Interesting Facts About Bwindi Impenetrable National Park : Here are some interesting facts about Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Southwestern region of Uganda, approximately 8-to-9-hour drive from Kampala or Entebbe to the park. Alternatively, Bwindi can be accessed by use of a domestic charter or scheduled flight by Aero link Uganda from Entebbe International Airport to Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip ‘’lands 1:15hours’’.
Location
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is located in the at the edge of the Albertine Rift in Southwestern Uganda and covers an area of about 331 square Kilometers.
Terrain
Bwindi is mainly composed of the montane and lowland forest and easily accessible on foot. More so, the park sits between altitude 1160 and 2607 meters above sea level and straddle within several steep slopes and valleys which make the Eastern rim of the Albertine Rift Valley. More fact, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest tend to receive an average rainfall of about 1500mm and it is a major water catchment area as well as source of five main Rivers that flow into Lake Albert.
Important UNESCO World Heritage Park in Africa
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is on the list of a UNESCO Heritage Site and it was designated as an animal sanctuary mainly to provide protection to these critically endangered mountain gorillas and it was renamed as an impenetrable Central Forest Reserve.
Great Diversity
Bwindi is home rich to different nature features like over 120 mammal species including forests elephants , and 360 species of bird ;23 of them are endemic to the Albertine Rift ,14 of species can not be found else where in Uganda including; Africa green broad bill, Cream banded swallowtail, White tailed blue flycatcher, Brown necked parrot, Fraser’s eagle owl among many, over 1000 flowering plants ,163 tree species and 104 fern among others.
More so, the park is an inhabitant to 11 ape species including the wild chimpanzees, the rare mountain gorillas with about 650 individuals thus making it home to half of the world’s remaining gorillas. Other primate species to see includes; Colobus monkeys, L’hoests monkeys Red tailed monkeys, Vervet many more.
Note; Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is among the few conservation areas in the world where chimpanzees and mountain gorillas share the same habitat.
The park is also refuge to several beautiful butterflies about 200 species and eight of which are endemic to the Albertine Rift, reptiles, giant frogs, and moths.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was established as a national park in 1991 and in 1994 and it was listed as UNESCO site due to its abundant ecological importance and a 10 kilometers area was expected to the park.
Bwindi is unmatchly one of East Africa’s most exceptional protected areas and popular as one of Africa’s old habitats which have been exiting about 25000 years ago making it one of the biologically rich sites in Africa.
Great Tourism Destination
Generally, Bwindi is a great destination for primate safaris in Africa especially in gorilla trekking ‘’mountain gorillas’’. Well, tourism in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is primary depends on mountain gorilla trekking which happens within the four main sectors which include; Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo sector.
The park inhabits over 23 habituated gorilla groups all already for tourism. Some includes; Habinyanja ,Mubare ,Rushegura ,Bitukura ,Bweza ,Mishaya ,Kahungye ,Busingye ,Oruzogo ,Nshongi ,Nkuringo and the Kyaguriro for research.
NB; Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park began in 1993 thus making it the main tourist attraction in the park.
One planning for your safari to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, always make sure that you carry out adequate research about gorillas and their habituated groups. Apart from gorilla trekking experience, you can choose to do Gorilla Habituation Experience and in the entire world Bwindi is the only tourist destination in the world where this unique adventure Mountain Gorilla Habituation is offered to visitors with a great opportunity to spend about four ‘’4’’ hours face to face with the apes in the wild.
