Attractions In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Attractions in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: One of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is situated in the Southwest of Uganda and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is due to the park’s abundance of eye-catching tourist attractions. Among the tourist destinations in the impenetrable national park of Bwindi are;
THE MOUNTAIN GORILLAS The primary attraction in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the mountain gorilla population, which is thought to number 400 and is spread over several areas of the park. Mountain gorillas reside in these areas, which are dispersed across the park. There are a number of fascinating gorilla families to be found in these areas.
SECTOR BUHOMA The most fascinating and popular area of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the Buhoma Sector, which is situated in the Northern part of the park. It was the first area to be opened for trekking with the Mubare Gorilla Family and to welcome trekkers. The Mubare gorilla family was the first to become habituated in 1992 in both the Buhoma Sector and the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
There are three gorilla families in the Buhoma sector:
The Mubare Gorilla Family
The Mubare Gorilla Family, named after the Mubare Hills where the group was first observed, is the first gorilla family to be open for gorilla trekking. Initially habituated in 1992, this group currently consists of 5 individuals. The dominant silverback Kanyonyi leads the Mubare gorilla family, which consists of one adult female, two subadult females, and one newborn.
The Habinyanja Gorilla Clan
The Habinyanja gorilla family was initially observed close to the marsh ponds of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The family’s name is derived from the Rukinga term Nyaja, which means a place with water. The Habinyanja family began training in 1997 and went on their first trek in 1999. The Habinyanja gorilla family is made up of 13 well-known members: Elsa, Hamusini, Hakato, Gacyaro, Bangenyi, Makara, Rwansigazi, Maraya, Kisho, Nabukye, Binyonko, Rugyendi, and Nyamuhango. The dominating silverback Makara is in charge of this family.
The Rushegura family of gorillas
The Rushegura gorilla family separated from the Habinyanja gorilla family in 2000 and became available for trekking that same year. There are 19 gorillas in this family, and trekking within it allows you to see Mwirima, the dominating silverback and group leader, as well as Kabukojo, the blackback. Nyampazi, Kafuruka, Kibande, Karungyi, Kanywanyi, Buzinza, Nyamunwa, and Karungyi are the five adult female gorillas; two sub-adult female gorillas are Kalembezi and Ruterana; and the five infant gorillas are Kyirinvi, Buzinza, Nyamunmwa, Kibade, and Katabazi.
Due to its proximity to Ishasha Sector, which is located in the Southern portion of Queen Elizabeth National Park, Buhoma Sector can be accessed via routes from Kabul, Kihikihi Airstrip, and Queen Elizabeth National Park.
NKURINGO AREA
Only three gorilla families live in the Nkuringo gorilla sector, which is located in the southern Kisoro area of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. These families are;
Family of Nkuringo gorillas
In 1997, the Nkuringo family became the first gorilla group to become acclimated in the western part of Bwindi. The 12 gorillas that make up the Nkuringo gorilla family are 1 silverback, 2 adult females, 2 subadults, 3 juveniles, and 2 babies. The Nkuringo gorilla family is notable in history because it is the first family in the Bwindi Impenetrable Ntional area to document the birth of twins. Originally, the Nkuringo gorilla family consisted of 17 members, but many of them departed the area, leaving just 12 members remaining.
Family of Bikingi gorillas
The Bikingi gorilla family, which has been habituated since 2012, is an excellent gorilla family that is only available for gorilla acclimatization experiences. There are currently 15 members of this family: 1 silverback, 5 adult females, 2 sub-adults, 2 juveniles, and 5 newborns. Because the Bikigi gorilla family is still going through the habituation process, it doesn’t have a leader yet.
Family of Bushaho gorillas
The eight members of the Bushaho gorilla family are; one silverback, one blackback, three adult females, one sub-adult, one youngster, and one infant. Many members of the Nkuringo gorilla family split off to establish the Bushaho gorilla family, which is led by the dominant silverback Bahati.
THE RUSAWAGA SECTOR
The Rushaga sector, which is located in the southern part of the park, is the most popular area for visitors arriving from Kigali via the Cyanika border in Kisoro district to explore Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The majority of the park’s mountain gorilla families are found in the Rushaga sector, and these families include;
The Nshongi gorilla family
Within the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the Nshongi Gorilla Family is a fascinating group of gorillas. Comprising seven members, Bweza, a formidable silverback, serves as the family’s leader. One youngster, one newborn, three adult females, one subadult, and one silverback are present.
Family of Kahungye gorillas
The 17-member Kahungye Gorilla Family gets its name from Kahungye Hill, where the group was first observed in this area. Rumaz, the dominant silverback, is in charge of the family, which consists of 3 adult females, 3 silver backs, 2 newborns, 3 juveniles, and 3 subadults.
Family of Busingye gorillas
The nine-member Busingye Gorilla Family split off from the Kahungye Gorilla Family, which was led by the dominant Silverback Busingye. This group’s name comes from a word for peace that is used locally.
The Mishaya gorilla family
The 12 members of the Mishaya gorilla family are led by the dominant silverback Mishaya. Mishaya split away from the Nshongi gorilla group in 2010 to form the Mishaya gorilla group.
The Bweza family of gorillas
Under the guidance of a silverback named Kakono, the Bweza gorilla family is a group of 23 mountain gorillas that includes two silverbacks, four black backs, one subadult, three adult females, and two newborns.
RUHIJA SECTOR
The spectacular Ruhija sector, which is a home to three different gorilla families and is where mountain gorilla trekking is conducted, is located in the Eastern part of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Among these families are;
The Bitukura gorilla family
The Bitukura gorilla family consists of 14 members: 4 adult families, 4 silverbacks, 2 juveniles, 3 babies, and 1 baby. This family was formed in 2007 and had 24 members at first. However, as of late, there have been frequent arguments within the family, which has led to several members fleeing the group.
Family of Oruzogo gorillas
With one silverback, the Oruzogo gorilla family is made up of 17 members. It was established for tourism in 2007 and includes notable members such as Bakwate, also known as the “old ,” Kaganga, Kasumali, and six adult females named Nyangaro, Katoto, Ruchura, Mutesi, Nyakina, and Mukwano; one black back, Bwengye; three subadult males, Nyakashunja, Musenene, Nyabirano, and Muhumuza; two infant males, Mufuruki and Paska; and one infant female, Musana.
Kyaguliro gorilla family
The Kyaguliro gorilla family, which comprises of 20 members, is quite large. Because it was set aside for research, it is not frequently visited. Following the death of the gang’s previous leader, who was struck by lightning and died, the group divided into Kyaguliro A and Kyaguliro B.
The ten members of the Kyaguliro (A) family—one silverback, two black backs, three adult females, two juveniles, and two infants—are led by the dominant silverback Rukara.
Kyaguliro B is also a family of ten, led by the dominant silverback Mukiza, which includes of four adult females, one adult, and four newborns.
MAMMALS AND OTHER PRIMATES
In addition to being home to mountain gorillas, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is also home to a variety of fascinating mammals that live in its deep forests. These mammals include African civets, giant forest hogs, antelopes, side-striped jackals, and forest elephants.
Other primates that live in the Impenetrable National Park of Bwindi include chimpanzees, vervet, L’hoests, De Brazza monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, nocturnal potto, and galago species.
HISTORICAL RAINFOREST
Being the meeting point of lowland and montane vegetation zones, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the few places in Africa covered by tropical forests. It is a wonderful biological system with a wide variety of vegetation. Numerous tiny rivers, including Ivi, Munyaga, Ishihizo, Ishasha, and Tengyrere, cut through Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and empty into Lake Edward, making it a well-known water catchment area. A variety of plant species, such as Newtonia, Symphonia globulifera, red stinkwood, East African yellow wood, and Strombosia scheffleri, are what define the park. Species such as Xymalos, Neoboutonia Macrocalyx, Monospora, Myrianthus holstii, Teclea nobilis, and Allophylus abyssinicus can be found beneath the main forest.
Afro montane forests, a rare type of vegetation found only in Africa, cover the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. There are approximately 100 species of ferns and 220 types of trees in these forests.
PATHS FOR HIKING
Hiking routes are another popular draw in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. They lead to many areas of the park and its attractions, and they also reveal many of the park’s mysteries.
These trails are used for going on hikes and nature walks in the park, and they include;
Hiking the 14 kilometers of the River Ivi track takes 7 hours, and it’s the ideal track for bird watching as it passes through the Nkuringo escarpment.
The waterfall trail is a four-hour hike that leads to the park’s waterfall.
Most visitors use the 4- to 6-hour-long Habinyanja Trail—which passes by the Munyanga River—after hiking with the Habinyanja Gorilla Family.
The Kashasha River Trail connects the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’s Nkuringo and Buhoma districts. It is a 5–7-hour hike in length.
The 6-hour climb along the Bamboo Trail is a picturesque route that leads to the Rwamunyonyi Peak. The greatest trail to see birds is the bamboo trail.
The 6-kilometer Muzabajiro walk is a remarkable walk that offers breathtaking views of the Virunga volcanoes and the Western Rift Valley. Along the way, you’ll come across a variety of bird species, gorgeous ferns, and the peaks of the Virunga volcanoes.
BIRDS
The Impenetrable National Park of Bwindi is home to a wide diversity of bird species, particularly those of the water and forest. This park is an ideal location for viewing montane-forest birds in Africa. More than 350 different bird species may be found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and of these, 14 are indigenous to the area, while 23 are unique to the Albertine Rift. The dense forests of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are home to a variety of bird species, including the Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Batis, Tit Hylia, Chapin’s fly catcher, and African wood owl, Bar-tailed trogon, Western green tinker bird, African wood owl, Dusky Twin spot, Regal sunbird, and strange weaver ebony bee-eater, Red-throated alethe, collared apalis, striking francolin, odd weaver, Kivu ground-thrush, yellow-streaked greenbul, Shelly’s greenbul, dwarf honeyguide, and grey gecko-shrike
The bamboo zone, the mubwindi swamp route, and the buhoma waterfall trail are the best places to go bird viewing in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
THE PYGMY PEOPLE OF BATWA
Although the Batwa Pygmies were the original inhabitants of the Bwindi forests, they were forcibly compelled out of the forest and onto the park’s periphery when Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was established as a protected area. The Batwa people, who are revered as the guardians of the forest, are hunter-gatherers who mostly rely on harvesting fruits and hunting wild animals. They continue to live according to their traditional ways even now. You will visit the Batwa community for a cultural encounter when visiting the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. There, you will see these incredible people going about their daily lives in a manner that is reminiscent of ancient times.
You will see people engaging in mind-blowing activities such as building houses using native materials, hunting tiny game, performing indigenous dances and dramas, and much more.
Ideal Time to See Wildlife
Depending on your interests, you can visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park at any time of day, but the dry months of June through August and December through January are the best times to go. Since there is less rainfall at these times, the trails are less slick and muddy.