Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP) is located in Southwestern Uganda on the edge of great western Rift Valley and is part of the highest block of the Rukiga Highlands. The park covers 331km and is bordered by the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west. The park has a wide altitude ranger from 1,160m (3805 ft.) at the tip of the northern sector to 2,607m (8551 ft.) 0n the Southern edge of the Park.
The terrain is rugged with deep valleys running between the steep sided hills and ridges formed by up warping along the edge of the Great Rift Valley. The Vegetation is dense, especially in areas regenerating after disturbance such as fires. These factors lead to the local name for the forest; Bwindi means a dark, muddy and impenetrable place.
The forest serves as a major water catchment area and it is the source of the major five rivers which flow into Lake Edward. The forest’s preservation is necessary to maintain the hydrological balance of the region and the whole Country. There are two dry seasons; December-January and June-August. The wettest months are March-April and September-November. Precipitation ranges from 113-239cm (44.5-94.1in.) per year. The daily temperatures ranges from 7-20C (45 F). The average night temperature is 7C (45 F) and the average day temperature is 20C (68 F).
Some History About Bwindi Impenetrable National Park !
The forest in Bwindi was once part of the larger forest that stretched north along the rift Valley escarpment and South to the Virunga Volcanoes but increased settlement and Cultivation over the past 500 years have resulted in shrinking forest. In 1932, the forest was gazette as a crown Forest Reserve and gained Game Reserve status in 1961. The move to give Bwindi status as a National Park began as early as 1971and gained momentum in the late 1980’s. While the 1932 Forest Reserve boundaries were still largely intact at this point, pressure for resources had increased dramatically by the early 1970’s. The forest was suffering from unsustainable levels of hunting, mining and timber extraction as well as encroachment on its borders. On August 13, 1991, the government gazette the forest as Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Upon becoming a National Park, the forest began to benefit from increased Law enforcement and thus a decrease in illegal activities.
An important factor in gazetting Bwindi as a National Park was its potential to generate revenue through mountain Gorilla tourism Habituation of two groups of families of Gorillas began in late October, 1991. Mubare group was opened for tourism in April 1993 and Katendegyere in January 1994
Famous Trips to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
4 Days Bwindi Impenetrable National Park & Lake Mburo NP
5 Days Gorillas Rwanda and Uganda
