Douglas Steakley Photography
Rwanda Gallery
Mountain gorillas in Rwanda live in Volcanoes National Park, a mountainous region in the northern part of the country. This park is part of the Virunga volcanic mountains, which spill over into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A second group of mountain gorillas lives further north in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest of Uganda. Mountain gorillas live in a high, cloud forest environment at elevations between 7,000'-14,000'.
Mountain gorillas are a rare success story in Africa as their numbers have been steadily increasing over the past few decades. Their population in the Virunga region declined to a low of 254 in 1981, and has rebounded to over 600 in 2019. Uganda recently reported 459 mountain gorillas, bringing the current total to over 1,000. This increase allowed the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List to lower their status from critically endangered to endangered.
Mountain gorillas live in family groups of five to thirty members, with an average of ten. Each group includes one dominant silverback male, often another silverback (who could be a relative) several black-back or younger males, and several females and younger gorillas. Baby gorillas breast feed for three and a half years and then become juveniles until they are about six years old. At eight they are adults and females are able to bear young, however, most males do not begin breeding until they are about fifteen years old.
From eight to twelve years old the males are called black-backs. After twelve, males begin to develop white fur on their backs and become silverbacks. Black-back males often leave their family group in search of females, to form their own families.
Mountain gorillas are largely vegetarian, feeding on a variety of plants that grow in the jungle. They move every day to a new location and the silverback determines where the family group will spend the nights.
It is truly a remarkable and memorable experience to hike into the dense jungle, to interact, and spend time with these gentle giants.
Every mountain gorilla in Rwanda has been named and they are identified by the varying and distinct shapes of their noses.
Mountain gorillas in Rwanda live in Volcanoes National Park, a mountainous region in the northern part of the country. This park is part of the Virunga volcanic mountains, which spill over into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A second group of mountain gorillas lives further north in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest of Uganda. Mountain gorillas live in a high, cloud forest environment at elevations between 7,000'-14,000'.
Mountain gorillas are a rare success story in Africa as their numbers have been steadily increasing over the past few decades. Their population in the Virunga region declined to a low of 254 in 1981, and has rebounded to over 600 in 2019. Uganda recently reported 459 mountain gorillas, bringing the current total to over 1,000. This increase allowed the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List to lower their status from critically endangered to endangered.
Mountain gorillas live in family groups of five to thirty members, with an average of ten. Each group includes one dominant silverback male, often another silverback (who could be a relative) several black-back or younger males, and several females and younger gorillas. Baby gorillas breast feed for three and a half years and then become juveniles until they are about six years old. At eight they are adults and females are able to bear young, however, most males do not begin breeding until they are about fifteen years old.
From eight to twelve years old the males are called black-backs. After twelve, males begin to develop white fur on their backs and become silverbacks. Black-back males often leave their family group in search of females, to form their own families.
Mountain gorillas are largely vegetarian, feeding on a variety of plants that grow in the jungle. They move every day to a new location and the silverback determines where the family group will spend the nights.
It is truly a remarkable and memorable experience to hike into the dense jungle, to interact, and spend time with these gentle giants.
Every mountain gorilla in Rwanda has been named and they are identified by the varying and distinct shapes of their noses.
