The Rwenzori Mountains National Park is one of the enjoyable safari destinations in Uganda. It is also among the places that people can visit and have some funny and refreshing moments. The national Park covers nearly 100,000 hectors. It is the national park that is located in Western Uganda and it consists the main part of Rwenzori Mountains chain. The main part of the Rwenzori Mountain chain includes the African’s third – ranging highest peak known as mount Margherita. There are various attractive features that visitors and tourists are able to enjoy and refresh the precipitating scene. These features include region’s glaciers, waterfalls and lakes making it one of African’s most beautiful alpine areas.
The Rwenzori Mountains are the fabled mountains of the moon that lies in western Uganda along the Uganda – Congo border. The latter is the equatorial snow peaks that include the third highest point in Africa; the Rwenzori Mountains, while lower slopes are blanketed in bamboo, moorland and rich, moist montane forest.
Also, the Rwenzori Mountains National Park has many other natural habitats of endangered species and a rich and unusual flora (plant species) comprising among other species, the giant heather.
The Rwenzori Mountains National Park is one of the best features in Uganda that are very famous for provision of the stunning views of glacier and snow-capped mountains just that are located just kilometers from the equatorial zone. Also, this is where the Rwenzori mountains national park is contiguous with the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Having ranked the third highest mountain in Africa, Rwenzori mountain national park covers a total area of 5,109 square meters after the first and the second highest mountains in Africa Kilimanjaro Mountain and Mount Kenya respectively.
Among other things, the Rwenzori mountains national park includes a much larger alpine area than either, covering an area of 99,600 ha. Out of these hectors, 70% lies at over 2,500 m in height. Also, these mountains are the highest and most permanent sources of the River Nile, since they constitute a vital water catchment. Their multitude of fast flowing rivers, magnificent waterfall and stratified vegetation make the property exceptionally scenic and beautiful. The mountains are well known for their unique alpine flora which include many species endemic to the Albertine Rift in the higher altitude zone including gloundsela, giant heather and lobelies.
Being one of the national’s cultural heritages, the park also supplies local communities with various wild resources.
The Rwenzori mountains are the legendary mountains popularly known as “mountains of the moon’’, that acts as a reflection of the mist-shrouded mountains of this rugged massif that tower almost 4,000 m above the Albertine Rift Valley. This is what makes the mountains visible from great distances. These mountains offer a pristine and unique alpine vegetation studded with charismatic giant gloundsels, lobelies, and heather that have been called ‘’Africa’s botanical big game’’. The combination of the glaciers, spectacular snow-capped peaks, against shaped valleys, high speed flowing rivers with magnificent waterfalls, clear blue lake and unique flora contributes to the area’s exceptional natural beauty.
Because of their interesting altitudinal range and the nearly constant and favorable temperature, high insolation and humidity, the Rwenzori mountains supports the richest montane flora in Africa. There is an outstanding range of species, many of which are endemic to the Albertine Rift bizarre in their appearance.
The natural vegetation of the Rwenzori Mountain has been classified as belonging to five distinct zones, which are mainly determined by their altitudes. The higher altitude zone, covered by health and afro alpine moorland is extending from around 3,500 meters to the snow line and representing the rarest vegetation type in East Africa and African continent at large.
There are various species that are available in Rwenzori Mountains National Park. Some of the significant species include the giant, gloundsels, heather, lobelias, and other endemic species that provides good scenic view to thousands of visitors. In terms of fauna (animal species) the Rwenzori Mountains have been recognized as an important bird area, having about 217 bird species recorded to the moment, a number that is expected to increase as the park become well surveyed. The montane forests are also a home to other various threatened species such as the eastern chimpanzee, Africa forest elephant, as well as the I’Hoest’s monkey.
Again, the endangered Rwenzori red duiker, or black-flaunted that are believed to be the localized subspecies or possibly a separate species, they appears to be restricted to the park.
There are other wild animal’s species at Rwenzori Mountains National Park. These species are believed to be one of the best attractive features that appears to be a part of refreshment, learning and enjoyment to number of visitors. The Rwenzori national Park hosts 70 species of mammals, which includes the Giant forest hog, Elephant, duikers, Rwenzori Otter, Leopard and bushbucks. However, most of this mammals and animals are hardly seen, as they usually hid in the middle of the bushes. Also, there are other species of animals especially the primates such as Angola colobus monkey, blue monkey, and chimpanzees. Explore these with Explore Africa Safaris
Challenges facing the Rwenzori national park includes community’s integration in using the park for various activities such as collection of bamboo for different purposes, growth of population that leads to expansion of human habitats, development of tourism activities and agricultural practices.
