Explore Bwindi’s Rich Biodiversity
Explore Bwindi’s Rich Biodiversity: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is a unique destination famous for diverse wildlife tours, particularly gorilla trekking, habituation, birding, cultural visits, and nature walks, among others. The park was established in 1991 primarily to protect the forest and restore its wildlife species, including mountain gorillas. Bwindi is home to over 120 mammal species, 345 birds, 10 primate species, and 160 tree species.
It is home to half of the world’s mountain gorillas and draws tourists from different parts of the world. This large primaeval forest is located in southwestern Uganda at the edge of the Albertine Rift and on the western branch of the East African Rift Valley, along the Democratic Republic of Congo border.
Tracking mountain gorillas in Bwindi is an intriguing experience in the misty jungle, a sanctuary to over 52% of the remaining mountain gorillas in the wild. During your gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi, you will also learn about the conservation efforts to safeguard the future of the shy giants and the communities that host them.
Explore Bwindi’s Rich Biodiversity
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was gazetted in 1991 to restore and preserve the once extinct and endangered mountain gorillas and their natural habitat. The park covers over 332 sq km and has four gorilla trekking sectors, including Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushaga, and Ruhija.
Mountain Gorillas
Bwindi boasts the highest number of mountain gorillas globally, which exceeds 459 individuals, more than any other gorilla park in Africa. Most of these mountain gorillas have been habituated to meet the tracking standards. This park currently has 23 gorilla trekking families, 22 of which are subjected to standard gorilla trekking, and 1 gorilla family located in Rushaga is reserved for gorilla habituation experiences.
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
Gorilla trekking is the top activity in all the trekking sectors of the park, where different gorilla families have been habituated and are open for trekking activities. The park has over 23 mountain gorilla families that are set for trekking activities to allow travelers to get close to mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. This encounter takes place for a maximum of an hour, and the tracking sector to visit is determined by the gorilla permit purchased.
As we explore Bwindi’s rich biodiversity, gorilla trekking exercises in all the sectors of the park begin early in the morning at various information centers where visitors converge for a briefing concerning the exercise from the park wardens. These park wardens always check for these gorilla trekking permits and sensitise visitors about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking. After, visitors are grouped into 8, followed by trekkers and armed ranger guides to lead the trekkers in the jungle.
The armed ranger guides lead visitors through the easiest and fastest routes to the assigned gorilla family after coordinating with the trackers to locate where the gorilla family is. This search mainly takes about 2-7 hours, and the duration depends on the pace of the trekkers and the location of the gorilla family based on the previous nesting point.
Once these apes are spotted, you are allocated 1 hour to study and interact with mountain gorillas about their behaviors, and take photos and videos as you enjoy watching them do their daily activities. However, visitors who may prefer to stay with mountain gorillas for longer hours may opt for gorilla habituation, where trekkers spend more time than standard gorilla trekking.
Gorilla Habituation-Explore Bwindi’s Rich Biodiversity
This is one of the unique activities only done in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, not only in Uganda but in Africa at large. It takes place in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in the Rushaga sector, which is adjacent to the Nkuringo sector along the Uganda-Congo border. This gorilla habituation family is a semi-habituated group that is open for habituation in the Bikingi gorilla family.
The activity is done by 4 trekkers, all led by armed ranger guides who are accompanied by a team of conservationists, researchers, and primatologists. Once the gorilla family is spotted, 4 hours start counting, and trekkers take their time to study, learn, and take photos of these gentle giants in their natural settings. This activity allows trekkers to be part of the activities that make mountain gorillas get familiar with human presence around them.
A Birding Paradise-Explore Bwindi’s Rich Biodiversity
Birdwatching safaris to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park make it stand out as a birding paradise with over 350 bird species, where 14 unique species are restricted to Bwindi and 23 are confined to the Albertine Rift. Visitors can blend the activity with standard gorilla trekking for a memorable experience.
Some of the unique bird species to see include the Short-tailed Warbler, Black Bee-eater, African Green Broadbill, Yellow-billed Barbet, Regal Sunbird, Rwenzori Batis, Western-bronze Naped Pigeon, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Black-faced Apalis, Black-billed Turaco, Equatorial Akalat, Little Green Sunbird, Neumann’s Warbler, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Masked Apalis, Strange Sunbird, and others.
Cultural Experience
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to unique tribes of the Batwa, Bakiga, and Bafumbira, with the Batwa people being the most prominent and visited due to their rich history. The park offers cultural tours that can be blended with other safaris, such as gorilla trekking, habituation, birding tours, and chimpanzee trekking tours.
The Batwa people, known as the forest custodians, were hunters, honey collectors, and fruit gatherers before their eviction in 1991 to restore the rainforest and wildlife, particularly mountain gorillas. Visits to the Batwa are spearheaded by Batwa guides with knowledge and skills of showing tourists how they survived in the dense jungle by gathering fruits, hunting, and gathering honey.
They also provide visitors with a chance to witness their daily activities, taste local foods, and support their craft shops. Visitors can also visit local healers who demonstrate the use of local medicine to treat illnesses.
What is the Best Time for Safaris in Bwindi?
Explore Bwindi’s rich biodiversity. Wildlife tours in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park are enjoyed throughout the year. However, the best time for wildlife tours is during the dry months, which run from June to September and December to February. During these months of the year, the trekking trails are dry, with clear visibility, and roads connecting to the park become accessible.
Although wildlife tours can also be done in the wet season, which occurs from March to May and October to November, travellers may face challenges such as muddy trails, thick vegetation, and inaccessible roads. However, lodging discounts may be available.
Getting to Bwindi Forest Park
Bwindi Forest Park can be reached by air from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip via Aero Link Uganda, landing at Kihihi airstrip in the northern sector of the park for the Buhoma sector. Similar to Kisoro Airfield, connecting to Rushaga and Nkuringo, all located in the southern sector of the park. By road, travellers can access Bwindi from Queen Elizabeth National Park, through the Ishasha sector to Buhoma. Those coming from Kampala may use the highway via Masaka-Mbarara-Kabale or Kisoro Road, about 9 to 10 hours. Visitors from Kigali can reach the park in less than 5 hours via the Katuna or Cyanika border.
