Best national parks and reserves in Rwanda : Rwanda is a home to several remarkable national parks and reserves where you can experience the beauty of wildlife and pristine landscapes. Rwanda though small and landlocked, is one of the most gorgeous countries in the world offering winding roads, peaceful lakes, volcanic landscapes, and endless green hills, Rwanda is incredibly special. Rwanda offers the most breathtaking natural landscapes, fascinating wildlife, and interesting culture among others. Most surprisingly the country is a home to two of the remaining population of the mountain gorillas, larger chimpanzees, and also houses Big 5 animals such as buffaloes, lions, elephants, rhino’s ad leopards. This article looks at some of the best national parks and reserves found in Rwanda.
Volcanoes national park
Volcanoes national park known for its gorilla trekking and golden monkey trekking safaris, the park offers dramatic scenery and an unforgettable safari adventure experience. It as a must visited for wildlife enthusiasts. Volcanoes national park is the highlight of any trip to Rwanda. The park hosts one of the remaining perfect destination in East Africa to trek the endangered mountain silverback gorillas, Hollywood blockbuster Gorillas in the mountains. Gorilla tracking in volcanoes national park is currently renowned as the third-biggest attraction for visitors to Rwanda and Africa as a continent. Volcanoes national park is also home to the endangered fascinating golden monkey, volcanoes national park is contains of five of the eight astonishing volcanoes mountains scattered covered by bamboo and lush rainforest. Among the Virunga Mountain that makes up volcanoes national park, Karisimbi is the tallest, standing at over 4,500 meters high. Hiking the volcanoes is often seen as one of the most exciting and remarkable experiences of any Rwanda safari in Rwanda and Africa at all. Volcanoes national park was gazetted in 1929 purposely to protect and conserver the endangered mountain gorillas of Rwanda by Dr. Dian Fossey through her conservation initiative. The is also fame as a birders haven inhabiting over 200 species of birds of which 29 are endemic to Albertine rift making it a true birders destination. Visitors on a Rwanda birding tour in volcanoes national park will have ample chance to see almost all the different kinds of birds that dwell in the forest including those that are endemic to the Albertine rift such as Rwenzori Turaco, Kivu ground thrush, long-crested eagle, double collared sunbird among others.
Akagera national park
Akagera national park is one of the oldest and biggest national park in Rwanda and it is the only savannah national park the country boasts in. Akagera national park was mainly gazetted to conserve and protect the wildlife and the surrounding Kagera River. The park is one of the best wildlife safaris destination, famously known for hosting the Big 5 African animals such as buffaloes, lions, rhinos, elephants and leopards. Besides the known big 5 animals, the park also house a variety of wildlife species such as giraffes, Topis, zebras, antelopes, hyenas, impalas among others. There also others primate such as vervet monkeys, olive baboon, bush babies. , Akagera national park is a home of over 520 bird species including local red faced barbets, and the swamp fly catcher, shoebill stork , Brown-throated Weaver, Papyrus Gonolek, White-Winged Swamp Warbler, Carruthers’ Cisticola, White-collared Oliveback, Bare face-Go-Away bird, and African fish Eagle, Black-headed Gonolek, Fork-tailed Drano and Grey-crowned Cranes among others. And best of all, this park still largely remains a best-kept secret of Rwanda, here you can embark on chimpanzee trekking, primates walks and hiking. The rainforest canopy walk is a unique highlight, never missed when exploring this lush and diverse ecosystem.
Mukura forest reserve
Mukura Forest Reserve is a protected area located in the northwest part of Rwanda. It covers approximately 16 square kilometers and is situated in the Albertine Rift region, which lies within the Congo-Nile crest. The reserve was once part of the large mountain forest that stretched from Nyungwe forest national park to Volcanoes National Park. Mukura forest reserve now is an isolated chunk of forest , the reserve was established as protected area in 1951 and later transformed into a national park later on the 1st of February 2016 making it Rwanda’s forth national park, the forest reserve was combined with Gishwati forest to form a national park called Gishwati Mukura National Park. Mukura forest reserve covers an area average area of 2,600 meters above the sea-level. Mukura forest reserve lies high on the rift valley wall, the reserve inhabits over 150 documented mammal species, 1000 species of different kinds of birds, 293 species of reptiles and amphibians among others
Gishwati Forest Reserve in
Gishwati Forest Reserve is a protected natural forest situated in the northwestern part of Rwanda near Lake Kivu. Gishwati forest reserve is currently known as part of Gishwati–Mukura National Park. The Gishwati Forest used to be part of a complex system of rainforests that stretches far west of Lake Kivu, connecting with the rainforests of the Congo and southward to Nyungwe Forest. However, due to population increase and deforestation, these forest systems became fragmented. The Rwandan genocide further strained the site as refugees fled, leading to increased population density and displacement. The Gishwati Area Conservation Program began in 2007 with the aim to protect the biodiversity of the Gishwati Forest area and halt rapid degradation.
Gishwati forest reserve inhabits over 58 different species of trees and shrubs, including hardwoods and bamboo acting as feed for huge number of bird species , wide range of wildlife species can be found living within this forest reserve as well as four species of primates such as chimpanzees, golden monkeys, the blue monkey and the L’Hoest monkey. Other wildlife animals found in the forest reserve include the river hog, the black front duiker, the southern tree hyrax, the serval and the Felis aurata, which is also known as the African golden cat. Gishwati forest reserve also houses over 84 different attractive bird species such as Wood-hoopoes, Mountain Yellow Warbler and the Old World Warbler among others
