Nyungwe National Park is hailed for its tremendous biodiversity, more so for harbouring so many endemics. It is known to be one of the most endemic species-rich locations in Africa. Nyungwe lies within the Albertine Right Eco-region which has a lot of endemic wildlife and the park has one of the highest concentrations of these endemics.

In a nutshell, the flora composition of Nyungwe includes; 240 tree species, 140 orchids, and 1068 plant types of which 250 plants are Albertine Rift Endemics.

There are 75 species of mammals in Nyungwe including among others Cerval Cat, Golden Cat, Wild Cat, Mongoose, Congo Clawless Otter, Genet, Civet, Duiker, Bushbuck, Hyrax and the Leopards.

Other wildlife includes many species of butterflies of which 40 are endemic to Nyungwe Forest, a small number of snakes because of the high altitude, several lizards and 5 species of chameleon.

The primates in Nyungwe National Park

Nyungwe National Park is simply a primate heaven! Nyungwe has one of the highest concentrations of primates in a single location. The park has 13 species of primates that have been recorded so far. The chimpanzees are the most known primates in Nyungwe. They are also the only great ape in the park (there are no gorillas in Nyungwe). The population of chimps in Nyungwe is about 500.

Other primates in Nyungwe include: the Angolan Colobus monkey, Blue monkey, Vervet monkey, Dent’s monkey, L’Hoest’s monkey, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Red-tailed monkey, Owl-faced monkey, Olive baboon, Golden monkey, Silver monkey,  Bush babies

The birds in Nyungwe National Park

Nyungwe National Park is Rwanda’s top birding destination. The park has about 300 species of birds of which includes a whooping 27 Albertine rift endemics which are the main reason for many birders visiting Nyungwe and Rwanda as well. The Albertine rift endemic birds in Nyungwe include; Handsome Francolin, Ruwenzori Turaco, Albertine Owlet, Ruwenzori Nightjar, Dwarf Honeyguide, Ruwenzori Batis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Grauer’s Warbler, Neumann’s Warbler, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Rwenzori Apalis, Mountain Masked Apalis, Kungwe Apalis, Red-collared Babbler, Kivu Ground Thrush, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Archer’s Ground Robin, Red-throated Alethe, Blue-headed Sunbird, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Ruwenzori Double-collared Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Rockefeller’s Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Dusky Crimsonwing, Shelley’s Crimsonwing