The Mubare gorilla group was the first mountain gorilla family to be established and made available for tourism in Uganda in April 1993. 20 mountain gorilla groups are now habituated for tourism, and one family is for research. The Bwindi gorilla family has Spread over a series of steep ridges, dense forest, and valleys, Bwindi is home to five major rivers, one of which pours its water into Lake Edward. Click here to see mountain gorilla trekking safaris 

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is in southwestern Uganda, on the edge of the Rift Valley. Its mist-covered hillsides, which are among Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse tropical rain forests, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park contains almost 400 species of plants. More famously, this “impenetrable forest” also conserves an estimated number of about 459 mountain gorillas—roughly half of the total world’s population of mountain gorillas, including all habituated gorilla families, which are available for tracking. Click here to view our recommended mountain gorilla trekking tour

Bwindi Impenetrable is biologically diverse and provides shelter to more than 120 mammals, including several primate species like baboons, chimpanzees, forest elephants, and antelopes. Bwindi protects about 350 bird species hosted in this forest, including 23 Albertine Rift endemic species.

Bwindi accommodates at least 200 butterfly species, including the eight Albertine rift endemics. Also, it is home to countless reptiles.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has been known as a wildlife sanctuary, most specifically as the home to more than half of the total world's mountain gorilla populations. Bwindi Impenetrable offers more than 20 habituated mountain gorilla families for tracking. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has four different gorilla sectors for tourists to trek mountain gorillas, which include Buhoma sector, Ruhija sector, Rushaga sector, and Nkuringo sector.

Primates

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park offers habitat to over eleven primate species, such as black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, rare L'Hoest’ monkeys, baboons, blue monkeys, and chimpanzees. Bwindi also inhabits nocturnal ape species like Potto, Demidoff’s Galago, and spectacled Galago.

Elephants

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park has several forest elephants, a clawless otter, bush pigs, giant forest hogs, black-fronted duikers, bats, yellow-backed duikers, civets, side-striped jackals, and rodents.

Birds

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is a birder’s haven with over 350 unique forest birds, including the 23 endemic Albertine bird species, 25 other bird species that are restricted-range species, and four of them that are globally threatened. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park bird species include the African Green Broadbill, Chapin's Flycatcher, Short-tailed Warbler, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Shelley’s Crimson Wing, Fraser’s Eagle Owl, Western Bronzenaped Pigeon, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Lagden’s Bushshrike, and the rare Oberlander’s Ground Thrush.

Butterflies

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest protects approximately 220 butterfly species, including the Albertine endemic species. Bwindi Impenetrable has only three unique and notable butterfly species, which include the Cream Banded Swallowtail, Characters foumierae, Graphium gudenusi, and the endangered African Giant Swallowtail.

Amphibians

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is also home to 27 amphibian species, eleven of which are Albertine endemic species, while six are of global conservation interest, such as the Western Rift Leaf Folding Frog and Ahl’s Reed Frog.

Reptiles

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park possesses a good number of reptiles that are being protected, including 14 snake species, of which 9 are endemic to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. There are also six chameleon species and 14 lizard species.

Flora

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is endowed with over 1000 flowering species of plants, including 163 tree species and 104 ferns. The northern side of the Bwindi forest is densely forested with Guineo-Conolian flora, which has allowed the growth of two internationally recognized tree species, Brown Mahogany and Brazzeia long pedicellate.

Given that your main focus of the safari in Uganda is likely to be the mountain gorilla trekking experience, the best time to visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is in the long dry season, which starts in June to September and again in December to February.