How Big is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Size of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park found in the south-west of Uganda is one of the few places where mountain gorillas are tracked and offers shelter to at least half of the World’s population of these giant apes. In terms of size, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park extends for an area of 331 square kilometers (33,100 hectares/128 square miles) almost the size of Lynchburg City in the south-central region of the state of Tennessee (in the United State of America).

The vast size of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is mainly comprised of lowland as well as a montane rainforest. It is the third smallest National Park in Uganda only larger than Semliki Valley and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks.

The current size of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is not what it used to be before being gazetted into the Conservation Area that it is today. Two blocks of Bwindi Impenetrable forest were established as Crown Forest Reserves in 1932 with the southern block being Kasatora Crown Forest Reserve while the northern block as the Kayonza Crown Forest Reserve. These two combined Reserves covered only 207 square kilometers (80 square miles).

In 1942 the two Crown Forest Reserves were combined and increased to form one Protected Area as well as attained a general name of “Impenetrable central Crown Forest” extending for an area of 298 square kilometers. It was then managed by two Conservation entities-Forest and Game departments.

Twelve years later it became an animal Sanctuary to protect the Mountain Gorillas that were already facing extinction. Two years later the Protected Area was expanded to a size of 321 square kilometers although still controlled as a Forest Reserve and Game Sanctuary.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was designated in 1991 after combining the Impenetrable Central Forest Reserve, Rwenzori Mountains Reserve, and Mgahinga Gorilla Reserve to a size of 330 square kilometers but three years later more 10 square kilometers were added, later being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its management also changed to Uganda Wildlife Authority that still manages it until today.