Are there Bush babies in Bwindi
Bwindi impenetrable National park is also a home to the bush babies that live in the dense forests of the park .
Bush babies are scientifically known as Galago senegalensis . These creatures are also primates belonging to the prosimian group and they are nocturnals which implies they are active at night and sleep during day. They derive their name from child like cries that they make to separate their territories and interact with family members.
Bush babies are physically identified by having silver grey , reddish to balck brown color of their coats , large ears and eyes , small heads , long hind legs , soft wolly fur and long tails .
Bush babies usually live in smaller groups comprising of their mother and the offsprings.
Just like any other animal , Bush babies have enemies that hunt for them which are owls , eagles , African wild cats , and large snakes .
Bwindi impenetrable National Park comprises of only 3 species of Bush babies which include ; The Eastern needle clawed bush baby ( G. inustus) , Thomas’s bush baby (G. thomasi) and Dwarf bush baby ( G. den’tidovii)
What bush-babies feed on ?
Bush babies have a variety of diet such as gum from acacia trees , insects like butterflies, moths , beetles and grasshoppers, fruits , flowers , seeds , small animals like frogs , lizards , small birds .
Gestation period of bush babies
The gestation period of a bush baby is between 3 to 4 months and they give birth to one or two young ones . The young ones are breast fed for 2 months and weaned and after they feed themselves. When young , the mother carries them . Females become more aggressive and over protective before and after birth.
Bush baby vocalisations
They make vocalisations like chattering calls , squeaky whistling sounds , wailing cries , clucking and croaking sounds .
How bush babies are adapted to their environment
Bush babies are high hind legs and can jump up to 2m . This enables them to pass through the forest canopy and as well escape predators.
Bush babies have large bat like ears which allows them to track insects at night and catch them.
Bush babies make loud vocalisations which they use to communicate with each other in the forest.
About Bwindi impenetrable National Park
Bwindi impenetrable National park is located in south western Uganda in the districts of kabale , kisoro and Kanungu.
The park is a tropical rain forest comprising of various tree species and fern species.
The park is a major habitat for mountain gorillas about half of those remaining in the wild .
Other wild animals in the park are mammals including elephants, buffaloes, forest hogs , bush babies, yellow balck duikers and bird species including black billed turaco , black bee eater , Rwenzori batis , Regal sun bird .
The park is governed by Uganda Wildlife Authority a body in charge of national parks
The park covers an area of 331 sq km
Bwindi was established as a national park in 1991 to protect the endangered mountain gorillas and UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 .
It takes about 9 to 10 hours from Entebbe or Kampala to travel to Bwindi by car .
Tourists travelling by air from Entebbe international airport or kajjansi air field will use one and half hours to kisoro or kihihi air strips
By and large bush babies are fascinating creatures that a worth visiting .
