Virunga National park is very reach in biodiversity and has a lot to offer in terms of tourist attractions. The park is internationally known and recognized for its great attractions and biological diversity. The 7,800-square-kilometre park contains rare species of animals including the critically endangered mountain gorillas only found in three countries in the world. There are lots of things to see in Virunga National Park. During a gorilla safari to the park, there is a lot to watch on adventures through the varied habitats. Among the must-see attractions at Virunga national park include;
Primates
In the southern sector of the park, the most popular tourist attraction are the mountain gorillas with tourists coming from all over the world to come for gorilla tracking. There are other primates in the southern sector which include Blue monkeys, chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, golden monkeys among others as well as other wildlife like elephants, buffaloes, and golden cats.
The Virunga Volcanoes
Besides the primates, the southern part form part of Nyiragongo active Volcano which attracts tourists to hike and witness the molten lava lake at the top of the Volcano.
Flora Species
Virunga National Park is known for its beautiful and unique flora that comprises of more than 2,077 plant species including 230 plants that are endemic to the Albertine Rift and 264 tree species. Its plains are dominated by wetlands and grasslands that consist papyrus sedge, jointed flat sedge, common reed, sacaton grasses, ambatch conkerberry, and paperbark thorn and kowai fruit. The park is also encompassed by the remains of dicots like the African caper, maerua species, wild cucurbits, and the nightshades which were found in the dung balls of the African Elephants.
Wildlife species
With a total area of 8,090 square kilometers, Virunga National Park is a home to a variety of faunal species including more than 196 mammals, 109 reptiles, 706 bird species and 65amphibians. The northern part of the park is popular for the Elusive Okapi. The central part of the park has game as Lion, Leopard, Kob, Hyenas, warthogs, Topis, crocodiles, Hippos among others.
Primate species
Virunga National Park is famous for hosting several primate species especially the mountain gorillas. These endangered species can be watched during an up-close experience (gorilla trekking) that takes place in their natural habitats. Gorilla trekking involves trailing through the rainforests of the park in search of the apes and once they are found, the trekkers are allowed to spend an hour in their presence as they learn more about their daily lifestyles.
Besides the mountain gorillas, there are also other primates in the park that include the common chimpanzees, the golden monkeys, red tailed monkeys, Dent’s Mona monkeys, blue monkeys, Hamlyn’s monkeys, De Brazza’s monkey, the Central African red colobus, olive baboons, grey cheeked mangabey, and mantled guereza.
Mammal Species
Virunga National Park is a home to a variety of other mammal species including the African bush elephant, hippos, and the African buffalo which mostly inhabit the park’s central region. In the northern region, the park records the blue duiker, bay duiker, yellow backed duiker, okapi, red river hog, water chevrotain, aardvark and the bongo and in the southern region, there are the giant forest hogs, and the harnessed bushbuck. The topis can be sighted in the south of Lake Edward in the Ishasha flat regions and these at many cases cross the border into Uganda.
Reptile Species
Since Virunga National Park encompasses part of River Semliki basin in its northern region, there is a variety of Nile crocodiles and other reptile species to spot in the river and others at the northern shore of Lake Edward.
Bird Species
Virunga National Park is a home to more than 706 species of birds including the endemic birds of the Albertine Rift. The endemic species can easily be seen in the park’s southern sector and among these include the Rwenzori batis, Rwenzori turaco, red throated alethe, kivu ground thrush, collared apalis, Archer’s ground robin, mountain masked apalis, red faced woodland warbler, Rwenzori double collared sunbird, strange weave, handsome spur fowl, blue headed sunbird and the stripe breasted tit.
Among the non – endemic bird species in the park include the African goshawk, common buzzard, mountain buzzards, black and white casqued hornbill, black billed turaco, Wahlberg’s eagle, brown necked parrot, red chested cuckoo, barred long tailed cuckoo, white tailed crested flycatcher, white eyed slaty flycatcher, African dusty flycatcher, cardinal woodpecker, black saw wing, Angolan swallow, alpine swift, mountain greenbuls, yellow whiskered greenbuls, common bulbul, collared sunbird, mountain sooty boubou and many others.