| Nyungwe forest covers 970 km²
and has a unique habitat and it is found with in the Albertine
rift.. The Albertine rift forms the epicentre of Africa's
montane rainforest circle. It's Eco-region is one of Africa's
most endemic rich regions 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.
It is recently when Nyungwe just received the status of
National Park and became the largest protected high-altitude
rainforest of East Africa. It was particularly important
to protect the forest reserve when you know that the highest
population endemic pressures in Africa are to be found within
the Albertine rift and that the forest is the biggest water
reservoir for the country.
The park has 25 % of the primates of Africa with its 13
recorded primate species. It's a primate paradise with more
than 300 colobus monkeys seen in the trees. Other primates
species include': Den't mona monkey (C.mona denti), Rwenzori
colobus (colobus angolensis), silver monkey (c.mitis doggetti),
golden monkey (C.mitis kandti), chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes),
owl-faced monkey (C.hamlyni), l'Hoest's monkey (C.l'hoesti
),red-tailed monkey (C.ascanius), vervet monkey (C.aetiops),
olive baboon (papio anubis), grey-cheeked mangabey (Cercocebus
albigena) and three species of bushbaby).
The forest has 300 species of birds with 27 Albertine rift
endemic and 121 forest species. A combination of 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.
Distance: 225 km from Kigali, 90 km from Butare and 54 km
from Cyangungu.
Nyungwe lies on an elevation between 1.700 meters and 2.950
meters. The highlands are relatively cool with abundant
rainfall.
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