Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the most popular of Uganda’s national parks. Located in South Western Uganda, Bwindi is a UNESCO world heritage site protecting almost half of the remaining population of the mountain gorillas.
The name Bwindi is derived from the local Rukiga phrase “Mubwindi bwa Nyinamukari”, which most probably originally refered to the Mubwindi Swamp in the southeast of the park. In the local language it means “impenetrable’.
The park was first gazetted as a forest reserve in 1932 by the British colonial governement. Later in 1991, it was gazetted as a national park by the Ugandan government and its official name became Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Today most people refer to the park as Bwindi.
– Where is Bwindi National Park?
Bwindi impenetrable National Park is located in South Western Uganda at the edge of a rift valley, bordering DR Congo in the south. The park shares three districts of Uganda;Kisoro, Kabale and Kanungu.
– How Far is Bwindi?
Bwindi impenetrable National park lies 370 kilometers from Kampala, Uganda’scapital which is an 8 hour drive. The park can also be accessed from Kigali, which is 4 hours drive from Kigali to Bwindi impenetrable national park. Accessing Bwindi National park, you can arrive through Entebbe national park in Uganda or arrive through Kigali airport in Rwanda.
– How High is Bwindi ?
The park covers an area of 321 Square Kilometers standing at an altitude of 1160m-2607m above sea level, with the highest point at 2607m. The highest point is in Rushaga sector in the southern part of the park and the lowest point in Buhoma sector in the northern part of the park.
Things to See & Do
Bwindi offers travelers with the rare opportunity to track the endangered mountain gorillas in its natural habitat – an activity always referred to as gorilla trekking or gorilla tracking. Today gorilla tracking is arguably the most exciting wildlife encounter to be heard anywhere in Africa (Bradt Guide)
With an estimated population of about 900 mountain gorillas, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest prides in protecting almost half of these great apes, surviving in only three countries in Africa. The remnant population lives in the Virunga region and is spread through three national parks; Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Discover Bwindi Forest
- Getting Here & Around
- Things to See (Attractions)
- Things to Do (Activities)
- Gorilla Trekking
Biodiversity
Bwindi impenetrable forest is found in far south western Uganda and typically a tropical rain forest with an annual mean temperature range of a minimum of 7–15°C to a maximum of 20–27°C. The Forest receives annual rainfall ranges from 1,400 to 1,900 millimeters. The heavy rains climax from March to April and from September to November.
Bwindi Forest is one of the best places for birding; Bwindi is a true birder’s haven with about 360 bird species including 23 of the 24 endemic to the Albertine Rift and several endangered species, such as the African green broadbill. With a good birding guide, sighting daily totals of over 150 species is possible. Mubwindi Swamp is the best places to find many birds – it is where you can see birds anywhere.
Wildlife in Bwindi Forest
A number of animals can be found in Bwindi forest but dominated by gorilla trekking as the major tourist activity in Bwindi Impenetrable national Park. Bwindi is one of the best destinations for primate safaris in Uganda and the world at large.
Mountain Gorillas
The popular Bwindi Forest has the biggest population of Mountain Gorillas in the world harboring approximately 340 gorillas of which 116 of the estimate are habituated. Just like human being, Gorillas are intelligent, majestic, gentle giants that share over 93% of their genetic material with humans. Amazing is that, all of the habituated gorillas in Bwindi forest are known individually by the rangers and have been given names in order to identify them. The males can weigh more than 500lb where as some silverbacks exceed 6ft!
Mammals
Other forest species in Bwindi include over 120 mammal species living in the forest, making Bwindi second in mammal numbers compared to the wilderness of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The eleven primate species found here include black-and-white colobus and L’Hoest’s monkeys, baboons and chimpanzees. There are also forest elephants and several species of antelopes. Of Bwindi’s 200 butterfly species, 42 are endemic to the Albertine Rift.
Birds
The birds in Bwindi offer one of the best birding experience in Africa, and is destination for any birder visiting Uganda. There are an estimated 350 bird species with 23 endemic to the Albertine Rift and 14 recorded nowhere else in Uganda. Globally threatened species such as African Green Broadbill and Shelley’s Crimsonwing are also found here. The park also harbors many other more birds of various species.