Virunga National Park is situated in Eastern side of the country, astride Uganda and Rwanda and covers an area of 7800 square kilometers. This wonderful Park is an UNESCO world Heritage Site that was gazetted in 1925 (making it one of the oldest National Parks in Africa). This unforgettable adventure starts from Bukima ranger post where tourists are briefed on the tracking guidelines and what to expect during the activity. Virunga National Park is a home to 200 of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas that are found in the Southern part of the Park.

Virunga National Park is one of the most ecologically endowed conservation areas on earth. Nearly half of all the biodiversity in sub Saharan Africa live in the jungles of Virunga National Park some of which include thousands of forest bird species, mammals and reptiles. Whereas the mountain gorillas are today uncommon and listed as the most critically endangered primates, thanks to conservation efforts that have helped to protect them from the hands of the hunters. Virunga National Park is a home to over 200 gorillas and this represents a quarter of the world’s mountain gorillas that are believed to be still living on the planet. There are also unique savanna and forest elephants together with chimpanzees and lowland gorillas within the jungles of Virunga National Park. Other incredible creatures include okapi, giraffes, buffaloes and numerous bird species. Besides, this mighty protected area is also a geologic wonder and consists of 2 world’s most extinct volcanoes.

Historically, the park has been heavily impacted by civil unrest but thanks to the devoted park rangers and wardens, the park has been in position to survive. Other politicians, the European Union, conservationists, philanthropists and private donors have also played part in rescuing the Virunga’s glory. This park was established in 1925 by King Albert 1 of Belgium and it was previously known as Albert National Park. The Virunga National Park is the oldest protected area in Africa. It was established purposely to offer protection to the critically endangered mountain gorillas that live in the jungles of the Virunga Mountains ranges that were governed by the Belgian Congo. It extended north to include the Rwindi Plains, Virunga Volcano ranges, Lake Edward and the Rwenzori Mountains, in the Eastern DRC, bordering the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. Currently the park covers about 7800 square kilometers.

For the last 35 years, poaching was reduced and sustainable tourism increased as result of large body of hand picked Congolese rangers and devoted wardens. The land remuneration and the use of the park resources like fishing and illegal hunting by adjacent communities turned to be an ever escalating issue. At a time when Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) got her independence in 1960, the new state drastically reduced and never left out Virunga National Park. It was till 1969 that President Mobutu started to take a personal interest in conservation, that Virunga was saved. In the process, its name changed to Virunga National Park and the first Congolese Wildlife Authority was founded. The Institute Congolais pour le Conservation de la Nature or ICCN is till controlling DRC’s conservation areas up to date.

It was not until 1970’s that the park improved. Some foreign investment assisted to enhance the park’s infrastructure and training facilities and the park became a famous place for visitors. At this period, the Virunga National Park received approximately 6500 tourists every year. In 1979, it was designated as a World Heritage Site. In 1980’s, the Mobutu government started to lose its hold on power and the country started to experience political unrest. Virunga National Park suffered massively. Poaching fragmented the park’s large mammal species, infrastructure was destroyed and several park rangers lost their lives which is still the case today. The Congolais Wildlife Authority lost control of Virunga National Park some thing that altered its World Heritage Site status into “endangered.”

Gorilla Families/ Groups in Virunga National Park

There are 10 Congo Gorilla families habituated in the Virunga National Park, making it ideal for Gorilla trekking in Congo. These 10 families are the only mountain gorilla families that can be visited since they are used to humans and habituated for gorilla tourism and conservation. However, due to the area’s instability, the number of mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park is unknown, but the last census estimated over 100.

Gorilla Families include Mapuwa family, Rugendo family, Munyaga group, Humba family, Lulengo group, Nyakamwe group, Kabirizi group and Bageni group.

Without wasting time, let’s dive into the ten groups of these endangered Mountain gorillas known to be Virunga National Park residents. These gorillas families that you might trek during your Gorilla trekking tour in Dr. Congo

Rugendo family

There are 9 individuals in the Rugendo group, including 3 Silverbacks, 1 Blackback, 1 Adult female, 2 Sub-adult females, and 2 babies. Besides Rugabo and Zunguruka, Rugendo was one of the first groups habituated in 1985. A group leader was the Silverback Rugendo, who unfortunately died in 2001 near Bukima in a rebel attack. When the group was formed, Silverback Rugendo led the group.

There are numerous Silverbacks known to be fathered by Rugendo in Virunga National Park, including Mapuwa, Humba, Ruzirabwoba, Mukunda, Nyakamwe; Mburanumwe; Baseka; Kongomani; Lubutu and Bahati. After his death, his son Senkwekwe led the group until 2007, when he was murdered with 5 other gorillas in his group by unknown people.

Silverback Bukima took over leadership in 2008 after the group was without leadership for a few months. Bukima originally belonged to the Buhanga group and later joined the Munyaga group until he became a lone Silverback in 2005.

Baraka family

This family is led by a male silverback known as Baraka, The Baraka Family was named after Rachel Masika, one of the 26 women rangers in the park’s wildlife force. While accompanying British tourists to Mikeno Lodge in Virunga National Park, she was killed by unknown people in honour of that fallen hero, the park named this family.

Muyanga gorilla family 

The Munyanga gorilla family currently consists of 3 Silverbacks, 2 female adult females, 2 subadults, and 2 babies. This family is led by a dominant Silverback called Munyaga, who was a lone wild Silverback until 1998.

After meeting the Buhanga group headed by Nsekuye in February 1998, Munyaga took advantage of the absence of a dominant Silverback to make himself a leader. After several interactions with the Kabirizi group, Munyaga lost all his females to the Kabirizi group. The dominant silverback Munyaga was reportedly missing for two years (2007-2008). Upon his disappearance, Mawazo took advantage to become the leader of the Munyaga gorilla family.

Mapuwa Gorilla Family

Mapuwa group was formed in 1998 by Mapuwa Silverback. In August 1995, Mapuwa left the Rugendo group with his brother Ruzirabwoba for a solitary life. In 1998, Mapuwa formed his group – Mapuwa – by taking two females (Kagofero and Kanepo) from the Lulengo group. There are 22 individuals in the Mapuwa group, including 3 Silverbacks, 3 Blackbacks, 6 Adult females, 2 Sub-adult females, 4 juveniles, and 5 babies.

Lulengo Gorilla Family

The Lulengo Gorilla family was originally known as the Musekura mountain gorilla family. However, the name was changed to Lulengo in memory of a land mine that killed Virunga national park’s technical director Lulengo. The family consists of 9 individuals: a silverback, a triplet, a subadult male, and 3 babies. Numerous factors contribute to the change in gorilla populations.

The dominant silverback of the group, Lulengo, was born into the Rugabi gorilla family, and during the Great Lakes Refugee Crisis in 1994, his father, Rugabo, was a victim of poachers who shot and killed him. A trek to this group can be made from Jomba near Bunagana near the DR Congo-Uganda border.

Kabirizi family

This group was once known as the Ndungutse family, named after the known silverback Ndungutse. However, this silverback was assassinated in 1997 after being caught in the crossfire between the rebel groups and the DR Congo Army at the Bukima patrol post. Kabirizi is named after the ICCN director killed in a 1990 traffic accident. A humble and powerful silverback leads the group; he inherited the name Kabirizi and lived in the wild unhabituated gorilla habitat until 1998, when he became habituated.

His competition currently comes from a young silverback named Masibo. There are 19 members in the Kabirizi group. The trek starts from the Bukima patrol post when trekking with this gorilla family. Gorilla trekking bookings should be made 3 months before your arrival.

Bageni family

The Bageni family is usually found in the Bukima and Gatovu areas of Virunga National Park. There are 26 members in the Bageni group, including 1 Silverback, 2 Blackbacks, 10 adults, 1 sub-adult, 3 juveniles, and 9 babies. In January 2013, Bageni the Silverback split from his father’s group (Kabirizi group). In addition to his mother Mapendo and brothers, Bageni formed his group called Bageni with 20 individuals. Visitors prefer the Bageni family during Congo gorilla trekking because it’s the calmest and great for photographers.

Nyekamwe Gorilla Family

The dominant Silverback Nyakamwe leads the Nyakamwe group in the Bukima area of Virunga National Park in DRC. As a result of the split in the Humba group in 2014, we formed the Nyakamwe group. On 20/04/2014, Nyakamwe Silverback split up with his brother Humba because of internal conflicts, leaving the Humba group with only five members. There are 15 individuals in the Nyakamwe group today, including 3 Silverbacks, 4 Female Adults, 2 Sub-Adults, 3 Juveniles, and 3 Infants.

Humba Gorilla Family

This calm group of 10 members is located in Bukima and was named after Humba the lead silverback. Humba separated from his father Rugendo in 1998 with 6 individuals and is a brother of Senkwekwe who was killed by gunmen in 2007. In 2014, the Humba group had 16 members but a split between Humba and his brother Nyakamwe reduced the group number. Nyakamwe left with 10 individuals leaving 6 with Humba. The group number has been raised by new births and acquisition of other individuals from other groups – Like Kakule the female from the Munyaga group. This group is much loved by tourists and lives around the Gatovu and Bikenge sections of the park.

When to visit Virunga National Park

Every day and month can be visited for gorilla trekking. However, the wet season in April/May and October/November is not preferred because the trails are always muddy and slippery hence more difficult to navigate. The dry season and other normal seasons are the best for gorilla trekking because trails/paths tend to be drier hence hiking is not so difficult.

Get your equipments ready for gorilla trekking in Congo, and these include Strong hiking boots, rain jacket/poncho because Virunga National Park is situated within a rainforest, first id kit, a waterproof backpack, camera and binoculars, long trousers and long sleeved shirts, and a hat to protect you from the strong sunshine.

Cost of a Gorilla Permit in Virunga National Park

Gorilla permits in DRC are the cheapest compared to Rwanda and Uganda. A permit costs $400 for International tourists and $150 for Congolese Nationals. Just like Uganda, gorilla permits in Congo are also discounted during the wet seasons which ate also the low seasons (April, May and October/November).A permit costs $350 per person.

Gorilla Trekking Guidelines in Virunga National Park

The rules include;

• All trekkers are advised to wear masks (that are provided by the Park rangers) when in the presence of the gorillas to safeguard their heath.
• Trekkers have to be 15 years and above for them to be allowed to track mountain gorillas.
• Gorilla trekking in Virunga National Pak is strictly conducted from 8:00am to 7:00 pm.
• You are not allowed to visit these Giant Apes if you have flue or cough to avoid transmitting these diseases to the mountain gorillas because they share 98% of their DNA with humans hence are susceptible to these diseases. If you realize you are sick before the scheduled trek, please cancel the activity. Always turn away from the mountain gorillas or use a handkerchief or cover your mouth if you want to sneeze or cough to prevent them from catching human diseases.
• Visitors are allowed to spend a maximum of one hour with the mountain gorillas to avoid straining/stressing them. Once your one hour with them has elapsed, please do not over stay.
• When with the mountain gorillas, it is important to maintain a distance of 7 meters away from them to avoid transmitting any diseases to them and also because they are wild animals no matter how friendly they may be.
• Only 8 persons are allowed to visit a gorilla family per day to reduce on the risk of transmitting human diseases to the mountain gorillas.
• Avoid direct eye contact with the mountain gorillas because they may perceive it as confrontation. When these mountain gorillas charge by shouting or beating their chest, remain calm and avoid eye contact.
• Avoid making noise when tracking or watching them because it might scare them away. Even if you want to communicate with your colleagues, just murmur or speak silently. Do not use flash cameras when taking photos.
• Do not smoke and avoid eating when with these animals. Since there are no toilets in the jungle, your guide will dig a hole for you to ease yourself after which it will be covered properly.
• Always wash your hands clean before gorilla trekking because you might spread germs to the mountain gorillas and avoid touching them.

How to Access Virunga National Park

When in DRC especially Goma, this Park is in the West direction of Goma (the capital of North Kivu province). It is always difficult to travel to this Park from the Congo side because the roads are in poor condition. Tourists are advised to use 4WDs vehicles and connect to this Park from Rwanda or even Uganda. The roads in Rwanda are well developed and comfortable for travelers who are heading for a tedious activity like gorilla trekking. It is just 3-4 hours drive from Kigali Airport to Goma that is near the border of DRC. Tourists connecting from Uganda can access this Park from the South-western part of Uganda by crossing through the Bunagana border (you will be required to purchase a Visa for crossing especially a tourist Visa is at $100). Before you consider travelling to DRC, first get a yellow fever vaccination.

Tourists to Virunga National Park normally fly into Kigali International Airport and spend 3 hours and more on taxi ride to Gisenyi border to DR Congo or Goma Town. International flights always land in late in the afternoon or evening. With such arrivals, tourists to DRC are advised to spend a night in Kigali city and then set off for Virunga the next morning. There are several hotels for you to spend a night in Kigali and at the same time the hotel management can still organize to pick you but with extra charge attached to it. Ethiopian Airline and domestic DR Congo airlines fly into Goma although the Airport is not of international standards. Tourists should know that the border crossing is only safe between 8:00am and 7:00pm. For any signs of insecurities, the park management can temporarily shut down tourism activities and message will be passed on for travelers to know what is going on. It is from this note that visitors should first contact their respective governments’ Office of Foreign Affairs concerning any travel alerts. Tourists are also advised not to take self drive safaris to DRC! In case you are using your own transport means, it is important that you communicate to Virunga’s tourism office through email at visit@virunga.org. Please never forget to get a yellow fever certificate as it is a requirement for any visitor who enters Rwanda and DRC.

In conclusion Virunga National Park is a home to various wildlife species. The biodiversity in the park ranges from the rare mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, birds and other outs7#tanding wildlife species. With this, the park is an incredible place for mountain gorilla trekking, chimpanzee experiences, birding paradise and other primate safaris that fill tourists with unforgettable experiences.

Accommodation in and around Virunga National Park

There are facilities in and around Virunga National Park that offer comfortable accommodation and they include Tchegera Island Tented Camp, Bukima Tented Camp, Mikeno Lodge and Virunga Lodge among others.

LUXURY ACCOMMODATIONS

Mikeno Lodge

• Description: Located within the park, this luxury lodge offers an immersive experience in the heart of Virunga. It provides stunning views of the forest and excellent service.
• Amenities: The lodge features luxurious bungalows with en-suite bathrooms, private decks, a restaurant, bar, and lounge area with a fireplace.
• Special Features: Mikeno Lodge offers guided gorilla treks, nature walks, and visits to the Senkwekwe Gorilla Orphanage. It supports conservation and community projects.

MID-RANGE ACCOMMODATIONS

Bukima Tented Camp

• Description: Located near the starting point for gorilla treks, this tented camp offers a comfortable stay with close proximity to the trekking trails.
• Amenities: The camp offers spacious tents with en-suite bathrooms and private decks, a restaurant, and a bar.
• Special Features: The camp offers guided treks, bird watching, and nature walks. It supports conservation and community initiatives.

Kibumba Tented Camp

• Description: Situated near the park, this mid-range tented camp offers comfortable accommodations with beautiful views of the surrounding landscape.
• Amenities: The camp offers en-suite tents, a restaurant, bar, and a lounge area.
• Special Features: The camp offers guided hikes, cultural tours, and bird watching. It supports local community projects and conservation efforts.

BUDGET ACCOMMODATIONS

Nyiragongo Summit Shelters

• Description: Located on the slopes of Mount Nyiragongo, these basic shelters provide budget accommodations for travellers looking to hike the volcano.
• Amenities: The shelters offer simple bunk beds and basic facilities. There is a communal dining area.
• Special Features: The shelters provide an affordable option for experiencing the Nyiragongo volcano hike. Proceeds support conservation efforts.

Tchegera Island Camp

• Description: Located on Tchegera Island in Lake Kivu, this budget-friendly camp offers a peaceful retreat with stunning views.
• Amenities: The camp offers simple tents with shared facilities, a restaurant, and a bar.
• Special Features: The camp offers kayaking, bird watching, and nature walks. It supports local community initiatives and conservation projects.

Rubavu Guest House

• Description: Located in Goma, this budget guesthouse offers basic accommodations for budget travellers.
• Amenities: The guesthouse offers simple rooms with shared bathrooms, a restaurant, and a bar.
• Special Features: The guesthouse offers guided tours, transportation services, and cultural experiences. It supports local community projects.

In conclusion

Visitors planning to track gorillas in Congo need to know that the park is currently safe and tourist are accorded great protection within and outside the park.  Poaching has been reduced and almost eliminated in the Virunga National Park. Armed guards, guides and park wardens are always on the lookout for tourists and the mountain gorillas.