Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Enter at your own risk!
So rugged is the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in south-western Uganda that it is only accessible by foot.
But if you can make your way over steep sided hills and ridges and down deep jungle valleys, you may come across one of the most awe-inspiring experiences in the wild – an encounter with endangered mountain gorillas.
Uncontrolled hunting, destruction of its forest habitat and capture for the illegal pet trade, however, have led to a dramatic decline in gorilla numbers.
Despite these dire predictions, ground-breaking work by conservation groups like WWF has seen the population grow from 624 in 1989 to over 700 today.
They are not out of the woods yet.
The International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP), a partnership of three international organizations - African Wildlife Foundation, Fauna & Flora International and WWF - ensures the conservation of mountain gorillas and their forest habitat in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda by working with the protected area authorities of the three countries where mountain gorillas occur.
Uncontrolled hunting, destruction of its forest habitat and capture for the illegal pet trade, however, have led to a dramatic decline in gorilla numbers.
Despite these dire predictions, ground-breaking work by conservation groups like WWF has seen the population grow from 624 in 1989 to over 700 today.
They are not out of the woods yet.
The International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP), a partnership of three international organizations - African Wildlife Foundation, Fauna & Flora International and WWF - ensures the conservation of mountain gorillas and their forest habitat in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda by working with the protected area authorities of the three countries where mountain gorillas occur.
About half of the world's 700 mountain gorillas are found in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The other half are found across the border in the Virunga Mountains in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
Comprised of 32,000 hectares of forests, the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is also home to 120 species of mammals, including 14 species of primates, as well as 346 species of birds, 202 species of butterflies, 163 species of trees, 100 species of ferns and 27 species of frogs and lizards.
