Out of all the gorilla groups in Volcanoes National Park, the Pablo group is the most historic, having been studied countless times. Even during the time of Dian Fossey, from the 1960s, the Pablo group has been under observation. This group was named after Pablo, a silverback, upon its formation in 1993. The splitting happened when the Pablo and Shinda Gorilla Groups split from Group 5 after the death of Ziz, the dominant male. It is remarkable how the core members of the Pablo group have remained despite shifting leadership.
A brief history of the Pablo Gorilla Group
Pablo had a brief stint as the dominant male of the Pablo Group until Cantsbee replaced him. The latter was considered a more competent leader since his reign lasted at least 25 years. But his achievements do not stop there. He became the oldest gorilla ever monitored in Volcanoes National Park. Moreover, he has parented the most offspring and is overseeing a record 65 members in the Pablo family. During Cantsbee’s leadership, a rare situation was observed. Pablo, now a subordinate, supported Cantsbee for the rest of his life.
Surprisingly, when Cantsbee grew older, he also replicated something similar to what Pablo did to him, supporting his son Gicurasi. Cantsbee prepared Gicurasi for imminent leadership by placing him as his deputy. Rarely, Gicurasi was also allowed to be a primary mating partner for a decade. Eventually, in 2016-2017, Cantsbee disappeared, causing a split in the Pablo family. At 23 years old, Gicurasi became the leader of the remaining gorillas in the Pablo Group. Now, he is around 30 years old.
However, unlike the previous 2 leaders, Gicurasi is facing a threat to his leadership in the form of a cousin and his father’s nephew. Ubwuzu, a 17-year-old male, is attempting to get the full leadership role. Ubwuzu seems to be stronger physically and took advantage of Gicurasi’s declining health. With this, Ubwuzu has expressed levels of dominance in the Pablo Group, especially through physical expressions and some non-physical displacement behaviors. This has caused physical fights and members’ alliances to shift.
As some males side with Gicurasi, many females have become loyal to Ubwuzu. This has created 2 subgroups between the dominant male and his second in command. The females in Pablo Gorilla Group are still younger, and at least 4 of them have infants. There are at least 18 members in the Pablo Gorilla Group. The number of infants at the moment is 4, with some juveniles. The Pablo Gorilla Group can be found on the slopes of Mount Karisimbi. As you might have guessed, trekking with the family is quite challenging due to the steep terrain.
How to track the Pablo Gorilla Family?
At the Volcanoes National Park headquarters, you will present your gorilla permit to be allowed inside. Before 8:00 a.m., park authorities will be waiting to brief you on the gorilla trekking guidelines. Exceptional Park guides will lead you towards the Pablo Gorilla Family. You will follow the trails while tracking them. After finding the Pablo family, you will spend one hour observing them. Capture them on camera. Then, at the hour mark, return to the starting point for debriefing. This will then end the 2–6-hour gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park.
Cost of tracking the Pablo Gorilla Group
The cost of tracking the Pablo Gorilla Group is similar to the rest of the habituated groups in Volcanoes National Park. Each foreign non-resident is required to pay USD 1,500 for a gorilla permit. You do not have to pay a separate fee for park entrance and guiding; these are all covered in the cost of buying the permit. While gorilla permits can be directly purchased from the Rwanda Development Board, we at Standard Safaris recommend purchasing them through us. With us, you not only save a lot of money on travel but also reduce hassle and stress.
With the increasing popularity of Rwanda’s gorilla trekking tours, chances of acquiring a permit are reduced due to the high competition. This is because a few gorilla permits are offered to be purchase per day. The best thing to do is to purchase a gorilla permit at least 6 months before your gorilla trekking adventure. While we purchase the permit on your behalf, we also help ensure that your tour package is comprehensive. We include meals, transport, and accommodation, etc.
Traveling to meet the Pablo Gorilla Group
There are 2 ways to reach this group, that is, air and road transport. From Kigali, you will drive 103.8 kilometers to reach Volcanoes National Park. Enjoy lovely views of Rwanda’s rolling hills for 2 to 3 hours while in the comfort of our Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. You might choose to be transported in a safari minivan, or sedan, etc. Meanwhile, flights start from Kigali International Airport to Musanze. Helicopters are operated by Akagera Aviation and take at least 25 minutes to arrive. The headquarters are just 10 minutes away from Musanze Airport.
