Client Testimonials:

'The safari experience was awesome. Everything went perfectly as planned to our great satisfaction. I am in love with Africa. Thank you so much".
Pam Wright, L.A., USA

Africa Safari Articles > Uganda and Rwanda Safari Articles

The Gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

The magnificent Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in the western arm of the Great East African Rift Valley and sits beneath the majestic backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountains. With its tropical forest, savannah, crater lakes and swamps, the park is enchanting. Centered around Lake Edward and Lake George, linked by the Kazinga Channel, the park is rich in wildlife, including hippos, buffalos, elephants and a vast array of birds.

The famous tree-climbing lions of Ishasha lounge nonchalantly in old fig trees. With over 500 bird species, Queen Elizabeth National Park is also a mecca for birdwatchers. Among the unusual varieties found in the park are the shoebill stork and the black bee eater, as well as countless kingfishers, raptors and flocks of flamingoes.

If time and conditions permit, the safari may take a slight detour for some chimp tracking in the beautiful Kyambura Gorge. Chimpanzees are found in a number of forests in Uganda, including the steeply forested sides of the Kyambura gorge, which is located near the Queen Elizabeth National Park. The gorge is also home to the red-tailed monkey, the black and white colobus and many bird species. Tracking chimpanzees in this beautiful river valley is a breathtaking experience.

But the highlight of our tour will invariably be the days we spend tracking the great apes in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in south-western Uganda. In Bwindi, about 300 mountain gorillas and two families are habituated. In contrast to the six billion human beings living on our crowded planet, there are only six hundred Mountain Gorillas (Gorilla Gorilla Berengei) left in the forgotten forests of central Africa.

On this tour, we will spend two days tracking these fascinating creatures through the misty Ugandan forests. Our undertaking will require patience and stamina, not to mention long but hopeful hours spent walking in the mud and the wet. But the payoff is indescribable: there is no way to describe the thrill of coming upon a family of gorillas going about their daily activities in the undergrowth.

Quietly chewing away at their vegetarian delicacies, they seem like a marooned human family. The tender grooming and firm disciplining of their offspring seems all too familiar.

Man poses a serious threat to this population - brought to the world's attention by Dian Fossey - through poaching, disease and population pressure. The gorilla will be able to survive only through increased conservation efforts. Your visit to the gorillas' home helps fund conservation and community projects, including schools, roads, clinics, and community centers, which help the local people to understand the value of the gorilla's continued survival.

View our Uganda Safari Offers

Have you gone on vacation to Africa and would like to share your experiences with others on this site? If yes please contact us today by clicking here and we will gladly contact you with instructions on how to submit your article.