Gishwati Mukura national park is the newest national park in Rwanda that was established in 2015 after merging Gishwati forest and Mukura forest. The main purpose for the establishment of the national park was to conserve a number of wildlife features that were found in both the forests although it is the smallest among the national parks in Rwanda with a total of 34 square kilometers, there’s a lot in the park that can be discovered like the different primate species, amazing views, bird species when you participate in Gishwati Mukura national park.
Rwanda has been known over years for its volcanoes national park where tourists can participate in hiking the Virunga mountains in Rwanda, a park where gorilla trekking in Rwanda is carried out, golden monkey trekking in Rwanda. Akagera national park that is famous for the big five animals in Rwanda and the only park in Rwanda where you can take part in the boat cruise that is the boat cruise on lake Ihema and Nyungwe national park which is famous for the canopy walk in Rwanda and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda but with the establishment of Gishwati Mukura national park and the wildlife populations that can be seen when you visit the park it is clear to say that the park will be among the most visited destinations for tourists interested in viewing a number of primate species in relatively undisturbed eco-systems in Rwanda.
Activities in Gishwati Mukura national park
While visiting the park you will have an amazing experience taking part in a number of activities that will make your Rwanda safari quite memorable and these include;
Chimpanzee trekking
Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda is famous in Nyungwe forest national park which has two chimpanzee troops that can be accessed in cyamudongo forest and Nyungwe forest which will give you the chance to spend one hour with the chimpanzee troops. Chimpanzee trekking in Gishwati Mukura is the major activity that is carried out in the park and fro tourists interested in the activity, you should note that it starts early in the morning where tourists will be met at the reception area where you will participate in the briefing session which involves being briefed about the rules and regulations to follow during chimpanzee trekking in the park.
After the session, you will embark on your journey to the park to the habituated chimpanzee troops which you will spend one hour with observing their different features in the wild. Some of the interesting features that you will understand about the chimpanzees include; the fact that females get red swellings on their bottoms, you will get to see the adult females in the chimpanzee troops grooming and breast feeding the young ones among other interesting features of the primates. Chimpanzee trekking in Gishwati Mukura national park can be carried out all year throughout however the it is best done during the dry months because it is easier to walk through the park as compared to the rainy months from October to May which tend to make the park quite slippery which can make your activity in the park quite uncomfortable.
Monkey trekking
There are a number of monkey species that can be seen when you visit Gishwati Mukura national park which will give you an amazing experience during your Rwanda safari and some of the different monkey species that you will get to track include; L’hoest’s monkey, golden monkey, Mona monkey, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, silver monkeys, baboons among other interesting primate species that you will get to observe I the wild, take pictures of for an amazing and rewarding experience during your wildlife safaris in Rwanda.
Birding
For birding in Rwanda, Gishwati Mukura national park should be part of the birding destinations to visit to have the most memorable birding experience in Rwanda. Therefore, on your birding expedition, you should not forget carrying your birding checklist because the park is home to 232 bird species of which the 15 species are endemic to the libertine rift. Some of the different bird species that can be seen include long-crested eagle handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Batis Dusky turtle love, paradise flycatcher, archer’s ground robin, African Rwenzori, double collared sunbird, marsh harrier, Ruwenzori turaco, common moorhen Ruwenzori night jar, grey throated tit, the dusky crimson wing, red-faced woodland warbler among other bird species that can make your activity quite memorable.
Visit the waterfalls
There’s more that can also be discovered in Gishwati Mukura national park when you visit the kazaneza waterfalls that are situated in the middle of the park. the waterfalls offer rewarding views in the park that are worthy of photography, you can also take picnics while at the falls and also get to watch a number of primates that get to visit the falls to quench their thirst from the bottom of the falls.
