Wildlife of Bwindi

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southwestern Uganda, is recognized as one of the most important areas on Earth for biological diversity. Spanning 321 square kilometers of ancient montane and lowland forest, the park occupies a critical position within the Albertine Rift — Africa's most species-rich ecoregion.

The forest's remarkable altitudinal range, from 1,160 meters in the valley floors to 2,607 meters at the summit of Rwamunyonyi Hill, creates a gradient of habitats that supports an extraordinary concentration of life. More than 120 mammal species, over 350 bird species, 200 butterfly species, and countless reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates call this forest home.

Perhaps most significantly, Bwindi shelters nearly half the world's remaining mountain gorillas, alongside chimpanzees and eight other primate species. The park's isolation during past ice ages allowed species to evolve independently, resulting in a high proportion of Albertine Rift endemics — species found nowhere else on the planet.