today – Like the Humba family, the Nyakamwe troop now counts 18 individuals, compared with 15 in 2022. The Park’s gorilla monitoring team has also noted the disappearance of the Kanyangara blackback, who may have become solitary.

The Lulengo Family

Family Origins – The original leader of this family was Rugabo (also known as Marcel by the habituation team). In 1994, the silverback, along with two females, was brutally murdered during an attack in which a young gorilla known as Mvuyekure was kidnapped. The poachers, whose motive was to sell the juvenile in Uganda, were subsequently arrested and jailed. In the aftermath, Lulengo assumed leadership of the twelve remaining members of the troop.

Clash with Mapuwa – In 1998, Lulengo had multiple clashes with Mapuwa, which led to a number of gorillas migrating to Mapuwa’s family. 

Clash with Rugendo – A clash with Rugendo in 2014 resulted in the female Bagambe emigrating to Lulengo’s troop.

The Lulengo Family Today – At the start of 2022, the Lulengo family consisted of 12 gorillas, but it now has 15 individuals. Born on May 6th, 1984, silverback Lulengo (one of the oldest dominant males in the Mikeno sub-sector) continues to lead the family.

The Munyaga Family

Family Origins – Before 1998, Munyaga was unhabituated and not regularly tracked. He was known through interactions with the Buhanga family, which led some of its members, including brothers Kasole and Mawazo (now silverbacks), to join him. Habituation revealed a unique member, Kadogo—the only known bald-headed gorilla in the Mikeno sector.

Kabirizi Clashes – After Kabirizi killed Buhanga, Munyaga briefly led the remaining members. However, Kabirizi later took all of Buhanga’s females following a clash with Munyaga.

Family Decline – Between 1998 and 2002, the troop shrank from 12 to 6 members due to multiple family clashes.

Munyaga’s Disappearance – From 2007 to 2008, Munyaga vanished while CNDP rebels occupied his range, preventing ranger monitoring. During this time, Mawazo became the dominant silverback.

The Munyaga Family Today – The smallest troop in the Mikeno sector, Munyaga’s group has remained stable since 2020. Between 2022 and 2024, they recorded one birth and lost a young female, Masika, to the Humba family. The troop is now led jointly by Kasole and Mawazo after a past rivalry.

The Baraka Family

Similarly to the Wilungula family, the Baraka family has recently become accustomed to human presence. During the assessment, it was located at high altitudes, up to 3,000 meters, and numbered 15 individuals.