Map of Bwindi Impenetrable National park : Bwindi impenetrable national park is Uganda most popular safari destination and a home to half of the world’s remaining population of endangered mountain gorillas with several habituated gorillas, the habituated gorillas where taken through habituation process to make these used to the presence of humans and available for gorilla tracking.
Bwindi impenetrable national park is a UNESCO World Heritage site with an ancient, deep forest rising up along the south western border of Uganda, tracking or hiking in Bwindi involves climbing up along the slopes of a mountain range. Bwindi impenetrable national park consists of a series of narrow, steep valleys, deep green and cloaked in mist.
Bwindi impenetrable national park is an old complex ecosystem with a rich biodiversity and within its depth lies a rare and striking paradise, the park covers an area of 321 square kilometers comprising of both Montane and lowland forests.
Wildlife in Bwindi
Bwindi impenetrable national park is a home to world’s biggest mountain gorillas with over 600 gorilla individuals found in the 4 sectors of the park, Bwindi is divided into 4 gorilla sectors that is Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo. In the forests of Bwindi there is both wild and habituated gorillas, the habituated gorillas are the gorillas open for gorilla trekking in the forests of Bwindi and these include
- Mubare Gorilla Family – Buhoma sector
- Habinyanja Gorilla Family – Buhoma sector
- Rushegura Gorilla Family – Buhoma sector
- Bitukura Gorilla Family- Ruhija sector
- Oruzogo Gorilla Family – Ruhija sector
- Nkuringo Gorilla Family – Nkuringo sector
- Nshongi Gorilla Family – Rushaga sector
- Mishaya Gorilla Family – Rushaga sector
- Kahungye Gorilla Family – Rushaga sector
- Bweza Gorilla Family- Rushaga sector
- Busingye Gorilla Family – Rushaga sector
- Kyaguriro Gorilla Family – sector among others
Apart from Mountain gorillas, Bwindi impenetrable national park is a habitat for 120 species of mammals, 348 species of birds, 220 species of butterflies, 27 species of frog, chameleons, and geckos among others, Map of Bwindi Impenetrable National park.
Apart from mountain gorillas, Bwindi impenetrable national park hosts other wildlife species including chimpanzees, L’Hoest’s monkey, Forest Elephant, African Green Broadbill, the cream-banded swallowtail, black and white colobus, red-tailed monkeys, vervets, the giant hog, and small antelope species. There are also a number of carnivores too including the side-stripped jackal and African civet among others.
Bwindi impenetrable national park is a bird’s haven hosting over 346 bird species including Wood Warbler, Handsome Francolin, Evergreen Warbler, Turner’s Eremomela, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Rwenzori Batis, Buff-throated Apalis, African Pitta, Cabanis’s Greenbul, Cardinal Woodpecker, Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, Cassin’s Honeybird, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Collared Sunbird, Common Bulbul, Compact Weaver, Coppery Sunbird, Crowned Hornbill, Dark-backed Weaver, Dusky Crested Flycatcher, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Dusky Tit, Stripe-breasted Tit, Fan-tailed Widowbird, and Yellow-mantled Widowbird among others.
History of Bwindi impenetrable national park
Bwindi impenetrable national park was initially two blocks in 1932 designated as Crown Forest Reserves, the northern block was designated the Kayonza Crown Forest Reserve and the Southern block designated as the Kasatora Crown Forest. These reserves combined area was 207 square kilometers, in 1902 the 2 reserves were combined and then renamed the impenetrable Central Crown Forest covering an area of 298 square kilometers.
In 1964,the reserve was designated as an animal sanctuary as a way of protected the endangered mountain gorillas and renamed the Impenetrable Central Forest Reserve . in 1966, the other 2 main reserve were added to the reserve to form approximately 321 square kilometers.
In 1991, The Impenetrable Central Forest Reserve was designated as national park and renamed the Bwindi Impenetrable national park covering an area 330.8 square kilometers.
LOCATION OF BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK
Bwindi impenetrable national park is located in south western Uganda in Kanungu district and is situated along the Democratic Republic of Congo border next to the Virunga national park on the edge of the Albertine Rift.
Map of Bwindi impenetrable national park
HOW TO GET TO BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK
Bwindi Impenetrable national park located in South Western Uganda is accessed by road and air means.
Travelling to Bwindi by Air
Flying to Bwindi impenetrable national park is the quickest way to get to the park from Kampala, domestic and chartered flights to Bwindi are offered by several aviation companies such as Safarilink and BAR Aviation. These flights fly from either Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi airstrip to several airstrips serving the park that are
- Kayonza and Kihihi airstrips serving tourists visiting the northern sector of Bwindi
- Nyakabande Airfield in Kisoro serving tourists to Southern sector of Bwindi that is Nkuringo, Nshongi and Mishaya.
Travelling to Bwindi by road
Most Uganda safaris to Bwindi impenetrable national park start from Kampala city the capital of Uganda, from Kampala city it is a drive of about 8-10 hours of drive using several routes such as Kampala – Kabale – Kanungu – Buhoma, Kampala – Kabale – Ruhija, Kampala – Ntungamo – Rukunjiri – Kihihi – Buhoma and Kampala – Kabale – Nkuringo.
