Kibale National Park

Kibale National Park: Background Info

Kibale National Park, located in southwestern Uganda is a tropical rainforest that harbors quite a number of wildlife species that have attracted many tourists to come into Uganda. This national park has contributed widely in Uganda’s tourism industry because it harbors some endangered species that catch the traveler’s eye. Chimpanzees are primates that share about 90% of their DNA with human beings and have been habituated in Kibale Forest National Park. Uganda in total has about 4950 chimpanzees and Kibale National Park holds about 1500 chimpanzees. Chimpanzees are also visited by travelers for 1 hour which is the same for gorilla trekking. However, chimpanzee trekking also has an option for travelers to spend more time with the Chimps and this is called Chimpanzee Habituation.

Kibale National Park: Destination Preview

The Experience: Kibale National Park

Kibale forest national park covers an area 795 square km, standing at 1,590m above sea level with the lowest point of 1,100m on the floor of the Albertine Rift valley to the south. The park’s varied altitude supports different types of habitat, ranging from the wet tropical forest on the Fort Portal plateau to the woodland and savannah on the rift valley floor. For the best Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda, Kibale Forest guarantees the best views of these endangered primates. The forest has been ranked as the best destination in East Africa where tourists can easily find the wild chimpanzees. These primates are the second exciting and most popular primates in Uganda after the Mountain Gorillas of Bwindi Forest National Park. With a forest cover interspersed with patches of grasslands and swamps dominated in the northern and central parts of the park, Kibale National Park has about 351 species of trees recorded, some rising to over 55m and are over 200 years old.

Wildlife

Kibale contains a variety of wildlife species, including 70 mammal species, 13 primates species, and 325 bird species in and under its canopy. Notable wildlife in Kibale National Park includes the remarkable common chimpanzee, baboon, red colobus, black and white colobus, L’Hoest’s, red-tailed, vervet, and blue monkeys, and the Uganda mangabey. Other exciting wildlife includes forest elephant, duiker, bushbuck, sitatunga, bushpigs, giant forest hogs, common warthogs, and African buffalo. The Kibale predator list includes leopard, serval, African golden cat, mongooses, otter, and occasionally visiting lion.

Although Kibale offers superlative primate viewing, it is challenging to see large mammals despite an impressive checklist. Kibale’s main attraction, however, is the opportunity to track chimpanzees in their natural habitat from the Kanyanchu visitor center. Chimpanzee trekking is generally fruitful; guides and visitors have been following habituated chimpanzee bands through Kibale’s medium-altitude moist forest since 1994. The chimps are tolerant of human presence. Larger mammals, such as elephants and buffalo, rarely appear on tourist walking trails but are abundant in the forest.

Birdlife

Kibale National Park is a bird-watcher's paradise. More than 370 species have been recorded and many are forest specials, including the sought-after African pitta. Four bird species have not been recorded in any other national park of Uganda: Cassin’s spinetail, blue-headed bee-eater, Nahan’s francolin and Masked apalis. The best bird-watching spot is the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary – a community project where experienced guides take you on a four-hour trail. Migratory birds are present from November to April.

The birdlife in Kibale is good year-round, but at its best from March to May and from September to November. June to September is the main fruiting season, so food is abundant, and many birds are in breeding plumage. Migratory birds, though not a major factor in the forests, can be found here from November to April. December to February and June to July have the least rain while March to May and September to November have the most rain. Rainstorms might limit your bird-watching time.