The gishwati mukura national park is located in districts such as Rutsiro, Rubavu, Nyabihu and Ngororero in the western region covering an area of 34 square kilometers. The national park was established in 2015 when the government passed a law with an effort to conserve the chimpanzees in the national park. The gishwati-mukura was formed after combining two forests of gishwati and mukura forest. The national park is situated on the rim of congo-nile.
The national park is a home to primates such as chimpanzees, golden monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, black and white monkeys among others, bird species such as grey crowned crane, dusky crimsonwing, Ruwenzori turaco, mountain yellow warblers, red throated Aletha, strange weave, martial eagle, grauer’s swamp warbler, Ruwenzori batis and many more as well as tree species and reptiles. The national park has attractions as well as activities which include;
ATTRACTIONS IN GISHWATI-MUKURA NATIONAL PARK
PRIMATES
The national park boosts with a variety of primates which makes it one of the best safari destination in rwanda. The national park has a number of primates and these include chimpanzees, golden monkeys, baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, among others. These can be spotted while on nature walks and chimpanzee trekking within the national park. Besides the primates the national park is a home to wildlife species such as wildlife species such as African civet, serval genet, side-striped jackal among others
BIRD SPECIES
The national park is a habitat to a number of bird species and thus a bird haven. The national park is a home to 83 bird species which include those that are native to the Albertine rift valley. Birds such as Ruwenzori turaco, weaver birds, wood hoopoes, crested cranes, regal sunbird, Ruwenzori batis, martial eagle among others.
THE NATURE FOREST GREEN COVER
The national park comprises of two forests that is gishwati and mukura reserves which makes it a habitat of different species and provides a loving environment to the nature lovers. The national park has a number of 58 tree species that include bamboos, eucalyptus, macaranga, mahogany that are used for research.
ACTIVITIES IN GISHWATI-MUKURA NATIONAL PARK
CHIMPANZEE TREKKING
Chimpanzee trekking in gishwati national park is the major activity in the park due to a number of various primates. The trekking starts early in the morning with a briefing about the does and don’ts then after the tourists are briefed and then divided into groups in order to go and search for the chimpanzees in the national park. This is done under the guidance of a park ranger.
BIRD WATCHING
The national park is a home an awesome bird safari destination to the bird lovers. The national park is a home to 83 bird species where 15 are native to the Albertine rift valley which has made it to be among the best birding safari destination. While on a birding safari in rwanda tourists are able to spot bird species such as grey crowned crane, Ruwenzori batis, Ruwenzori turaco, martial eagle, wood hoopoes, strange weavers among others.
VISITING THE WATERFALLS
Tourists in the national park can also engage in the waterfall hiking where they move and spot the falls in the national park. The hiking trail leads the tourists to the kazeneza waterfall that is found in the center of the forest which provides amazing views of the park and its creatures such as primates and chimpanzees among others.
HIKING AND NATURE WALKS
This is also among the major activities in gishwati-mukura national park. The national park has hiking trails where tourists walk through as they get to spot various animal species in the national park. These include the primates such as the white and colobus monkeys, chimpanzees, golden monkeys, baboons among others, bird species such as Ruwenzori turaco, wood hoopoes, martial eagle, strange weavers, crowned crane among others as well as tree species which makes it a memorable experience within the gishwati national park.
BIKING OR CYCLING
The biking activity is carried out on the Congo Nile trail. The trail is an adventurous and thrilling to the tourists that pass through it. The trail passes through lake kivu and later connects to nyungwe forest national park. Since the Congo Nile basin is near the national park it gives an opportunity to tourists to view amazing sites in Congo.
CULTURAL EXPERIENCES
As tourists come for their Rwanda wildlife safari in gishwati-mukura national park they get involved into community walks where they get to meet locals that are nearby the national park. Tourists get to learn different values, activities such as making local crafts and preparation of local foods in rwanda. Tourists can as well visit plantations within the community or spend the night as they get to watch cultural performances from the locals which includes songs, dances, drama as well as story telling which makes the visit memorable.
