Djomba (Jomba) Gorilla Sanctuary
The Djomba Gorilla Sanctuary Covers Much Of The Zaire Side Of The Virunga Mountains, Which Are Shared With Rwanda And Uganda.
Here, Two Groups Of Mountain Gorillas Have Been Habitu¬ated To Man’s Presence. Both Groups Are Named After Their Leader (A Silverback) And May Be Visited By Up To Six Persons Each At A Time. National Parks Guides Must Accompany Each
Group.
Djomba Camp Is The Base From Which Gorilla Trekking Begins. To Reach Djomba (Also Spelled Jomba), Drive About 40 Miles (65 Km) North From Goma Past Nyiragongo And Nyamu¬lagira Volcanoes. Two Miles Before Reaching Rutshuru, Turn Right And Continue 19 Miles (30 Km) To Park Headquarters. From There, Visitors Must Hike For 30-45 Minutes To Djomba Camp. Porters Are Available To Carry Luggage.
The Two Gorilla Groups, Rugendo (Oscar) And Rugabo (Marcel), Are Normally Found In Less Than Two Hours, But Occa¬sionally It Can Take As Long As Four Or Five. Trekkers May Visit With The Gorillas For About An Hour, As In Rwanda. However, Djomba Is More Difficult (And More Expensive) To Reach Than Volcano National Park, And Is Less Visited Than Bukima As It Is Located Further From Goma.
Buffalo And Elephant Are Also Present In The Sanctuary, Keep An Eye Out For Them.
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