mount Rwenzori was named the mountains of the moon (Lunae Montes) by the Greek geographer Ptolemy. Mount Rwenzori is the source of river Nile. The mountains of the moon have snowcapped peaks which rise from the equatorial bulge of central Africa. In the year 1889, henry Morton Stanley affirmed the ancient proclamation that mount Rwenzori is a Lunae Montes. The mount Rwenzori area was established as a national park in 1991 and later in 1994 UNESCO designated it as a world heritage site. The park covers an area of 996 km2 of land. Mount Ruwenzori’s margarita peak is the third highest peak in Africa after Mounts Kilimanjaro and Kenya, margarita rises to about 5,109m above sea level. Mount Rwenzori sites on a landscape area of about 99,600 ha of land and 70% of this area exceeds an altitude of 2,500m above sea level. Despite the mountain’s proximity to the equator, it is covered by snow; this has led to the formation of water bodies through the melting of glaciers, this has led to river formation like river Nyamwamba with its scenic and impressive views on Uganda safari excursion in mount Rwenzori national park. Apart from margarita, the Rwenzori mountains also have other peaks like; Mt Speke (4,890m) Mt Baker (4,843m), Mt Emin (4,798m), Mt Gessi (4,715m) and Mt Luigi di Savoia (4,627m). Mount Ruwenzori’s geography is marked with ancient Precambrian rocks with ranges, this pose a climbing challenge to hikers on a Uganda safari. Africa travel magazine at one point listed the Rwenzori Mountains as one of the mountains with a hiking challenge for mountain climbers on an African safari excursion.
Mount Rwenzori has an impressive vegetation cover existing on different altitudinal ranges like montane forest zone on the lower layers of the mountain, bamboo forest zone and the afro – alpine moorland zone, these give home to a number of game and bird life which is enjoyed by Uganda safari undertakers.
Mount Rwenzori National Park has 70 species of mammals, 217 species of birds of which 19 are only found at the Albertine rift. The Bakonzo and bamba are the only communities that coexist along the mountain ranges and they have molded their lifestyle to adapt to the mountainous ecosystem in which they thrive in.
Birds
Rwenzori National Park is home to more than 217 bird species of these, 19 are only found in the Albertine rift. The bird species in the park include; hand francolin, cinnamon-chested bee-eater, Rwenzori Turaco, barred long-tailed cuckoo, long eared owl, flycatcher, Greenbuls, Archer`s ground robin, white-starred forest robin, golden-winged sunbird, strange weaver, crimson wing, montane sooty boubou, Legden`s bush shrike, Rwenzori batis and many other birds. The malachite sunbird can be viewed on the higher alpine zone on a Uganda birding safari in Rwenzori national park.
