Wildlife in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Wildlife in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Wildlife in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest has attracted global recognition for its abundant wildlife, especially as a sanctuary for over 400 of the world’s rare mountain gorillas. Of the approximately 880 mountain gorillas remaining worldwide, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda shelters nearly half. Scientists classify mountain gorillas as Gorilla beringei beringei, and conservationists worldwide recognize them as the most critically endangered of all primate species. Mountain gorillas serve as the main attraction in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, where park authorities have designated twelve (12) habituated gorilla groups specifically for tourism. There are mainly four different trail heads for visitors to track the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, and they include: Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo.

Fauna

Visitors often focus their expectations in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park solely on the rare mountain gorillas; however, the forest also shelters over 120 mammal species, ranking it second in Uganda for mammal diversity after Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Primates

The park also offers habitat to about 11 (eleven) primate species, which include the black and white colobus (Colobus guereza) and the rare L’Hoests’ monkeys (Cercopithecus lhoesti), blue monkeys (Chlorocebus mitis), red-tailed monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius), baboons (Papio Anubis), and chimpanzees. Besides mountain gorillas, the Eastern Chimpanzees are some of the world’s endangered Apes; scientifically, they are known as “Pan troglodytes schweinfurthi.” Bwindi also inhabits nocturnal Ape species like potto (Perodicticus potto), Demidoff’s Galago (Galagoides demidoff), as well as the spectacled Galago (Galago Matschiei).

Elephants

As well, there are several forest elephants (Loxodonta Africana), Bush Pigs (Potamochoerus larvatus), Giant Forest Hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni), Black fronted Duikers (Cephalophus nigrifrons), yellow-backed Duiker (Cephalophus silvicultor), Clawless Otter (Aonyx capensis), Civet (Civettictis civetta), and stripped jackal (Canis adustus), as well as bats and rodents.

Birds

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is a place that never leaves out birders’ interest unanswered; the forest is also a home to 350 unique forest birds including the 23 endemic Albertine species, 25 of them are restricted-range species, and 4 are globally threatened. Here are the most common birds to see in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Each bird is provided with a scientific name. These include: African Green Broadbill (Pseudocalyptomena graueri), Grauer’s Rush Warbler (Bradypterus graueri), Chapin’s Flycatcher (Muscicapa lendu), and Shelley’s Crimson-winged (Cryptospiza shelleyi).

The park also protects some of the Albertine Rift endemic species that have been able to survive in the forest due to ideal climatic conditions which have also helped these species to adapt to the conditions. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park hosts three bird species classified as “relictual,” meaning they survive only in specific locations. These species include the African Green Broadbill, Grauer’s Warbler (Graueria vittata), and the Short-tailed Warbler (Hemitesia neumannii). Ornithologists note that the African Green Broadbill and the Short-tailed Warbler show closer similarities to Asian bird species than to African ones.

Besides Albertine Rift endemic species, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is also home to countless central and West African bird species, popularly known from only a handful of sites in East African region. They include the Fraser’s Eagle Owl “Bubo poensis”, Western Bronzenaped Pigeon “Columba iriditorques”, White bellied Robin Chat “Cossyphicula roberti”, Lagden’s Bush shrike “Malaconotus lagdeni”, and the rare Oberlander’s Ground Thrush “Zoothera oberlaenderi”.

Butterflies

Besides birds, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest also protects about 220 butterfly species, and 42 of them are Albertine Rift endemic species. There are only 3 butterfly species that are notably unique in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and they include the Cream banded swallowtail (Papilio leucotaenia), Graphium gudenusi, and Charaxes foumierae, as well as the endangered African giant swallowtail (Papilio antimachus).

Amphibians

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park also supports 27 recorded amphibian species. Among these, eleven (11) species occur exclusively in the Albertine Rift, while six (6) species attract global conservation interest, including the Western Rift Leaf-folding Frog (Afrixalus orophilus) and Ahl’s Reed Frog (Hyperolius castaneus).

Reptiles

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park hosts a good number of reptiles. The park protects 14 snake species, and 9 of them are endemic to Bwindi. There are also 6 chameleon species and 14 species of lizards.

Flora

In terms of flora, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is one of the endowed places one must visit. There are over 1000 flowering species of plants, including 163 tree species and 104 ferns. The Northern side of the park is concentrated with Guineo Conolian flora, and they comprise two internationally recognized species, like Brown Mahogany (Lovoa swynnertonii) and Brazzeia longipedicellata.

Bwindi’s biodiversity is still undiscovered, which makes it a true haven of authentic wilderness experiences in Uganda, East Africa. Despite the popular mountain gorilla experiences, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park also has a range of wildlife species for tourists to enjoy. Come and enjoy Bwindi’s naturalness and you won’t regret it in life.