Chimpanzees and hundreds of bird species live in a new Rwandan national park that connects the Gishwati and Mukura forests.
Gishwati Mukura consists of two different forests, the larger Gishwati and the smaller Mukura, which cover a total of 34 square kilometers plus a buffer zone.
The forests are located along the Albertine Rift in the west of the country, on a ridge that separates the Congo and Nile water catchment zones. It is made up of 60 different tree species, including native hardwoods and bamboo.
A group of 20 chimps lives in Gishwati with golden monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, and Blue Monkeys. Birds are well represented as well, with 232 species seen at Gishwati and 163 in Mukura, including Albertine Rift Endemics and forest specialists.
The park is now undergoing a large-scale landscape restoration project. A guided nature hike, guided chimp and monkey tracking, bird watching, and a visit to the waterfalls are among the park’s activities, which are set to commence in 2019.
