Mt Rungwe

Formed some 2.5 million years ago, this dormant volcano marks the junction of the eastern and western arms of the Great Rift Valley and represents the pivot between the three great montane regions of eastern, central and southern Africa. Much of the mountain (13,652 ha) was gazetted as a Forest Reserve in 1949. The forest of Mt Rungwe is an important center of endemism and is home to a variety of significant forest flora and fauna, including the threatened Abbot's Duiker (Cephalophus spadix), two new species of primate (the Kipunji monkey and the Rungwe Galago) and over 530 species of orchid. 

The importance of Mt. Rungwe for water catchment is also significant. The forest feeds villages and towns from Kiwira to Tukuyu and nourishes the fertile Kyela Valley.  The timber values of the reserve are also well known although the amount of extraction is less clear. Mt Rungwe also has cultural importance for the Wanyakyusa, both as a source of forest products including medicines, fuel wood and building materials, and also for its spiritual significance.

Since 2000, The WCS Southern Highlands Conservation Program has been working to explore and monitor the biodiversity of Mt. Rungwe. This involves conducting comprehensive botanical and zoological surveys of the area, creating vegetation maps of the region, developing a carnivore  research program and supporting tree nursery management in surrounding communities. We have also initiated a socio -economic survey in the area in order to better understand the extent to which hunting and natural resource extraction affects the forest. The recent discovery of the Kipunji reveals that there is still much to learn about Mt. Rungwe.