7 MEMBERS: LAST UPDATED 31/01/2024

Mubare group located in Buhoma sector is the oldest habituated gorilla group in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and is led by Silverback Maraya. Silverback Ruhondeza is the historical group leader who succumbed to old age in June 2012 leaving the group’s leadership in the hands of his surviving oldest son Silverback Kanyonyi. In November 2017 Maraya  formerly a solitary Silverback violently fought and killed Kanyonyi before subsequently taking over the group’s leadership. Kanyonyi had previously fallen from a high tree and sustained injuries which left him too weak and easily susceptible to defeat by the attacker.  When Kanyonyi died most group members migrated and a couple of infants became victims of infanticide at the wrath of Maraya. Infanticide is a common practice among gorillas more especially when unrelated leaders takeover group governance. Mubare group is composed of 7 individuals including 1 Silverback, 3 Adult females, 1 Juvenile and 2 Infants. The group is uniquely known for Single male leadership and strong male intolerance to intra-male competition. The group’s historical leader (Ruhondeza) was well known for practicing ‘infanticide’ to eliminate the would-be future competitors until when his old age made it possible for some mothers to evade him leading to the survival of only two of his sons: Kanyonyi and Muyambi.