According to anthropologists, the Batwa people lived over 60,000 years ago. They were indigenous forest people who lived in harmony with mountain gorillas. The Batwa people are believed to be among the first inhabitants of the earth. 

The Batwa people are the original inhabitants of the Great Lakes of East Africa. survived by hunting bush meat and gathering edible fruits from the forest surroundings. Batwa hunting was done with the use of poison-tipped arrows, and the Batwa’s homes were made from durable sticks, plants, leaves, and vines.

The Batwa indigenous people were the initial hunters and gatherers that were forced to live in their natural home since Bwindi Impenetrable Forest was declared a national park to protect mountain gorillas and not the human element.

The Batwa people share 98% of their DNA with mountain gorillas, which is why they have never hunted them at any point. As with humans, the presence of the Batwa in Bwindi impenetrable increased the chance of primates getting infected with diseases transmitted from humans to primates. The Batwa were forcibly removed and granted conservation refugee status in 1991.

The Batwa people were unprepared for such a kind of change because they were used to the jungle lifestyle and knew how to thrive in that environment. Although the Batwa lifestyle has managed to survive better, recently the Batwa people have conserved their culture and brought in income through displays of gathering honey, hunting, doing traditional dances, and weaving baskets for tourists.

In addition to your mountain gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari in Uganda, Devine African Safaris highly recommends that you know the hidden story behind the Batwa.