Wildlife Animal species in Nyungwe forest National Park Rwanda
What Wildlife animal species are found in Nyungwe forest National Park Rwanda? These can be grouped into flora and fauna. Flora and Fauna are defined as both plant and animal species that live in Nyungwe Forest National park. Examples of animal species may include, mammals, reptiles, birds, primates among others while plant species involve all green cover plants that cover the whole Nyungwe National Park. Nyungwe Forest National park is located in the western park of Rwanda within the Albertine rift valley.
Nyungwe Forest National park is the anchorages of various flora and fauna species of which some of them like insects, reptiles, birds, mammals, and amphibians than being only found in Albertine rift than any other areas of the park. Accessing Nyungwe Forest National park to encounter these wildlife species is very easy as by use of the road from Kigali international airport as well as air transport. Here in this article, we explore the various Flora and Fauna that are found in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Animal species: As earlier said the Nyungwe Forest National Park is rich in animal and plant species which range from carnivores, amphibians, and primates. It is believed that the park at first had elephants, forest buffaloes as wells leopards. Different surveys have been conducted since 1980 using advanced equipment like cameras and aerial planes to determine the availability of nocturnal animals within Nyungwe Forest National Park.
The surveys however found out that some of the mammals that used to be in the have been extinct especially the forest elephants and buffaloes. However mammals like duikers and warthogs and bush big were hugely threatened but as of now they are increasing in numbers additionally from various surveys conducted, 85 mammal species have been reported and confirmed of which 16 mammals species can only be found in only in the Albertine rift than any other park.
The presents of carnivores such as leopard, golden cat, and forest hog thought have been confirmed to be available within the park but they are hard to see for you travelers. Twelve (12) primate species within Nyungwe Forest National Park are available and these include chimpanzees as well as L’Hoest’s monkeys.
Nyungwe forest National Park used to host a lot of buffaloes and elephants. These populations of animals were high in twenty century but because poaching by this time was not controlled as no there for the rescue. This was a result of political instability, insecurity and this could not give a chance to conservationist to protect and conserve the wildlife. Elephants were rampantly killed for tusks and there was no one to persecute the culprits.
During the 1980s, Nyungwe Forest National Park was a home of very many elephants but for the same reasons for poor conservation due to insecurity, the last buffaloes were killed in 1999 and this marks the start of buffalo extinction in Nyungwe forest National Park.
In a related development, there were several elephants in Nyungwe forest Park and this can be evidenced by the welcoming elephant skull of a big elephant at Uwinka reception center. But for the same reasons for the extinction of elephants still was a result of instability that hit Rwanda in the middle 20th century which escalated poaching activities within the park.
Currently, Nyungwe Forest National Park is well known as a popular destination for chimpanzees with very many chimpanzee individuals living within the park and this has made it possible for activities such as chimpanzee trekking as well forest guided walks.
