Uganda has one of the densest population of mammals in the world and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is no exception: 39 species of mammals have been identified in the park. It should be noted that while some of these animals can under exceptional circumstances be dangerous to humans, experienced rangers escort all visitors to our park. Some of the larger mammals are: Buffalo, Elephant, Golden Monkey, Leopard, Mountain Gorilla, and Duiker. Each of these is covered in more detail below.

Furthermore, the Albertine Rift (also known as the Western Rift Valley) is home to hundreds of species of birds and butterflies, many of them endemic. The Virunga Volcanoes are seated on this rift and expects vists from all of these beauties. We receive mountaneous species in addition. So far, 106 species of birds have been identified in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, including the proud ibis and the long-tailed Whydah. Other notable ones covered in detail below are the Crested Crane, the Crowned Hornbill, and the Rwenzori Turaco. 

Mammals

Buffalo

The African Forest Buffalo roams the park in great numbers, favouring the low shrubland. No wonder - with horns like these it must be difficult to move through denser parts of the forest. Smaller animals enjoy hanging around the large buffalo for their protection. Indeed, while the buffalos were hunted in the past for their meat, only the bravest of hunters would take them on. More common encounters with buffalos was finding them in your field eating your crops. Today, a stone wall separates these inhabitants of the park from us communities outside. The wall is known as the 'buffalo wall' and spans the entire boundary of the park. African Forest Buffalos reach up to a meter and a half by the shoulders and can weigh half a tonne.

Elephant

The African Forest Elephant was long thought to be the same species as the African Elephant, but recent DNA testing has made a distinction. The forest variety is somewhat smaller and more, relatively speaking, agile. By any other comparison they are lumbering beasts, making their own paths through the forest and tearing down anything in their way. The buffalo wall (see above) helps to keep them away from our communities. They reach around three meters in height and normally weigh between two and four tonnes. The African Forest Elephant is an endangered animal.  

Golden Monkey

Far more endangered than the elephant is the Golden Monkey. It exists only on the slopes of the Virungas and in a couple of forests in Rwanda. This gold-chested monkey prefers the bamboo forests of the Virungas' lower slopes. However, the species has seldom been studied and the details of its behaviour remain largely unknown. The rangers of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park have habituated a group of 40 individuals to human presence and the park offers a safari to the group on Mt. Gahinga's slopes. 

Leopard

It was once believed that leopards were hybrids of lions and panthers: hence the playful name. The African Leopard is indeed a playful cat at times, and a fiery predator at others. Numerous individuals have Mgahinga forest as their nest and hunting ground, preferring to catch bushback and duiker - both small antelopes - but known to take any prey ranging from small beetles to giant forest hogs more than three times their weight. Once their prey is slain, they often bring it up trees so as to keep it to themselves. Adult leopards reach 50 - 80 centimeters in height, 90 - 190 centimeters in length, and male leopards can get as heavy as 90 kilogrammes.

Mountain Gorilla

The Mountain Gorilla is perhaps the most famous inhabitant of the park, made so by the decade-long preservation efforts of behaviourist Dian Fossey's work in the Virunga mountains. Only about six hundred individuals remain with us today, spread evenly between the Virungas and the Bwindi forest also in Uganda. However, the population i snow steadily growing thanks to local communities, government and conservationists alike. Our habituated group in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Nyakagezi, is 18 members strong and led by two silverbacks. It prefers the "saddle" between Mt. Muhabura and Mt. Gahinga. While this group sometimes crosses the border to Rwanda or to the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is always some one hundred unhabituated mountain gorillas roaming Mgahinga forest. An encounter with the humanlike great apes is many a hiker's dream.  We recommend Fossey's book 'Gorillas in the Mist' for more information on Mountain Gorillas and the Virunga Volcanoes. These great apes weigh up to 300 kilogrammes.

Duiker

The opposite to the massive mountain gorilla would be the petite duiker. Like a bambi that never grows up, it is an antelope rarely reaching beyond fifty centimeters in height. It is shy, darting through the foliage, peeking out from leaves twice its size, but common enough to be a possible sighting for a quiet and attentive hiker. They favour the company of other animals: following groups of monkeys around to take advantage of the fruits they drop, or buffalos for their size and protection. Duikers typically reach around 20 kilogrammes in weight.

Birds 

Crested Crane

The Crested Crane (alternatively Grey Crowned Crane) is Uganda's national bird and symbol alike, featured in our nation's flag. It does a good job of it - with its large size and distinctive golden head-feathers it is easily spotted, recognised and identified with our country. The birds are famous for their wild dances, wherein they strut around, beat their wings, and inflate the red pouch under their chin. Seldom solitary, the Crested Crane mates for life and travels two by two. 

Crowned Hornbill

Rwenzori Turaco

Large, bright, endangered and endemic to altitudes above 2000 meters in the Albertine Rift, the Rwenzori Turaco (alternatively Ruwenzori Turaco) is one of those birds which many can travel half-way around the world to see. There is a special spot in the park, near the end of the bamboo forest on the trail to Mount Sabinyo, where chances of spotting them are especially high. Park rangers are specifically trained in finding their location.