Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park has varied altitude
that supports different types of habitat
ranging from wet tropical forest (ever green most forest) on the Kigezi
highland plateau, swampy low lands with
ever permanent rivers flowing. Bwindi forest topography altitude ranges from
1447 to 2600m above sea level. This
forest date back 25000 years ago. It is believed that Bwindi forest survived the last ice age
when many forests and vegetation disappeared on earth due an favourable arid conditions
then. Bwindi being one of the highest tourist attraction
for Uganda safaris and one of the world’s
remarkable wildlife to encounter mountain gorillas. Bwindi national park has over 400 mountain
gorillas as per last census of 2016.
Bwindi has an impressive list of 350 bird species. Bwindi is
a prime destination for birders. Its 350 bird species include seven which are
IUCN red data listed and 90% of all Albertine rift endemics species which are difficult or
impossible to see in other part of East Africa. An experienced bird watcher can
easily identify up to 100 species in single day.
Bwindi supports lots of species of trees , over 200 trees of
species of rain forest are found in this forest. 51 reptiles are found here,
88months, 120 mammals including several primates of baboons and monkeys of
different species – black and white Colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, . this park also has chimpanzees but are
rarely seen and are not habituated for viewing.
The star attraction being mountain gorillas has been habituated
for human interaction . over 10 mountain gorilla families have been habituated and they include: mubare group being the 1st
group to be habituated in 1993. Others include Habiyanja, Rushegura, Bitukura,
Oruzogo, Nkuringo, Mishaya, Kahunge, Bweza, Busigye, Nyakagezi, and the
research group of Kyaguriro. These gorilla families form a major gorilla safaris gist of Uganda safaris. Today in over 80 people track mountain
gorillas daily inside Bwindi impenetrable forest national park.
