Bwindi Impenetrable Rainforest

bwindi waterfallBwindi means muddy, swampy place full of darkness – or ‘impenetrable’. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a tropical rainforest largely contained within Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP). It is located in south western Uganda, within the triangle of mountains where Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DCR) converge. It is about 25km north of the Virunga volcanoes and on the edge of the western Rift valley.

In 1991 the Ugandan part of the forest became a national park, ‘Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’ protecting 127 square metres of rainforest, home to around 340 endangered mountain gorillas - about half of the world’s mountain gorillas remaining in the wild.

lizardThe region has one of the richest ecosystems in Africa with more than 160 species of trees, over 100 species of ferns, and over 200 butterfly species. Bwindi is also famous for the "Albertine rift Endemic", a group of Birds specific to the Western Rift valley. Over 346 species of birds have been recorded in the region. Amongst the many species of mammals are a number of other primate species including red tailed guenon, blue guenon, L’Hoest’s guenon, black & white colobus, ververt and baboon, as well as nocturnal prosimians. The chimp population is estimated at 300-400. Bwindi is the only place in the world in which mountain gorillas and chimpanzees still co-exist. Other animals found in the region include elephants, duiker, bushpig, giant forest hog and several small cat species.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is included on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. (link)