WHAT CAN I DO IN KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK?

Kibale National Park is a stunning piece of nature and a modern-day Garden of Eden. Kibale National Park is still the best place in Uganda to go chimpanzee tracking. This national park safeguards 766 km2 of primarily forested habitat that stretches more than 50 km (31 mi) south of the major Fort Portal-Kampala Road to the northeast edge of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

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The majority of Kibale National Park is covered in rainforest, but there are also areas of grassland and wetland throughout. with more than 200 tree species reported overall, which ranges in altitude from 1,100 to 1,590 m, has a floral composition that transitions to the usual eastern Afromontane and western lowland forest.

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Kibale Forest, which had been designated as a forest reserve in 1932, was later given national park status, and in 1993, it was expanded southward to form a continuous block with the Queen Elizabeth National Park. A stunning 180-km corridor for wildlife migration is created by this link. It links Sebitoli in the north to Ishasha in the south. You can see a wide variety of wild animals in this big parkland area. The Kanyanchu Visitors’ Center, which is located 35 kilometers (22 miles) south of Fort Portal town on a newly constructed asphalt road that continues south to Kamwenge and Ibanda, is the starting point for chimpanzee tracking trails and the main tourist attraction within the park.

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 Kibale National Park has the highest concentration of primates in all of Africa, with almost 1500 eastern chimpanzees. The sole remaining population of the Ugandan red colobus and the magnificent L’Hoest’s monkey are both found in this pristine rainforest. Kibale, one of the world’s great wonders, deserves to be protected as a national park just for these three species. Other primate species, such as the black-and-white colobus, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkey, blue monkey, potto, olive baboon, velvet, and two kinds of bush babies, have a far deeper connection to the forest.

Kibale Forest National Park is home to at least 60 different species of mammals in addition to primates. This area is home to numerous additional animals, including three different species of wild hogs, forest buffalo, golden cats, five different antelope species, and an estimated 500 forest elephants. Every square inch of this forest is teeming with life, including 250 species of butterflies, 70 reptiles and amphibians, and a conservative estimate of 335 bird species.

Which activities can I do in Kibale Forest National Park?

Chimpanzee Trekking

Kibale Forest National Park has a chimpanzee population of up to 1,500 individuals, organized into at least a dozen separate communities, four of which are used by humans. This is the most notable of Kibale’s primates. Since 1993, regular chimp tracking expeditions from Kanyanchu have focused on the Kanyantale Community. The other three, which are all designated for researchers, include Ngogo, which has the largest chimpanzee community in the world with more than 200 members. Kanyanchu’s neighbor, Buraiga, is a different community, whose area is currently being developed for tourism.

To identify a habituated chimpanzee family, park officials and guides lead tourists from Kanyanchu into the tropical forest. Kibale Forest chimpanzee trekking permits cost $200 per individual or lead tourists from Kanyanchu into the tropical forest. Kibale Forest chimpanzee trekking permits cost $200 per individual or $250 for a Chimpanzee Habituation Experience (CHEX) trekking permit, which permits you to spend more than 6 hours with a semi-habituated chimpanzee band. You must put in the effort to keep up with the foraging band for at least one hour.

The chimpanzee habituation experience involves tagging along with qualified researchers as they look for chimpanzees in their natural settings. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to interact openly and up close with these magnificent creatures. You can see these gorgeous primates leaving their nests between 5.30 and 6.30 a.m. during the chimpanzee habituation experience. Then you can spend time with them all day long until they start building new nests at about 7 o’clock at night. The low-season months of March, April, May, and November are the ideal times to embark on a chimpanzee expedition.

Chimpanzee habituation experience

For the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience, you are accompanied by professional researchers as they seek out chimpanzees in their natural habitats. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with these magnificent creatures. During the chimpanzee habituation experience, you can view these magnificent primates leaving their nests between 5.30 a.m. and 6.3a0am. You can then spend time with them throughout the day until they begin to create new nests at around 7 p.m. The best time to go for a chimpanzee trekking is in the low season between March to May, and October to November.

A Primate Walk in Kibale Forest National Park

Another fantastic African safari activity available in Kibale National Park is a primate walk. At the Kanyanchu Visitor Center, the first session of the primate walk starts at 8:00 am, and the second session begins at 3:30 pm. Each stroll takes two to three hours. You may see primates like live chimpanzees, the Black & White Colobus Monkey, the Grey-Cheeked Mangabey, the Red-Tailed Monkey, and olive baboons, on the Primate Walk. Pittas and a large range of bird species are also visible. A minimum of six individuals are required for each primate walk. During the busiest times of year, you ought to reserve far in advance.

Bird watching in Kibale Forest National Park

In Kibale National Park, over 370 different bird species have been identified along the bigodi wetlands, many of which are prized forest specialties like the African pitta. Four of them—the Cassin’s spinetail, the Masked Apalis, the Blue-headed Bee-eater, and Nahan’s francolin—are endemic to this area. During escorted treks in this tropical rain forest, birdwatching tourists can see these lovely birds. You might see African Pitta, Green-breasted Pitta, Dusky Crimson Wing, Crowned Eagle, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, and Collared Apalis on a leisurely forest stroll around Kibale. Birds such as the yellow-spotted Nicator, the brown-chested Alethe, the blue-breasted kingfisher, the black bee-eater, and the black-eared ground thrush can also be seen.