Agashya

Agashya

Gorilla Family

Agashya

Back to all families

22 MEMBERS: LAST UPDATED 22/02/2022

Agashya group is found in 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.

  • 4

    Silverbacks

  • 4

    Adult females

  • 1

    Blackbacks

  • 2

    Sub-adult females

  • 2

    Juveniles

  • 7

    Infants

About mountain gorillas

The eastern gorilla is a large hominid with a large head, broad chest, and long arms. It has a flat nose with large nostrils. The face, hands, feet and breast are bald. The fur is mainly black, but adult males have a silvery “saddle” on their back. When the gorilla gets older, the hair on the saddle of the back becomes white, much like the gray hair of elderly people. This is why the older males are called silverbacks. Grauer’s gorilla has a shorter, thicker, deep black fur, while the mountain gorilla has a more bluish color. The mountain gorilla is slightly smaller and lighter than Grauer’s gorilla, but still larger and heavier than the western lowland gorilla and the Cross River gorilla. Males are much larger than females. A full-grown male eastern gorilla typically weighs 140–205.5 kg (309–453 lb) and stands 1.7 m (5.6 ft) upright.

The goal of the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) is to ensure the conservation of mountain gorillas and their regional afromontane forest habitat in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes National Park

In the far North Western Rwanda lives the Volcanoes National Park that protects the steep slopes of magnificent mountain ranges – home of the endangered mountain gorillas and a rich fountain of montane ecosystems, which embrace evergreen bamboo forest, open grassland and swamps. Volcanoes National Park is named after the chain of dormant volcanoes making up the Virunga Massif: Karisimbi – the highest at 4,507m, Bisoke with its verdant crater lake, Sabinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura.

Other gorilla families

  • Volcanoes National Park
    Noheli

    Noheli

    7 Members

  • Volcanoes National Park
    Kwisanga

    Kwisanga

    17 Members

  • Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
    Kutu

    Kutu

    20 Members

  • Volcanoes National Park
    Amahoro

    Amahoro

    21 Members