Rwanda
Gishwati Mukura National Park
Rwanda's newest national park, established in 2015, and represents a remarkable success story in conservation and reforestation.
Introducing: Gishwati Mukura National Park
Gishwati-Mukura National Park is Rwanda's newest national park, established in 2015, and represents a remarkable success story in conservation and reforestation. Located in western Rwanda, it comprises two separate forest fragments: the larger Gishwati Forest and the smaller Mukura Forest. The park is part of a broader effort to restore a critical ecological corridor linking these forests to Nyungwe Forest National Park in the south, aiming to increase biodiversity and primate movement.
Gishwati-Mukura is home to a population of Eastern Chimpanzees. While they are still being habituated and sightings can be less predictable than in Nyungwe, it offers a more raw and authentic chimp tracking experience
Experience the Gishwati Mukura National Park
The forests sit on the ridge which divides the Congo and Nile water catchment areas, along the incredibly biodiverse Albertine Rift in the west of the country. It is made up of 60 species of tree, including indigenous hardwoods and bamboo. Gishwati is home to a group of 20 chimpanzees which live alongside golden monkeys, L’Hoest’s and Blue Monkeys. Birds are well represented too, 232 species have been seen at Gishwati and 163 at Mukura, among them Albertine Rift Endemic species and forest specialists. Activities in the park started in 2019 and include a guided nature hike, guided chimp and monkey tracking, bird watching and a visit to the waterfalls.
Aerial View of Gishwati Mukura National Park 
Birding at the Gishwati Mukura National Park Locate the Gishwati Mukura National Park
Gishwati Mukura National Park Wildlife
The largest animal or wildlife population in Gishwati-Mukura comprise of primates and other primates. The popular primates to explore while at this park include l’hoest monkeys, blue monkeys, the vervet monkeys, baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, golden monkeys and chimpanzees. There are also many small mammals and they include the black fronted duikers, hyrax, mongoose, and many others.
The chimpanzees of Gishwati forests are without a doubt the main draw of the national park, but there are many other interesting activities in the park. Gishwati and Mukura Forests are a very unique places and it’s wonderful to just go for a hike and experience the rainforest, catch your breath and regain energy from the nature. There are great hikes in the park some of which pass by one of the many beautiful waterfalls in the park. There are also several other interesting animal species in the forests apart from the chimpanzees.
Gishwati Forest have several hiking trails of varied difficulty and with the chance of seeing different animals, insects and plants. As of now, there are no hiking trails in Mukura Forest and it remains relatively inaccessible to visitors. As Gishwati Forest is a national park, all park activities are done together with a qualified guide. The guide is included in the price of entrance fee to the park.
Gishwati Mukura National Park Birdlife
Gishwati Forest offers great birding. More than 150 species have been recorded so far. Approximately 20 of these are Albertine Rift endemics. With a good birding guide who knows the calls, you should be able to mark off many lifers here. You’ll easily spot the great blue and Ruwenzori turacos, and you’ll probably pick up some of the colorful sunbirds too. Also look out for the handsome francolin scurrying away in the forest undergrowth. The birding in Mukura Forest looks very promising, but there are currently no trails yet. The birding in Gishwati-Mukura National Park is good throughout the year. The best time is from January to June when birds are most vocal. Keep in mind though that April tends to be very wet, so birding activities are more likely to be interrupted by rain and trails tend to be very slippery.
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