Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with diverse wildlife, including over 300 bird species, 120 mammal species, and more than 300 mountain gorillas. The park offers hiking, bird watching, and cultural performances, but visitors must obtain passes to see the gorillas, and there are concerns about disease transmission from human visitors.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a large reserve in Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has been since 1994. The park borders the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is part of a larger region known as the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is approximately 82,000 acres, or 128 square miles (330 sq km). The park is home to an incredible diversity of creatures and is one of the great biodiversity enclaves left in East Africa. There are more than 300 bird species, 200 butterfly species, 30 amphibian species, 120 mammal species, and hundreds of tree and fern species represented in the park. Of these, some are endemic, existing only within the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is best known, however, for the primates that call it home. Large numbers of chimpanzees and colobus monkeys can be found in the park, making it an excellent place to visit for those interested in primates. The park is also renowned for its population of mountain gorillas. Of the approximately 700 mountain gorillas left on Earth, more than 300 are found within Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, making it a major refuge for this critically endangered species.
Mountain gorillas are one of the most fascinating animal species for many people. With their soulful eyes, obvious intelligence, and expressive nature, they tap into a fundamental sense of empathy. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the very few places left on Earth where gorillas can be seen in their natural habitat. There are four habituated groups of mountain gorillas within Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and one such group, the Mubare group, is fully habituated. The other three, the Nkuringo, Rushegura and Habinyanja groups, are all partially accustomed.
Plans are currently underway to habituate even more groups of mountain gorillas within the park. While habituated groups are more receptive to tourists, and thus help generate more revenue for the park itself, there are concerns that further habituation could increase the chance of the disease transferring from human visitors to gorillas. However, the push for more funding to help protect and expand the park appears to be leading to an increase in tourism.
The park has few roads in it, so almost all travel is done on foot. Passes are required to enter to see the gorillas, as the number of visitors allowed to each group per day is limited to between six and eight. Tracking groups can take some time and can involve quite a bit of hiking, so only those who are ready for the physical exertion should try it.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park also offers a number of other hikes for those who aren’t looking for gorillas. Bird watching safaris can attract bird watchers who travel to the area, and for other more general nature excursions they offer the opportunity to explore the enormous biodiversity of the region. Cultural performances take place at night, allowing visitors to get a feel for local Ugandan culture.
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