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Size:
331 sq km
Location: Southwest
of Uganda. The closes large town is Kabale.
Accessibility: Bwindi's
Impenetrable Gorilla Forest can be reached from QENP in
the north (2-3 hours), from Kabale to the south (1-2 hours),
or from Kampala via Mbarara (6-8 hours). The roads meet
at Butogota, 17km from the Buhoma entrance gate. 4x4 recommended
during the rains.
Activities: In Bwindi's
Impenetrable Gorilla Forest, Gorilla tracking is the main
attraction; permits must pre-booked at the UWA office
in Kampala. Other guided forest walks are available: one
popular trail leads to a pretty waterfall, others focus
on birding and monkey-viewing.
When To Visit: Any
time, though conditions are more challenging during the
rainy season.
Accommodation: In
Bwindi's Impenetrable Gorilla Forest we have two up-market
tented camps, a lodge, community-run budget rooms and
camping are available near the Buhoma entrance gate.
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| Bwindi
Gorilla Forest - Location and Habitat |
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| Bwindi's Impenetrable Gorilla
Forest is true African Jungle. It is so called because
of the dense undergrowth, vines and other vegetation
make it almost 'impenetrable'. Bwindi's Impenetrable
Gorilla Forest is mysterious and awesome. The lowland
rainforest and montane forest vegetation constantly
struggles to reach heights that will allow it to receive
more light. |
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Huge trees are festooned with
creepers and parasitic plants such as mistletoe and orchids.
Giant thickets of bamboo thrive in the humid atmosphere
and, where sunlight breaks though, the elegant heliconia,
or lobster claw, spreads its colourful petals. Amongst
the dense vegetation the Colobus Monkey jumps from branch
to branch, chattering its warning to its fellows hidden
by the foliage. Chimpanzees, in families of 20 or 30,
make the rounds, searching for fruit and edible plants.
The Park is located in south western Uganda, covering
parts of Rukungiri, Kisoro, and Kabale Districts It was
gazetted in 1991 with an area of 331 km2. It is situated
in a hilly country-side that, together with some remnant
lowland forest outside the boundary, constitute an important
water catchment area for many rivers, supplying the agricultural
land of the surrounding region. As you walk among the
shadows of the leafy canopy, this rainforest reveals the
smells and sounds of Africa, just as it has been for centuries.
Without doubt, your first impression of the dense jungle
will be its almost audible silence. Jungle creatures are
very, very shy, but, as you pick your way along the trail,
through the dense undergrowth, you'll realise that the
jungle is alive.
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| Vegetation and Wildlife
in Bwindi Forest |
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Bwindi also provides
a habitat for 120 species of mammals. It accounts
for about 340 species of birds and 202 species of
butterflies. There are 27 species of frogs, chameleons
and many other species which are endangered. The highlight
of this sanctuary is the existence of about 330 Mountain
gorillas. This accounts for half of the world’s
population of this amazing |
Primate. It should be noted these
gorillas are highly endangered. As
of April 2007, the total population of Gorillas in the world
stands at 720. There are four habituated Mountain gorilla
groups in Bwindi, namely, Habinyanja, Rushegura, Mubare
and Nkuringo. Each of these habituated groups hosts a maximum
of eight visitors daily. There are nine other primate species
found in Bwindi which include black and white Colobus monkey,
red Colobus and blue monkeys among others.
Bwindi is one of the richest ecosystems in Africa including
mountain gorilla, chimpanzee and 8 other species of primate.
Elephant, bush pig, giant forest hog, many species of bats
and rodents, at least 346 species of birds including rare
forest birds, at least 14 species of snakes, 27 species
of frogs and toads, 6 chameleons, 14 lizards, skinks and
geckos, at least 202 species of butterfly. There are also
several endangered species of birds with limited ranges.
This forest is a sanctuary for almost half the world's population
of mountain gorillas (about 330 of 600), which is the rarest
race of gorilla. |
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| Gorilla
Tracking in Bwindi Forest |
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| The gorilla tracking activity
which started in April 1993 is a very captivating
activity which involves walking in the wilderness
as well as hiking along the hills of the park in search
of these amazing Apes. Gorilla tracking is done in
Uganda and Rwanda by Amazing safaris. The Gorilla
tracking experience starts at eight in the morning
and occasionally lasts the whole day. The |
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park management organizes a briefing
about the general conduct or behavior of trackers when
visiting the Gorillas. Currently, there are four habituated
groups in Bwindi. Ranger guides lead the visitors to the
forest traps in search of these amazing creatures. The
trackers follow the flattened foliage and piles of dung
and sometimes the previous night’s nest to get the
sense of direction in which the Gorillas headed. This
involves passing through giant thickets of bamboo, dense
vegetation in view of monkeys jumping from branch to branch,
chimpanzees in search for food and edible plants. The
trackers hack through the under growth with machetes in
a bid to make bearable paths for visitors.
The Gorilla tracking activity can
last for a couple of hours or minutes depending on the
movement of the Gorillas the previous day. On discovering
Gorillas, visitors are urged to keep a distance of five
metres and not to use flash while taking photos. More
>>>
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| Further
Information and Travel Planning |
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| A minimum of three
days are required to visit and track the gorilla in Bwindi
National Park. We have a wide range of carefully designed
gorilla tours to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda
that will give you a rewarding Uganda wildlife safari or
Gorilla Tracking Adventure. Your safari consultant will
always be at your assistance should you need a tailor-made
holiday to any of these locations within Uganda. For more
information regarding this topic, please DO NOT hesitate
to contact us. |
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