Wildlife Safaris In Volcanoes National Park (Parc Des Volcans) Volcanoes National Park is Rwanda’s sector of the Virunga Massif shared by other two countries of Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo. The park covers an area of 160sq. kilometers out of the 433sq. kilometers of the entire Virunga Conservation area that has got the Congolese Virunga National Park and Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park. Volcanoes National Park has spanning altitudes of 2,400m to 4,507m with fertile slopes made of different layers of solidified lava. The Park is made up of several chains of peaks the tallest being Karisimbi (4,507m) at the western border with DRC and linked by fertile saddles formed by solidified lava flows, ranks among the most stirring and memorable of African landscapes. The other main peaks within the national park are Bisoke (aka Visoke) also on the DRC border, Sabyinyo at the tripartite border with Uganda and the DRC, and Gahinga (aka Mgahinga) and Muhabura (aka Muhavura) on the Uganda border. More than half of the world’s total mountain gorilla population is protected within the Virunga conservation area that has a range of up to nine volcanoes 3 of which are active.
Gorilla tracking is by far the most popular tourist activity in Volcanoes National Park which reward travelers with a life changing encounter with mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Golden monkey trekking comes second after gorilla trekking as another popular activity in Volcanoes National Park. Golden monkeys are an Albertine Rift endemic whose modern range is more-or-less restricted to the Virungas. Another popular activity in the park is the hike to Dian Fossey’s former camp and grave on the forested slopes of Karisoke.
Wildlife in the Park
In terms of wildlife tourism, mountain gorillas and golden monkeys with a small count of other primates and large mammals largely dominate Volcanoes National Park. However, elephants and buffaloes are occasionally seen, present also are the giant forest hog, bush pig, bushbuck, black-fronted duiker, spotted hyena, small predator varieties, massive yellow-backed duiker and leopard.
Gorilla Tracking
The experience of tracking mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park is second to none of all other wildlife encounters in the park. No one can fully describe this incredible experience of getting in touch with these enormous animals, despite their fearsome size and appearance, these mountain gorillas are very peaceful creatures and their temperament is far more friendlier compared to their fellow primates the Vervet monkeys or baboons. These awesome gorillas interact with their daily visitors as their fellow apes though the rangers restrict the distance between them and the visitor to 7meters to avoid passing human diseases to these innocent residents. Although quest to track these mountain gorillas has never been easy, as you need to go through steep slopes, dense vegetation, slippery underfoot conditions after rain and high altitude, there is hardly anyone who has gone gorilla tracking and regretted the experience, not even the financial or physical expense.
A total of eight gorilla tracking permits are issued per day for each of the eight habituated gorilla groups in the park making a total of 64 permits daily. There is no specific group allocated to particular visitors for tracking as gorillas keep moving from one place to another including crossing borders, however the guides always try to allocate people to a group depending on their apparent fitness. Time allowed to track gorillas is strictly one hour and the minimum age for trackers is 15 years. The availability of gorilla tracking permits is not guaranteed all the time but the rain season of April and May being a low season when trekking operates under capacity where as the peak season of June to September may force you to wait for days or weeks before securing your tracking permit, therefore booking 6 to 12 months in advance is highly emphasized.
Habituated Gorilla Groups in Volcanoes National Park
Susa Group: This group is the most difficult to reach of all the eight gorilla groups in the park. It originally comprised of more than 40 individuals before the split in 2010 that left the group with about 30 members though the group’s population is still the biggest in the park including four silverbacks, which makes it the second largest group of mountain gorillas in the world. The Susa group though difficult and expensive to reach, it is still the first choice of most fit visitors and on the way to visit this group expect to be greeted by gorillas tumbling out of every bush and bamboo stand making the visit delightfully chaotic and totally unforgettable.
Sabyinyo Group: The Sabyinyo group’s territory lies within the Volcanoes National Park occupying a light forested saddle between Mount Sabyinyo and Mount Gahinga. From the car Park to the forest boundary to track the Sabyinyo group gorillas, you are likely to spend 20-30 minutes while walking through a flat to gently sloping landscape while seeing the gorillas in the forest may take 10 minutes to 1 hour. The Sabyinyo group has 11 individuals with two silverbacks and it is more known for being more cohesive and an impressive structure and its interaction nature. More impressively, the dominant male Guhondo, the heaviest gorilla of all races with 220kg belongs to this group.
Group Thirteen: the group’s name dates to when it was first habituated in the Park with 13 gorillas though this number has increased to 26 individuals with 13 adult females and one silverback who enticed the females from the Nyakagezi group after crossing over to Rwanda from Uganda following the arrival of the Kwitonda group from DRC. This silverback’s relaxed nature and being more approachable compared to the rest in other groups has made Group Thirteen a favorite to many guides.
Amahoro and Umubano Groups: These two groups share the same territory on the slopes of Mount Bisoke. Amahoro Group has 17 individuals while Umubano group has 11 with one silverback for each group. The hikes to reach the territory for these two friendly groups are typically intermediate in difficulty between those of Susa and Sabyinyo. These two groups have strong bonds with each other with several individuals having brothers and sisters in the other group. This special relationship in these groups has created harmony among them just as their names suggest, the Amahoro (peace) and Umubano (live together).
Hirwa Group: This is part of the three new groups that have been recently habituated in the Park partly due to increase in the gorilla population that has forced the older groups to split. The other two new groups include Kwitonda and Karisimbi. This group that usually inhabits the foothills of Mount Sabyinyo on the Gahinga side is comprised of nine individuals that were gathered by one silverback in 2006 after breaking away from the Susa group about two years earlier
Kwitonda Group: This 16 individual group crossed into Uganda from DRC around 2006 probably due to the Congolese civil war. The group’s stay in Mgahinga National Park forced the smaller Uganda-based Nyakagezi group to cross to Rwanda. Later in 2006, the Kwitonda group also crossed to Rwanda occupying the lower slopes of Mount Muhabura. The coming of the Nyakagezi group was not welcomed by the Group Thirteen whose silverback poached all the Nyakagezi females eventually forcing the now all male Nyakagezi group back to Uganda.
Karisimbi Group: This is the third group of the 3 new ones with 15 members who are mostly former members of the split Susa group and they occupy the territory on slopes of Mount Karisimbi.
Golden Monkey Tracking
Though overshadowed by gorilla tracking, the rare golden monkeys are also available in Volcanoes National Park. This newly habituated group is also listed as endangered by the IUCN. They are endemic to the Albertine Rift and are characterized by a bright orange-gold body, cheeks and tail with black limbs, crown and tail-end. Visits to these delightful creatures are arranged for a maximum of six people and they last for one hour.
Cultural Tours in Volcanoes National park
Spare some time and visit the ibyiwacu cultural village located at the trailhead for the Sabyinyo Group for intensive knowledge about Rwanda. Edwin Sabuhoro of Rwanda Eco-Tours founded this award-winning venture in 2004. The cultural village was basically set up to help improve the livelihood of communities living around Volcanoes National Park and reduce their dependency on the Park’s resources. The project achieves this through providing legitimate employment to about 1000 former and potential poachers through engaging them in various income generating projects like vegetable and mushroom farming, beekeeping and tourism. Guests always visit Iby’iwacu cultural village after a morning’s gorilla tracking and they can now encounter a fantastic wood-and-thatch replica of a traditional Rwanda palace, Intore dancers also their drumming and dance unique skills. There is also a short community walk, a church visit, a consultation with a traditional healer, shooting a bow and arrow with the local Batwa pygmies together with an exhibition of the community’s activities like grinding millet and sorghum, making banana beer and harvesting potatoes and other crops. The fee from Iby’Iwacu culture village tours is split so that 40% goes to community members who perform and do other activities where as 60% is managed by the village fund committee that uses it for community support projects like buying seeds for farmers, sponsoring school children and buying scholastic materials.
Getting to Volcanoes National Park
The RDB office/park headquarters is found in the village of Kinigi where gorilla tracking and all other activities in the park start. Kinigi lies along a surface road signposted to the left of the Cyanika road 12km north of Musanze/Ruhengeri. Flight visitors from Kigali International Airport can use both buses/taxis and private vehicles, to get to Kinigi from the capital Kigali. From the bus stop at Musanze, public transport is available to Kinigi with at least one mini bus leaving from the bus station every 30 minutes taking 15-20 minutes. Buses usually stop at 1 or 2km away from the park headquarters where a one-way taxi or a Moto can collect you to the park. For gorilla trackers and those doing others hikes, it is advisable to organize a trip that allows you to stay at one of the mid-range or upmarket lodges found in and around Kinigi on the night before they can embark on these activities the following day. This minimizes the risk of being late at the park headquarters where all participants in gorilla tracking and other hikes must assemble by 7:00am.
Where to Stay in Volcanoes National Park
Although overnight camping is forbidden in the park and no accommodation facilities available for visitors to the park, all budget lodges are available around Kinigi. However, travellers with a restricted budget may spend an overnight in their budget-suiting lodge at Musanze and then travel to Kinigi early in the morning.
Do’s and Don’ts in Volcanoes National Park
Tourists are allowed to spend only one hour with the gorillas.
Eating, urinating of defecating in the presence of gorillas is forbidden
Tourists are not allowed to approach within less than 7 meters of the gorillas.
Smoking is forbidden anywhere in the park because it is unhealthy for animals.
Visitors with airborne infections like flu or a cold are discouraged from visiting the gorillas because they are susceptible to such diseases
Tourists are advised to always listen and follow instructions from their guide regarding the protocol in the presence of gorillas to avoid any situations that may provoke the gorillas to attack the visitors.
Conclusively, a visit to volcanoes national park offers you all you need to see and do on your Rwanda safari. Trek the endangered mountain gorillas, meet face to face with golden monkeys and take part in cultural tours all rewarding you with a memorable experiences.