Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Introduction

In 1991 three new parks were gazetted to encourage further conservation of some of Uganda's more fragile areas.  One of these was the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in the south west of Uganda.  This park is a hilly countryside with some remnant lowland forest.  The richest forest in Uganda in terms of plant species, it is one of the few areas in East Africa where lowland and montane communities merge.  

Bwindi can be cold especially in the morning and at night. The annual average temperature range is 7°C - 20°C with the coldest period being June and July. Warm clothing is required, plus wet weather gear since Bwindi receives up to 2390mm of rain/ year. This is concentrated during two wet seasons, short rains in March-May and heavy rains in September-November. Instead of short tropical deluges, rain in Bwindi often falls as long hours of soft drizzle.

There are over 300 species of birds, 200 species of trees/shrubs.  Dense ground level cover is comprised of herbs, vines, and shrubs and trees.  Here exists more than half (about 350) of the world's population of mountain gorillas. There are four gorilla families for visitation by humans.  Three families are accessed from Buhoma in the North of the Park. The fourth is accessed from Kisoro in the south. A Total of 32 permits are available per day it commonly rains, and long pants and long-sleeved shirts are recommended.

Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Forest - Gorilla Trekking Rules

1. Don’t use flashes while photographing
2. No person under 15 years is allowed to track gorillas
3. Do not spew out on vegetation or soil while in the park
4. No one with a communicable disease is allowed to enter the park
5. All litter must be carried out of the park and disposed off properly
6. Stay together in a tight group while with the gorillas, don’t surround the gorillas
7. Don’t eat or smoke when with the gorillas or with distance of 200 meters from the gorillas
8. A group of people is allowed maximally of 1 hour with gorillas
9. People under 15 years are not allowed to track
10. When sneezing or coughing, turn away from the gorillas; cover your mouth and nose in the process.
11. Don’t make at lot of noise or move suddenly