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Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Bwindi impenetrable Forest National Park is the home of roughly half of the world's mountain gorillas.

Most people come here for the Mountain Gorillas, but this unique Ugandan National Park is worth of an exploration simply by itself. It behooves one who is coming to track Mountain Gorillas to walk along with eyes wide open and camera at the ready to see all that Bwindi Impenetrable Forest has to offer to you.

Welcome to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Bwindi a word that has the connotation of darkness in it. Close to human population (local communities receive 10% of the government receipts on permits so that they do not disturb Bwindi and its Mountain Gorillas), and yet Bwindi is a world of its own. Steep ridges, that can be tough to traverse, dense forest, a bio-diverse miracle that is not to be missed. Originally it was Impenetrable Forest Reserve under the colonial administration in 1932 then it was named Bwindi National Park in 1991 under the current government of President Museveni. The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Mountain Gorilla Population has been increasing in numbers since 1991 and is the result of much hard work by many environmental and wildlife conservation groups.

One of the pioneers of bringing tourists into the presence of Gorillas was Walter Baumgartel, who lived in Kisoro and who was the innkeeper of "Travellers Rest Inn" where Dian Fossey from "Gorillas in the Mist" used to stay. His book "Up Among the Mountain Gorillas" with subtitle "Encounters with the giant apes in the remote highlands of southern Uganda" is quite insightful today giving you a background of the early struggles to protect the Mountain Gorillas and to allow those interested to see them up close, for until that time it was seen as too dangerous, a myth that the thousands of visitors each year disprove.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest contains over 350 gorillas, but it also is home to a number of Forest Elephants in one corner of the park and are rarely seen by visitors. Forest Elephants are smaller and hairier than their savanna cousins, and not only Forest Elephants but Bwindi is also home to 120 different mammals. Mammals such as 11 kinds of primates such as L"Hoest's, red tailed and blue monkeys, black and white colobus, baboons and chimpanzees in sizeable numbers are found in Bwindi. You can also find forest duiker antelopes and bush buck antelopes and a few others.

In Bwindi you can find over 350 different species of birds, some of which are found nowhere else. Keep your eyes wide open while you are tracking (trekking) gorillas at Bwindi. Besides all the birds there are two hundred species of butterflies found in the park. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Bird List from Nkuringo Campsite in Bwindi Impenentrable Forest.

Besides Gorilla tracking (trekking) you can take day trails from 30 minutes to 8 hours from the Buhoma Area enjoying the peaceful forest and birders can find over 190 bird species in the area of Buhoma. The three hour waterfall trail is one of the best and of course wherever you walk there are lots of butterflies that will meet you on your path.

Safety in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest: The park is heavily secured and even when you go on a tracking (trekking) adventure you will be guarded. There are no security bulletins for the Bwindi area from the US or UK Embassy. At one time after the genocide in Rwanda there was a one time problem in Bwindi, but in the last decade thousands go there yearly without an incident.

The forest birding ranks best in Uganda with 23 highly localized Albertine Rift endemic present.

The activities include Gorilla tracking as the main attraction and permits must be booked in advance.

Also available are guided forest walks, one popular trail leads to a pretty waterfall and others focus on birding and monkey viewing.

Of Uganda’s forested reserves, Bwindi National Park is best known for its superb gorilla tracking, but it also provides refuge to elephant, chimpanzee, monkeys and various small antelope, as well as 23 bird species restricted to the Albertine Rift.