Gishwati Mukura, Rwanda's fourth national park, is made up of two separate forests, the larger Gishwati and the smaller Mukura, covering 34 square kilometers plus a buffer zone.
The woodlands are located in the country's west, near the Albertine Rift, on the slope that divides the Congo and Nile water catchment zones. It is made up of 60 distinct tree species, including native hardwoods and bamboo.
Gishwati has 20 chimps that reside among golden monkeys, L'Hoest's monkeys, and Blue Monkeys. Birds are also abundant, with 232 species seen in Gishwati and 163 in Mukura, including Albertine Rift Endangered species and forest specialists.
The park has undergone extensive landscape rehabilitation and has activities that include a guided nature trek, guided chimp and monkey tracking, bird watching, and a visit to the waterfalls.
The territory was nearly depleted due to displacement, illegal mining in the mineral-rich forest, and animal breeding.
The park's designation as a National Park in 2015 aims to restore equilibrium by increasing the number of trees planted to improve soil fertility, stabilize slopes, and manage streamflow.
It will also help to improve the livelihoods of the people who live nearby, giving the forest a greater chance of regeneration and, in the long term, raising living standards.
Among the community-based activities include a farm stay, a live cultural dance, handicrafts, beekeeping, a tea plantation tour, and the opportunity to learn from traditional healers who use natural medicines to enhance modern medicine and synthesized medications.
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https://www.visitrwanda.com/destinations/gishwati-mukura-national-park
