Bwindi National Park

Bwindi National Park

The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the south-west of Uganda and is part of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The 321 square kilometers of mountain and lowland forest can only be reached on foot. The national park has been designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The park is characterized by its species diversity, providing habitat for 120 mammal species, 350 bird species, 310 butterfly species, 27 frog species, chameleons, geckos and many endangered species. The park is one of the most botanically diverse forests in East Africa, with more than 1,000 species of flowering plants, including 200 species of trees and 104 species of ferns. The low-lying sector in the north is home to many species of the Guineo-Congolian flora, among them two endangered species, the brown mahogany and Brazzeia longipedicellata. The park is a haven for Colobus Monkeys, chimpanzees and numerous birds like hornbills and turacos. However, the area is most famous for the 400 Bwindi Gorillas, which make up half of the world's endangered Mountain Gorilla population. There are 14 groups of Mountain Gorillas open for tourism in four different sectors of Buhoma, Ruhijja, Rushaga and Nkuringo, Kanungu, Kabale and Kisoro districts, all under the management of the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The park is home to 459 Mountain Gorillas, according to the latest 2019 Gorilla Census. Nowadays, the Mountain Gorilla is an endangered species with an estimated total population of around 650 animals.