Why Visit Volcanoes National Park
Why visit Volcanoes National Park is the most asked question by travellers planning to include the park in their travel plans, and this blog will highlight the top reasons why it’s one of the most rewarding safari destinations in Africa. Volcanoes National Park is one of Africa’s most remarkable wildlife and adventure destinations, famous for its endangered mountain gorillas, breathtaking Volcanic scenery and rich biodiversity. It’s located in the northwestern Rwanda within the Virunga Mountain ranges, bordering Uganda and DR Congo. It’s one of the oldest national parks in Africa, established in 1925 to protect the endangered species that existed at that time.
Its covers an area of about 160 square kilometres, making it one of the smallest national parks in Rwanda. The park is globally known for hosting the endangered mountain gorillas, which attracts thousands of visitors to have a close encounter with these awesome creatures. It’s not only home for the endangered mountain gorillas, but it also hosts over 12 primate species, 236 bird species, 35 mammal species, butterflies and amphibians. The Park’s rich biodiversity provides various activities which travellers can enjoy on their safaris, like golden monkey tracking, gorilla trekking, nature walks, bird watching and hiking. Volcanoes National Park offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience Rwanda’s natural beauty and conservation success story.
Why Visit Volcanoes National Park.
Home to the Endangered Mountain Gorillas.
Volcanoes National Park is globally known as one of the best places to see the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. The park is home to over 30% of the endangered mountain gorillas with up to 14 habituated gorilla families. Thanks to its conservation success stories and Dian Fossey, who was an American Primatologist and naturalist and advocated against poaching. She studied gorillas and is widely credited for saving the endangered mountain gorillas until her death. She was murdered by poachers at her home. Her dedication towards saving the endangered mountain gorillas is shown in a movie called “ Gorillas in the Mist”. Trekking these gentle giants involves hiking through the dense forest in search of them, and participants spend an hour observing their behaviours. They can see them feeding, playing, and interacting, which is a life-changing wildlife experience. Gorilla tourism also contributes greatly to conservation efforts and supports the surrounding local communities.
Rich Biodiversity.
This is one of the best reasons why to visit Volcanoes National Park, as it’s home to a variety of wildlife and bird species. It has up to 36 mammal species like forest buffalo, bush pig, serval cat, giant forest hog, bushbuck, side-striped Jackal, porcupine, tree hyrax, 12 primate species like golden monkeys, olive baboons, blue monkeys, vervet monkey, silver monkey, potto, butterflies like African giant swallowtail, citrus swallowtail, African monarch, yellow pansy, mountain acrea, Blue Diadem, common commodore, African blue tiger and more. The park’s rich biodiversity is supported by its unique ecosystems, which provide habitats to various wildlife species like tropical montane forests, swamps, grasslands, and bamboo forests.
Rich Avian Life.
Volcanoes National Park is a haven for bird watching, with over 236 bird species that call this awesome park home. These bird species include 18 Albertine Rift endemics, forest birds, migratory birds, water birds and the park’s residents which are rare to find anywhere else. The birds to find in the park include Dusky Crimsonwing, Rwenzori Double- collared Sunbird, Hottentot Teal, 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.
Strong Conservation and Cultural Heritage.
This is one of the major reasons why to visit Volcanoes National Park, as it has a rich conservation history, closely connected to famous primatologist Dian Fossey, whose work helped protect mountain gorillas from extinction. Visitors can learn about conservation efforts while supporting sustainable tourism initiatives. A visit to the nearby communities allows visitors to learn more about the Rwandan culture through storytelling, traditional dances, and local crafts, which gives them a deeper understanding of the country’s heritage and traditions.
