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Attractions In Volcanoes National Park- Best Things To See

Major safari attractions in Volcanoes National Park, include;

  1. Mountain Gorillas
  2. Golden Monkey
  3. Volcanic Mountains.
  4. Volcanoes Forest

Majorly, Volcanoes National Park is notably known for Mountain Gorillas scientifically known as Gorilla beringei beringei. Noted to be descendants of Old World Monkey, the Mountain gorillas are among the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla.

Mountain Gorillas are found in the Virunga massif;- Volcanoes National Park is a member along with Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Congo’s Virunga National Park. Others are in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Uganda.

Mountain Gorillas are rare animals living in fragile habitats and with low birth rates which explains their listing as critically endangered on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Apparently, the global population of Mountain Gorillas is estimated at 1010 individuals.

Mountain Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park

Majorly, Volcanoes National Park is notably known for Mountain Gorillas scientifically known as Gorilla beringei beringei. Noted to be descendants of Old World Monkey, the Mountain gorillas are among the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla.

They occur in two populations with one thriving in the Virunga massif where Volcanoes National Park is a member along with Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Congo’s Virunga National Park while another thrives in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Uganda.

Mountain Gorillas are rare animals living in fragile habitats and with low birth rates which explains their listing as critically endangered on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Apparently, the global population of Mountain Gorillas is estimated at 1063 individuals.

Flora as an Attraction in Volcanoes National Park

Due to the extended altitudinal spread, the Volcanoes National Park features various vegetation zones.  There is a lower montane forest that has been majorly lost to agriculture and these include;

  • Neoboutonia forest at the range of 2400 – 2500m.
  • Arundinaria Alpina also known as Bamboo forest at a range of 2500 to 3200m covering around 30% of the parking area.
  • Hagenia Hypericum forest thriving at more humid slopes ranging from 2600 – 3600m which is actually one of the largest Hagenica Abyssinica forests.

From the altitudinal range of 3500 to 4200m, the vegetation is marked with Lobelia wollastonite, Senecio erici-rosenii, and L. Lanurensis covering approximately 25% of the Volcanoes National Park.

Grassland occurs at an altitude range of 4300 – 4500m. The secondary thicket, marshes, meadows, swamps, and small lakes also exist but their total area is considerably small.

Birds as an Attraction in Volcanoes National Park

The Volcanoes National Park features extensive avifauna most of which are endemic to the Albertine Rift.

The Park is home to three (3) of the globally threatened species such as the African Green Broadbill, Lagden’s Bush Shrike, and Kivu Ground Thrush.

In addition, 53 of the 74 species that thrive in the Afro tropical highlands biome that exists in destination Rwanda have been identified in Volcanoes National Park.

Some of the bird species explored in Volcanoes National Park include; Archer’s ground robin, dusky crimson-wing, the francolins, red-faced woodland warbler, Rwenzori double-collared sunbird, Rwenzori turaco, collared Apalis, strange weaver and Rwenzori batis.

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