Nation Parks
Nyungwe Nation Park
Nyungwe is one of the oldest rainforests in Africa, and the largest expanse of forest in Rwanda, covering 1,019 km2 of dense Afromontane forests, bamboo-covered slopes, grasslands and wetlands. The park feeds two of the world’s largest rivers, the Congo and the Nile, providing a significant portion of the country’s freshwater. As a regional biodiversity hotspot, Nyungwe supports 1,068 recorded plant species, 322 bird species, 75 known mammal species and 13 different primate species. But Nyungwe’s unique shape and topography has exposed it to a variety of threats including poaching, illegal mining, and agricultural encroachment which have significantly endangered the integrity of its unique biodiversity, preventing the park from reaching its true potential as a tourist destination and a support system for local communities.
