Agashya gorilla family is one of the 12 habituated Mountain Gorillas in the volcanoes National Park available for gorilla trekking, the group name originates from a kinyarwanda phrase “Agashya” which means “News”, this is the most seen group around in the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Originally known as Group 13 and headed by the dominant Silverback Murthi.
Unfortunately, Murthi died in 1992 leaving behind 3 young males (Munane, Nyakarima and Kwirinda) who struggled to lead the group. The 3 males stayed together until Munane turned into a Silverback and led the group. Kwirinda died from injuries sustained through a fight with another group, while Nyakarima left the group. In his quest to expand the group, Munane interacted with other groups and acquired females.
He unfortunately died on May 18th, 2002, due to natural causes leaving behind a blackback to lead the group. Due to his young age, the blackback associated with the adult female Safari who helped him in managing the group. However, a Silverback (Agashya) from an unknown group then came and took over leadership from the young blackback. The group was later named Agashya in 2010 at the Kwita Izina ceremony. Currently, Agashya group is led by the Silverback Agashya and is composed of 22 individuals: including 4 Silverbacks, 4 Adult females, 1 Blackback, 2 Sub-adult females, 2 Sub-adult males, 2 Juveniles and 7 Infants.
The Agashya gorilla family is simple to identify by number, which is how they got their family name. They are also known as Group 13 (thirteen). At the moment, there are around 25 individuals in the group, including one silverback, 12 females, seven infants, and three juveniles. They take pleasure in the PNV’s lush, verdant nature.
The name “group 13” originated from the fact that there were initially 13 people involved in the formation of the band at the beginning of their habituation. When Agashya took over from him, Nyakairima was the dominant figure in Group 13, but he eventually lost that position. The name of the band had to be changed to “Agashya” after the band was taken over by Agashya. Despite this, Group 13 is still sometimes used to refer to it. In the native Kinyarwanda language, the word “News” is referred to as “Agashya.”
When Agashya emerged victorious in the heated conflict and assumed leadership of the organization, he conducted a number of investigations to determine whether or not Nyakairima was credible. It is credited to Nyakairima that the number of members in the family increased from 12 to 25.
Agashya is very security concerned, and in the event that he is threatened, he will always take the group up on the raised landscape. Sometimes, they are even frightened about other gorilla trekkers.
This gorilla troop never ventures more than a few hundred meters away from the Sabyinyo Gorilla Group. Both of them make their homes on the slopes of Mount Sabyinyo, which is one of the most impressive parts of the enormous Virunga Volcanoes.
Are you someone who tends to look out for their own safety and the safety of others? In such case, you need to make sure that you reserve your permits to visit this group of Mountain Gorillas because you have a lot in common with them.
It is important to keep in mind that gorilla trekking is only permitted for groups of no more than eight people who are at least 15 years old. The typical duration of the walk ranges anywhere from two to eight hours, depending not only on how tough it is to approach these gorillas but also on their movements from the day before. This time includes a full hour interaction with these gentle giants in their natural habitats, providing you with the ideal opportunity to snap the amazing moments, form a connection with them, and watch them go about their daily lives.
Do you want to go to an Agashya that places a high priority on safety and protection? We can assist you in doing that at extremely competitive prices. To receive an estimate, only contact us using the following form.
