KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK

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Kibale Forest National Park

Location Of Kibale National Park

Kibale Forest National Park is situated in the mid-western part of Uganda. The park spreads across the districts of Kabarole to the West and North, Kyenjonjo to the East, and Kamwenge to the South. It is a tropical forest that provides habitat to various forest wildlife, including over 1500 chimpanzees, different species of monkeys, tree species, bird species, butterflies, reptiles, and other wildlife.

It takes approximately 4-5 hours by car to reach Kibale Forest National Park from Kampala or Entebbe. A trip to this forest is an opportunity to experience thrilling adventures such as chimpanzee trekking and chimpanzee habituation, which are the most sought-after activities in the park.

Kibale National Park is known as the Primate capital because it is home to about 20 primate species, making it the highest density in all of Africa. Chimpanzees are among the endangered species in the world, and they are the second most famous primates after the Mountain Gorillas. They also share 95% of human DNA.

The best time to visit Kibale Forest National Park

Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park is best done from June to October and December to March. During this time, Uganda experiences dry weather with mild rainfall, making it easy for chimpanzees to trek in the forest. Additionally, the vegetation is not fully grown, which provides clear views of the chimpanzees and excellent opportunities for photography.

On the other hand, April, May, and November are typically wet seasons, which causes vegetation to grow higher and can make sightings unclear. However, during this time, chimpanzees do not move far to find food, and food is readily available, which means that treks tend to be shorter.

Overall, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park can be done throughout the year as it is a well-organized activity. With a 99% chance of seeing the chimpanzees, it’s a great experience for nature enthusiasts.

Other things to do around Kibale Forest National Park

Bird watching

Birding in the Kibale forest is a rewarding experience and is home to a variety of birds including the Albertine rift endemics including Green breasted pitta, Grey-throated Flycatcher, Grey-winged Robin, Crested Flycatcher, Blue shouldered Robin-Chat, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Black-billed Turaco, White-naped Pigeon, Red-chested Flufftail, White-collared Oliveback, White-bellied, Masked Apalis, Nahan’s Francolin, Tiny Sunbird and many more.

Chimpanzee Habituation Experience

Chimpanzees in the Kibale Forest National Park are habituated for over 2 years before they get used to humans and then chimpanzee trekking can begin.

This is the only place that offers this experience where along with the rangers and research staff, you watch chimpanzees leaving their overnight nests before they start their daily activities, feeding, hunting, copulating, breastfeeding, patrolling, and resting until they break off for the night by building new nests at about 7 pm.

Nature and Hiking walks

The forest is rich in variety and the chimpanzee trekking may not give you enough time to take in all that the forest offers because you are focused on the location of the chimpanzees. Here you can spot more variety of birds and animals, bush pigs, duikers, and or elephants.

Nocturnal Walks

You can opt for night walks to see the nocturnal animals when the other forest inhabitants rest they are on the move searching for food. The rangers use powerful torches to seek nocturnal such as bush baby, hyrax, potto and occasionally serval cat and civets that last 2.5 hours beginning at 7 pm.

Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary

This sanctuary is home to around 200 species of birds, as well as butterflies and eight different species of primates, including grey-cheeked mangabey. Two- to three-hour swamp walks will take you through grassland, small communities, and some beautiful scenery.