HUMBA

HUMBA

Gorilla Family

HUMBA

15 MEMBERS: LAST UPDATED 22/02/2022

Humba group is found between Gatovu and Bikenge areas of Virunga National Park in DRC and is led by the dominant Silverback Humba. The group was formed in 1998 following a split from Rugendo group. Humba a son to Rugendo, broke away from Rugendo group with 6 individuals leaving the father Rugendo with just 9 individuals. Interestingly the Silverback Nyakamwe decided to go with his brother Humba. By 2014, Humba group had increased to 16 individuals, unfortunately Humba and his brother Nyakamwe got into a fight leading to the split of the group.  Humba stayed with only 6 individuals while his brother Nyakamwe walked away with 10 individuals. In February 2015 Humba interacted with Munyaga group and surprisingly the sub-adult female Kakule left Munyaga group for Humba group. Interactions and births continue to occur. Today the group is headed by the dominant Silverback Humba and is composed of 15 individuals including 2 Silverbacks, 4 Adult females, 4 Juveniles, and 5 Infants.

  • 2

    Silverbacks

  • 4

    Adult females

  • 0

    Blackbacks

  • 00

    Sub-adult females

  • 4

    Juveniles

  • 5

    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).

Virunga National Park

Virunga National Park

Located in the Albertine Rift Valley in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Virunga National Park is Africa’s most biodiverse protected area that protects 1/3 of the wild mountain gorillas, over one thousand species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.