Kibale Forest National Park

Kibale Forest National Park is located in Southern Uganda covering an area of 766 square kilometers at an elevation between 1,100 metres to 1,600 metres and opened as a National Park in 1993 and has continuous forest vegetation with Queen Elizabeth National Park with chimpanzees which are the most prominent attraction here hence named as primate destination in East Africa.

There are other 12 primates that can be tracked here as well and these include; Uganda mangabey, L’Hoest Monkeys, White and black Colobus Monkeys, blue monkeys and wildlife animals like the red and blue duikers, Bushbucks, Sitatungas, Bush pigs, Giant forest hogs, Warthogs and African buffalo. The bird species that can be seen here include; the olive long-tailed cuckoo, western tinker bird, African and Green breasted pitas, grey parrot, the ground thrush which is endemic.

There are approximately 229 species of trees found within kibale forest national park. Some endangered timber species of trees include Cordia millenii, Entandrophragma angolense, and Lovoa swynnertonnii. The forest under story is dominated by shade-tolerant shrubs and herbs, which include Palisota schweinfurthii and Pollia condensate, in addition to ferns and broad leaf grasses.

Things to Do in Kibale Forest National Park

Kibale national park is a park with a number of activities that the tourists can engage in while on a safari and they include following.

Chimpanzee Tracking

This is the most prominent safari activity here due to the numbers of travelers that transfer here to experience the rare species of Chimpanzee. The process requires you to transfer through the forest from one place to another searching for the rare species of chimpanzees.

You will take a period of 3-5 hours looking for these and when you meet them you will spend some time around them taking photos to keep for memories. The chimpanzee tracking permit costs US $150 per person interested. Book this to enjoy remarkable chimpanzee tracking safari tours.

Chimpanzee Habituation Experience

The chimpanzee Habituation experience is different from the tracking process since this takes the whole day staying with the chimpanzees from the time they wake up in the morning until night when they build new nests to spend the night. The chimpanzee habituation experience permit costs US $250 per person interested. You get a chance to stay and follow the chimpanzees throughout their daily activities which will take you a whole day with the chimpanzees.

Nocturnal Forest Walk in Kibale Forest National Park

This amazing safari activity is very exceptional as it gives travelers an opportunity to experience and adventure the nocturnal wildlife animals. You will spot the night hunter animals like the leopard, lions and primates like the potto, tree pangolins, bush baby and some species of birds. These are done in company of a skilled ranger guide as well as a torch to help you navigate easily through the forest.

Hiking and Nature Walks

The hikes and nature walks in the park are carried out both within and outside the park and these offer remarkable views of the forest vegetation, bird species and other primates like the monkeys jumping and interacting in their natural environment. There are numerous trails on which you can hike in Kibale Forest National Park and the primates you will spot include the red monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white Colobus monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, vervet monkeys etc.

Bird Watching in Kibale Forest National Park

With its beautiful forest vegetation, the Park is also a very good birder’s destination due to the numerous species of birds that inhabit the trees and vegetation. There are numerous bird species here that can be watched and these include; Chubb’s Cisticola, Black-capped Waxbill, Africa Shrike-flycatcher, African Black-headed Oriole, African Emerald Cuckoo the ground thrush which is endemic.