There were 426 chimpanzees in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park last year, the Uganda Wildlife Authority announced Tuesday, a count that experts hope will help conservation efforts.
The state-run Uganda Wildlife Authority conducted the first-ever census of the endangered species there with support from the US-based conservation charity the Jane Goodall Institute in 2025.
UWA Executive Director James Musinguzi said the effort had addressed the gap in documenting the status of the chimpanzees, confirming that "chimpanzees are not incidental occupants of the forest but an integral and widely distributed component of Bwindi's great ape assemblage".
The purpose of the census and the implications of the findings
The census, aimed at establishing the population size, density, and distribution of the species in the conservation area, is a "major milestone in strengthening evidence-based conservation in one of Africa's most important protected landscapes," the UWA said in a statement.
Musinguzi said the data would also help make better "conservation investments" in the park, which is covered in dense tropical forest, a feature that gives it its "impenetrable" name.
The 320 sq km park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the East African country's prized tourist attractions. It is home to a range of animals, including mountain gorillas, elephants, and antelopes.
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