Also known as Impenetrable Forest, the national park is one of Uganda’s most as recently established parks in the country found the southwestern Uganda along the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo next to the Virunga National Park and on the edge of the Albertine Rift.
It covers an area of 331 sq km, and it’s one of the four last remaining habitats of the rare and endangered mountain gorilla. The park is known to be the home to over half the world’s remaining population of the critically endangered mountain gorillas.
A major conservation effort has been taking place in this national park for various years to protect the gorillas’ habitat. Mountain gorillas are not the only wild animals to have profited from this project. This think forest is also home to around 20 forest elephants, about 10 species of primate (counting chimpanzees, colobus monkeys and primates), duikers, bushbucks and the rare giant forest hog, as well as 220 species of butterflies, 348 species of birds, 27 species of frogs, geckos, chameleons and many endangered species.
A Visit to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to see the mountain gorillas is such an amazing experience but still it come at a cost where by the walking into this think forest is not the same like walking in the park because here you will have to cut your way through since the jungle is think, you will need a raincoat since it’s a tropical forest you expect rain at any time among other challenges and still booking a gorilla permit is not that easy because only 8 people are allowed to visit each gorilla family every day and the park has only 15 gorilla family meaning only 32 gorilla permits are issued every day. This means you have to be lucky to be among the 32 tourists to visit these animals on that day.
Gorilla permits are acquired from Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and booking them individually maybe somehow challenging since they are always busy and it can take them time to reply your email. That is why I recommend that you book for a credible tour company because for them they can go direct to their office and make your booking confirmed.
The landscape in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is hilly and heavily forested and you might be walking for up to four hours before you meet the mountain gorillas, but on the way, you will enjoy seeing different wildlife in the forest, like monkeys, different bird species among others. Be sure to prepare well and take the fast film to get good photos in the shade of the forest.
All the effort and challenges you pass through when looking for these animals, is rewarded by a full hour stay with these animals as you take photos, and watch them as they do their daily activities.
What make these animals unique and loved by many tourists to the country, is that they almost like humans because they share 95% of a human DNA. Meaning they are almost our relatives. So please if you can try your best and visit these animals.
