Rwenzori Mountain
The Rwenzori National Park was established in 1991. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. It is located on the East side of the Western African Rift Valley. The park stretches 50 Km along the DR Congo border. It shares a boundary with DR Congo’s Virunga National Park, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park covers a geographical area of approximately 1000 Sq. Km. The park boasts of a rich biodiversity with 4 primate species including chimps, Angola Colobus, L’Hoest Monkey and vervet monkeys; 15 butterflies species, 89 bird species including Rwenzori Turaco, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, IIladopsis, Greenbuls, Long-tailed Cuckoo, Slender-billed Starling, Golden-winged Sunbird, Long-eared Owl, Handsome Francolin, Archers’ Robin-chat, Montane Sooty Boubou, White-starred Robin, Rwenzori Batis, Lagden’s Bush Shrike, Blue-headed Sunbird, Strange Weaver and several varieties of Barbets, Apalises, Flycatchers and Crimsonwings, etc.
The Rwenzori National Park is named after the Rwenzori Mountains. The Rwenzori mountain range is approximately 120 Km (75Mi) long and 65 Km (40Mi) wide. It consists of 6 massifs separated by deep gorges including Mt Stanley (5,109m (16,762ft), Mt Speke (4,890 m (16,040ft), Mt Baker (4,843m (15,889ft), Mt Emin (4,798m (15,741ft), Mt Gessi (4,715m (15,469ft) and Mt Luigi di Savoia (4,627m (15,180ft).