Bwenge Gorilla Group

Bwenge Gorilla Group: The Kinyarwanda term “bwenge” means “wisdom.” Based on their appearance in Michael Apted’s 1988 film Gorillas in the Mist, which starred Sigourney Weaver as naturalist Dian Fossey, I would argue that the Bwenge are among the most well-known gorilla populations in Rwanda.

Bwenge founded the Bwenge Gorilla Group in 2007. It was given its name in honor of a silverback that escaped from his Natel family and joined other families.

There are reportedly eleven members of the Bwenge gorilla group, including one silverback who serves as the family’s leader.

When the Bwenge gorilla group lost roughly six babies, it went through a really difficult period. For the entire family, it was a terrible time.

The group currently resides between Mount Bisoke and Mount Karisimbi in the Karisoke volcanic area.

At around 7 a.m., you will meet the game rangers and guides at the park headquarters to get a training on the basics of gorilla trekking, including safety precautions and guidelines, before meeting the Bwenge Gorilla family. If you have any queries, this is the ideal time to ask them.

The adventure-filled journey to this family takes roughly two to three hours. You will hike along the Volcanoes’ pathways and up their steep slopes.

Standing for an hour at a distance of roughly 7 meters from these gentle apes is an exciting experience. The Rwanda Board of Development is also empowered by this kind opportunity to further protect and maintain the natural habitats of the Bwenge Gorilla Group and other habituated families that live in the Volcanoes.

From Kigali or Gisenyi International Airport, the drive to Volcanoes National Park takes roughly two hours.

Bwenge is one of the ten habituated mountain gorilla groups that Volcanoes National Park is said to preserve.