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Those
especially looking for primates or birds will want to be sure to
spend time in Nyungwe National Park. The forest is teeming with
a vast array of flora and fauna throughout the park's 1,000 square
kilometres.
Nyungwe's primates are just one reward for a walk through the forest
with its viewing points and waterfalls. There are 13 species, including
the chimpanzee, L'Hoest's monkey and
Angola colobus.
Bird
enthusiasts can imagine the delight of seeing the great blue turaco,
as well as many of the other almost 300 bird species found in the
park.
Nyungwe forest is an Albertine rift montane rainforest. The Albertine
rift forms the epicentre of Africa's montane rainforest circle.
It is dominated by a series of mountain chains, originating on the
Lendu Plateau in northern Uganda and Congo, running south through
the Rwenzori mountains, western Rwanda and Burundi, to some isolated
massifs on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. The Albertine rift eco-region
is one of Africa's most endemic rich regions.
Nyungwe forest received only recently the status of National Park
and became the largest protected high-altitude rainforest of East
Africa. It was particularly important to protect the Rwanda Safariforest reserve
when you know that the highest population pressures in Africa are
to be found within the Albertine rift and that the forest is the
biggest water reservoir for the country.
The highland forest covers 970 km² and has a unique habitat.
It's the only place where we have seen troops of more than 300 colobus
monkeys travelling in the trees. The park has 25 % of the primates
of Africa with its 13 recorded primate species. It's a primate nirvana!
The forest has 300 species of birds with 27 Albertine rift endemics
and 121 forest species. The flora is particularly rich with 200
species of trees and more than 100 species of orchids! The park
has an extensive network of walking trails that leads you through
various waterfalls and viewing points. Nyungwe offers scenic views
over the forest, lake Kivu and sometimes also the Virunga.
The primate fauna includes: chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), Rwenzori
colobus (colobus angolensis), l'Hoest's monkey (C.l'hoesti), silver
monkey (c.mitis doggetti), golden monkey (C.mitis kandti), owl-faced
monkey (C.hamlyni), red-tailed monkey (C.ascanius), Den't mona monkey
(C.mona denti), vervet monkey (C.aetiops), olive baboon (papio anubis),
grey-cheeked mangabey (Cercocebus albigena) and three species of
bushbaby.
The mountains are Africa's Galapagos Islands - islands encircled
by golden monkeys, gorillas and iridescent sun birds, by giant labelias,
everlasting flowers, Ruwenzori turacos and all the questions they
raise. They deserve greater recognition, protection and study than
they have received so far."
- Jonathan Kingdon, renowned biologist, in his award-winning book
Inside Africa.
Nyungwe National Park, extending for almost 1 ,000km2 across the
majestic hills of southeast Rwanda, is the largest 'island' of montane
forest remaining in East or Central Africa: a rich and ancient centre
of unparalleled bio diversity and natural wonders. Transected by
the surfaced road between Butare and Lake Kivu, Nyungwe and its
array of forest inhabitants are also uniquely accessible to casual
visitors.
Recently accorded national park status, Nyungwe is rightly celebrated
for the rich variety of its flora and fauna.
At least 200 different types of tree are found in the forest, along
with hundreds of different flowering plants, including wild begonia,
more than 100 species of orchid, and sensational giant Lobelias.
Of the large mammals, primates are the most visible, with 13 recorded
species representing 25% of the African primate checklist.
Of particular interest are the Angola colobus - delightfully acrobatic
arboreal monkeys which move in troops of several hundred - and an
estimated 500 chimpanzee, often seen from the forest trails
Recently accorded national park status, Nyungwe is rightly celebrated
for the rich variety of its flora and fauna.At least 200 different
types of tree are found in the forest, along with hundreds of different
flowering plants, including wild begonia, more than 100 species
of orchid, and sensational giant Lobelias. Of the large mammals,
primates are the most visible, with 13 recorded species representing
25% of the African primate checklist. Of particular interest are
the Angola colobus - delightfully acrobatic arboreal monkeys which
move in troops of several hundred - and an estimated 500 chimpanzee,
often seen from the forest trails during the rainy season. Other
primates likely to be encountered over the course of a visit are
L'Hoests monkey, silver monkey, velvet monkey, olive baboon, grey-cheeked
mangabey, and red-tailed monkey.
Nyungwe is most alluring for its primates: 13 species in all, including
humankind's closest living relative the chimpanzee, as well as the
handsome L'Hoest's monkey and hundred-strong troops of the delightfully
acrobatic Angola colobus. The most important ornithological site
in Rwanda, Nyungwe harbours almost 300 bird species of which two
dozen are restricted to a handful of montane forests on the Albertine
Rift.
The avian highlight of Nyungwe is the great blue turaco - an outlandish
blue, red and green bird which streams from tree to tree like a
procession of streamlined psychedelic turkeys.
An extensive network of well-maintained walking trails leads through
the forest to various waterfalls and viewing points. A comfortably
rustic rest house and perfectly situated campsite lie alongside
the main road, and the reserve can readily be visited as a day trip
from the towns of Butare and Cyangugu. Nyungwe does, however deserve
more time: anybody who wants to track chimps and see several varieties
of smaller primate will need two days there - and dedicated birdwatchers
might never want to leave!
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