The Mapuwa gorilla family was formed in 1998. Silverback Mapuwa split from the Rugendo gorilla family and started his own group. At first, he left with only two members. Over time, the family grew as Mapuwa fought other silverbacks and took members into his group.
Mapuwa had conflicts with silverback Mvuyekure and was forced out of the area for a short time. Later, he returned, regained control, and the family continued to grow. At one point, the Mapuwa family reached about 24 members. Gorilla family numbers often change due to births, deaths, and movement between groups.
In 2002, Mapuwa fought another silverback named Pilipili and took all members of his family, leaving Pilipili alone. This event greatly increased the size of the Mapuwa group.
The Mapuwa mountain gorilla family is tracked in the Jomba area of Virunga National Park near the Rwanda border. Gorilla trekking permits in Congo cost about 400 US dollars per person. Only eight tourists are allowed to visit the family each day.
Visitors must book gorilla permits at least three months in advance. Gorilla trekking takes place in high rainforest areas, so visitors should be physically fit and carry proper trekking gear.
Virunga National Park is one of the four national parks in the world where visitors can trek endangered mountain gorillas. It is the oldest protected area in Africa and is also known for having two of the most active volcanoes on the continent. The park protects many wildlife species and important natural habitats.
Each mountain gorilla family is led by one dominant silverback. Other silverbacks may live in the same group, but they remain under the control of the main leader. In some cases, younger silverbacks challenge the dominant one. When this happens, fights can occur, and some gorillas may leave the group to form new families elsewhere in the forest.
Mountain gorillas are very close relatives of humans and share about 98 percent of human DNA. This close relationship is one of the reasons many travelers visit Africa each year to see these apes in their natural home. In the 1990s, mountain gorillas were close to extinction. Strong conservation work helped save them, including the efforts of primatologists such as Dian Fossey, who gave her life while protecting gorillas.
Today, there are eight habituated mountain gorilla families in Virunga National Park. One of these families is the Mapuwa mountain gorilla family.
