Gorilla Families Found in Kahuzi Biega National Park: Kahuzi Biega national park is a large protected area located in the eastern sections of South Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The park is located on the western shore of Kivu Lake, west of Bukavu town and the Rwandan border. Kahuzi Biega National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that encompasses 6,000 square kilometers of lowland plains and mountains. The various sections of Kahuzi Biega National Park have varied physical characteristics and geography.

A small section of the park runs through the Mitumba Mountain range in the Albertine rift basin in a 7.4 km broad corridor. The corridor links lowland and mountainous territory, and the park’s eastern sector has 600 square kilometers of mountainous terrain, while the rest of the park is occupied by lowland terrain and drained by the Lugulu and Luka rivers, which run into the Lualaba River. The national park was named after two extinct volcanoes: Kahuzi, which stands at 3,308 metres, and Biega, which is at 2,790 metres.

Kahuzi Biega National Park is home to a variety of animal species, including eastern lowland gorillas, which have four subspecies. According to the findings of a 2004 study, there are around 5,000 eastern lowland gorillas in the world. Eastern lowland gorillas are among the biggest surviving primates, with males reaching a maximum height of 1.85 metres and females reaching 1.6 metres. Females weigh 100 kg, and men weigh 210 kg.

Eastern lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega national park are likewise sociable primates who prefer to live in groups of 2-30 people. Each family group is led by a dominant silverback and consists of multiple females and new-borns who are recognized to be their offspring. Silverbacks are the groups’ alpha males, emerging as the strongest gorilla group with the job of protecting their group from any harm.

To minimize conflicts caused by rivalry for the group’s leader, young silverbacks are urged to leave their natal group and create their own groups after they have achieved a mature level of group formation.

Female eastern lowland gorillas give birth to one baby following an eight and a half month gestation period. Twins are extremely unusual in these gorillas, and when one is born, the entire community rejoices.

Gorilla Families Found in Kahuzi Biega National Park.

Kahuzi Biega National Park in Bukavu Congo is home to nearly nine families of eastern lowland gorillas, however only five have undergone habituation procedures. The gorilla habituation procedure involves educating mountain gorillas to get used to human presence. These are the only five gorilla families in Kahuzi Biega National Park available for trekking by tourists, and they are as follows:

Mugahuka Gorilla Family

The Mugahuka gorilla family is also present in Kahuzi Biega National Park, and it consists of one family member with one dominant silverback named Mugahuka, after which the park was named. Mugahuka gorilla family included both members, however owing to disagreements between Chimanuka and Mugahuka gorilla family, it lost family members.

Because the Chimanuka gorilla family won the conflict, females and new-borns were lost, leaving Mugahuka, the dominant silverback, alone in the family group. Because it is the nearest family to be found in the park, the Mugahuka gorilla family is suggested for less vigorous hikers.

Bonnani Gorilla Family

The Bonnani gorilla family is the smallest lowland gorilla family in the park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Bonnani gorilla family has five individuals and is one of the parks recently habituated gorilla groups.

Chimanuka Gorilla Family

The Chimanuka gorilla family is also located in Kahuzi Biega national park and is the DRC’s second biggest lowland gorilla family. According to testimony given by trekkers of the family, trekking this family is an intriguing experience, which is attributed to its attractive individuals. The Chimanuka gorilla family consists of 19 individuals and is led by a dominating silverback Chimanuka, thus the family name’s uniqueness.

Nganwa Gorilla Family

The Nganwa gorilla family is also in Kahuzi Biega National Park, although it is still undergoing habituation and is not yet available for gorilla trekking. The family consists of ten individuals.

Mpungwe Gorilla Family

The Mpungwe gorilla family is situated in the DRC’s Kahuzi Biega National Park and is the largest gorilla family among the habituated families. This is the most popular gorilla family, and it is frequently walked by trekkers who enjoy witnessing big groups of lowland gorillas. Mpungwe gorilla family consists of 21 individuals.

How to get to Kahuzi Biega national Park.

After gorilla trekking experience in Virunga National Park, visitors can tour the national park. Visitors can use a speed boat that takes up to 3 hours to get to Kahuzi-Biega or a ferry that takes up to 7 hours to get to the park. Visitors from Rwanda may reach the national park, which is located 30 kilometres from Bukavu town, through the Rwanda-Congo border at Ruzizi, which takes around 2-3 hours by road.

Best time to do eastern lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park.

Eastern lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi biega national park is best done from June to September and January to mid-February. Visitors may, however, hike lowland gorillas at any time of year.