Kibale Forest National Park is also known as the primate capital. Kibale Forest National Park is famous for hosting the largest population of chimpanzees in the world with over 1500 individuals. The park lies in the western corridor of the country, hosting over 13 primate species. Kibale National Park covers an area of about 795 square kilometers with thick tropical forests which are evergreen throughout the year.
The park is home to other mammals which are forest elephants, baboons, monkeys, buffaloes, and over 370 bird species including the 23 Albertine Rift endemics. Some of these birds are Naha’s francolin, Cassin’s spinetail, blue-headed bee-eater, and lowland masked apalis to mention but a few. Kibale Forest National Park is located 308 kilometers away from the capital city of Uganda and about 25 kilometers to the southeast of Fort Portal. Fort Portal is Uganda’s cleanest city and is referred to as Uganda’s Tourism City.
Wildlife found in Kibale Forest National Park
Kibale National Park accommodates a variety of wildlife recorded to be over 70 mammals, of which there are over 370 bird species and 13 species of primates under the evergreen thick canopies. Kibale Forest National Park is famous for hosting chimpanzees, however, there are other species. These include baboons, red-tailed monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, red colobus monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, mangabey, forest elephants, bushbucks, sitatungas, bush pigs, and forest hogs among other species. Due to being near Queen Elizabeth National Park, some lions visit this park, leopards, and other carnivorous animals including mongooses, otter among others.
The park has an extension stretch of the Bigodi swamp which is a home to rare bird the shoebill stork. Other birds to encounter include the Blue Rwenzori turaco, black-crowned waxbill, yellow-spotted barbet, white-spotted negrofinch, western nicator, superb sunbird, brown-crowned chakra, black and white shrike-flycatcher among others.
Activities in Kibale Forest National Park
Chimpanzee trekking
Kibale Forest National Park is mostly known for hosting the largest chimpanzee population in Uganda. Therefore, people prefer tracking chimpanzees in Kibale National Park where they have to find these primates in their natural environment. Chimpanzee trekking begins in the morning with a briefing at the Kanyanchu guest information center which happens in the morning at around 7 am. It is at this center where you are briefed about the chimpanzee trekking etiquette, you are also allocated the family to track, and then with a ranger guide. A range guide then leads you to the jungle to meet the chimpanzees. Chimpanzee trekking takes about 4 hours including an hour you spend with the chimpanzees. The park also encourages chimpanzee habituation where you have to spend more hours about 4 hours which you have to spend with the chimpanzees.
Bird watching expedition
Kibale Forest National Park is a colony for birds since the park is home to over 370 bird species and this makes it one of Uganda’s top birding destinations. On your watch out expect to meet robin and greenbul, red-chested paradise flycatcher, Sabine’s spinetail, blue-breasted kingfisher, afep pigeon, dusky crimsonwing, pin-tailed whydah, red-fronted tinkerbird, black-headed gonolek, purple-breasted sunbird, African pitta, black bee-eater, Abyssinian ground thrush among others. You start watching birds straight from Kanyanchu to Bigodi swamp that stretch has so many birds which will brighten your eyes.
Guided nature walk
The guided nature walk is always done in Bigodi wetland where you have to encounter several wildlife including birds, baboons, monkeys, bushbucks, and hogs among diurnals. You will spot butterflies, beautiful sceneries, and several tree species among other beautiful nature.
Night-guided nature walk
Night guided nature walk is done most especially by tourists who want to have an encounter with nocturnal animals for example bush babies, leopards, and some snakes among others. This is done with the help of the ranger guide who will protect you from dangerous wildlife and also to show you your interested animals.
How to get to Kibale Forest National Park?
The park can easily be accessed via the Kampala-Fort-Portal highway where once you reach Fort-Portal you will drive about 12 kilometers through the Ndali-Kasenda crater area. Here you will proceed as the road takes you to the thick forest, arriving at the Kanyanchu guest information center. Alternatively, you will connect to your lodge accommodation depending on where you will spend the night as you go for a chimpanzee trekking experience.
The best time to visit Kibale Forest National Park
The best time to visit Kibale Forest National Park is during the dry months of June to September and December to February. This is when the trails are dry, the park is easily accessed, and you can easily see the primates. The dry season is considered the peak season. March to May and October to November, are rainy months. These are considered to be low seasons because of the low turn-up of tourists. It is during these months when lodges give discounts to their clients, some travelers prefer this since it’s not congested.
