Nyungwe National park is the largest National park in Rwanda with a variety of primates. Nyungwe is home to a wide variety of primates. e.g The L’Hoest’s Albertine Rift Monkey, the Sun-tailed Gabon Monkey & the Preuss’ Cameroon Monkey. These three monkeys were most likely one species that lived in a continuous larger forest before the last ice age. Over time the forest split into fragments and each monkey adapted to its own forest. Today they are separate species.
Below is the list of primates in Nyungwe forest National Park with their botanical names:
1) Common Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)
2) Adolf Friedrich’s Angola Colobus (Colobus angolensis ruwenzori)
3) L’Hoest’s Monkey (Cercopithecus l’hoesti)
4) Silver Monkey (Cercopithecus doggetti)
5) Golden Monkey (Cercopithecus kandti)
6) Hamlyn’s Monkey (Cercopithecus hamlyni)
7) Red-tailed Monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius)
8) Dent’s Mona Monkey (Cercopithecus denti)
9) Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus)
10) Olive Baboon (Papio anubis)
12) Grey-cheeked Mangabey (Lophocebus albigena)
Chimpanzees Pan troglodytes
The only ape in Nyungwe, 500 live in this park. Your guide can help you spot them and their signs: calls, nests, or scat.
L’Hoest’s Mountain Monkey Cercopithecus lhoesti
Nyungwe is one of the few places in the world where this species is still common. You can often see them by the main road near Uwinka.
Owl-faced Monkey Cercopithecus hamlyni
This elusive guenon is rarely seen. It has a range limited to central Congo, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.
Angolan Colobus Monkeys Colobus angolensis ruwenzori
Nyungwe is the only forest in Africa where these monkeys form large “supergroups” of over 350 individuals.
Mona Monkey Cercopithecus mona
Although often found in groups with other Monas, individuals can sometimes be seen associating with groups of colobus, blue monkeys, or mangabeys.
Blue Monkey Cercopithecus mitis doggetti
These tree-dwelling guenons can be found around Uwinka.