Volcanoes National Park – RWANDA

Volcanoes National park lies in the northwestern Rwanda and also boarder’s Virunga National park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Mgahinga National park in Uganda, this national park is mainly known for mountain gorillas. Its home to five of the eight Volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains; all of which the rain forest and bamboo covers.

This park was the base for the zoologist Dian Fossey. The national park was gazetted in 1925; as a small area bound by Karisimbi, Visoke, and Mikeno, intended to protect the mountain gorillas from poachers.

In Africa, this was the first national park. The vegetation varies considerably due to the large attitudinal range within the park. There is also some lower Montane forest. The park is best known for the mountain gorillas, the other mammals also include; the golden monkeys, black fronted Duiker, Buffalos, spotted hyenas, and the Bushbucks. There are also some elephants, though these are very rare.

There are 178 bird species, with at least 13 species and i6 subspecies endemic to the Virunga and Ruwenzori Mountains.
The main activities done in the park also include; Gorilla visits, Golden monkey visits, climbing of Karisimbi Volcano, climbing of Bisoke volcano, Tour of the lakes and the caves and the visiting of the tomb of Dian Fossey.