Why is Volcanoes National Park unique.

Why is Volcanoes National Park unique is one of the most asked questions by travellers planning their African Safaris, and this blog will give the reasons why the park is unique. The park is a premier safari destination in East Africa, famous for hosting the endangered mountain gorillas, and it’s located in the far northwestern region of Rwanda. It’s one of the oldest national parks in Africa, established in 1925 to protect the endangered species that existed at that time. Volcanoes National Park is within the Virunga mountains, comprising over 5 mountains, including Gahinga, Karisimbi, Muhabura, Bisoke and Sabyinyo, which provide stunning views of the ranges. It’s home to over 236 bird species, 12 primate species, 36 mammal species, butterflies and the endangered mountain gorillas. The park’s good number of wildlife species and bird species is supported by the mix of ecosystems, which provides various habitats such as grasslands, wetlands, bamboo zones, and tropical rainforests. Volcanoes National Park offers exceptional safari experiences, including golden monkey tracking, nature walks, gorilla trekking, cultural encounters, and bird watching, which attract thousands of travellers.

It hosts the endangered Mountain Gorillas.

This is one of the major reasons why Volcanoes National Park is unique, as it’s home to over 30% of the world’s population of the endangered mountain gorillas. It has over 14 habituated gorilla families, which are fully accustomed to human presence. This makes it the second destination with the highest number of mountain gorillas after Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The increasing number of the endangered mountain gorillas is supported by the park’s diverse ecosystems, which provide food and habitats to these awesome creatures, like bamboo forests, tropical rainforests and wetlands. Thanks to the Rwanda Development Board for the campaigns they run against poaching the mountain gorillas and the conservation projects they put in place to protect the endangered mountain gorillas for future generations.

Rich Avian Life.

Volcanoes National Park is one of the best places in Rwanda with rich avian life, making it a premier destination for bird watching. It hosts over 236 bird species, including 17 Albertine Rift endemics, forest birds, migratory birds, water birds and the park’s endemic species, which are rare to find anywhere else. The bird species found in the park include African Black Duck, Yellow-billed Duck, Handsome Francolin, Little Grebe, Speckled Pigeon, African Olive Pigeon, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Red-chested Cuckoo, Black Crake, Red-knobbed Coot, Grey Crowned Crane, Ruwenzori Turaco, Black-billed Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, MarabouDusky Turtle Dove, Mourning Collared Dove, Red-eyed Dove, Ring-necked Dove, Laughing Dove, African Green Pigeon, Tambourine Dove, Scarce Swift, African Palm Swift, Alpine Swift, White-rumped Swift, Little Swift, African Swift, Blue-headed Coucal, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Klaas’s Cuckoo, African Emerald Cuckoo, Diederick Cuckoo, Collared Sunbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, Olive Sunbird, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Bronzy Sunbird, Malachite Sunbird, Olive-bellied Sunbird, Scarlet-tufted Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Red-chested Sunbird, Variable Sunbird, Copper Sunbird, Yellow Bishop, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Archer’s Ground Robin,Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Yellow-billed Stork, European White Stork, Pink-backed Pelican, Hamerkop, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Lagden’s Bush-shrike, Northern Puffback, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Albertine Sooty Boubou, Mountain Sooty Boubou, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Lühder’s Bush-shrike, Fork-tailed Drongo, Augur Buzzard, Eurasian Buzzard, Mountain Buzzard, Common Barn Owl, African Long-eared Owl, Speckled Mousebird, Crowned Hornbill, Cardinal Woodpecker.

Various Safari Activities.

This is one of the best reasons that make Volcanoes National Park unique, as it offers various safari activities that cater to all travellers’ needs. Whether they are seasoned birders or simply adventurous, Volcanoes promises unforgettable safari experiences to all nature lovers. They can do gorilla trekking, which gives them a chance to see the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitats, and golden monkey tracking, which allows them to encounter the playful monkeys in the bamboo forests, as they will see them playing and feeding, which is a remarkable experience in the heart of Africa. Bird lovers will be delighted in the hundreds of bird species found in the park, they will enjoy the melodic calls and songs of these unique birds that are rare to find anywhere, and nature lovers get a chance to explore the park’s stunning views and rich biodiversity on foot.

Rich Biodiversity

Volcanoes National Park is known for its rich biodiversity that attracts countless travellers to explore it. It is home to over  36 mammal species, including forest elephants, duikers, African Porcupine, tree hyrax, serval cat, striped jackal, bush pig, giant forest hog, African golden cat and more. It has 12 primate species, including the golden monkeys, endangered mountain gorillas, blue monkeys, olive baboons, potto, red-tailed monkeys and more. Volcanoes National Park also has over 200 butterfly species, reptiles and amphibians, and over 236 bird species.