Vyanda Forest Nature Reserve

Vyanda protects a block of lowland and mid-altitude forest inland from Rumonge in southwestern Burundi, and it holds a small population of chimpanzees along with other primates and forest birds. It is one of the few places in the country where chimpanzees survive. The reserve is small, the terrain is steep and the forest is under pressure from farming and charcoal on its edges. The reserve, set up in 1980, adjoins other forest patches along the escarpment.

What you'll find

• The chimpanzees - one of the few surviving populations in the country.
• The lowland forest - the woodland type the reserve protects.
• The other primates - the monkey species sharing the forest.
• The steep terrain - the broken ground the reserve covers.

When to go

June to September is the dry season and the practical window. The rains from October make the tracks impassable. Chimpanzee tracking starts early.

Before you go

Chimpanzee sightings are unlikely and tracking is not habituated. Access needs a guide and four wheel drive on rough tracks. There are no facilities.

Nearby

Rumonge is west, and Kigwena is northwest.

Key facts