Kibale is an extensive National Park in the south western Uganda, protecting a large block of rainforest that offers some excellent forest for bird watching. It harbors the greatest variety and concentration of primates found anywhere in East Africa. Superb birds and primates combined with easy access, a good infrastructure and a variety of interesting activities make this forest a worthwhile Uganda safaris destination. Many of the facilities are community based, thus providing the local community with the necessary revenue to keep their interest focused on the long-term protection of the area. The park was gazetted in 1932 and formally established in 1993 to protect a large area of forest previously managed as a logged forest reserve. The park forms a continuous forest with Queen Elizabeth National Park. This adjoining of the parks creates a 180 kilometers wildlife corridor between the northern part of Kibale and the southern ishasha sector of queen Elizabeth which is an important eco-tourism and safari destination, popular for its population of habituated chimpanzees and twelve other species of primates.
The area is mainly occupied by two tribes i.e Batooro and Bakiga traditionally both tribes utilized the forest for food, fuel, building materials and medicine. The park has 70 mammal species, most famously 13 species of primate including the chimpanzee. It also contains over 375 species of birds Kibale has a well-established Chimpanzee-tracking program with a high success rate. Other primates that may be found on these guided walks include Guereza Colobus, Olive Baboon, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, L’Hoest’s Gentle (Blue) and Red-tailed Monkeys is more likely to be found in open areas adjacent to the forest. You may find evidence of Elephant, Bush Pig and Buffalos along the trails, whilst Bushbuck, Blue, Harvey’s and Peter’s Duickers are other shy inhabitants of the forest interior. The guided night walks are also rewarding: Potto, Spectacled Demidoff’s and Thomas’s Galagos, Lord Derby’s Anomalure, African Civet and Common Genet are all possible. There are many species of primates and these species persist in the less disturbed areas of the forest in their natural habitats.
Activities done while in Kibale forest national park.
Chimpanzee Tracking. Kibale’s most popular activity is the Kanyanchu Primate Walk. Thirteen species can be sought, and a good variety of diurnal monkeys invariably encountered, but the stars of this trail are the chimpanzees. Kanyanchu’s chimps have been tracked since 1993 and the chances of locating them are excellent. Guided walks start at 8am and 2pm and last an average of three hours, depending on various factors. Chimpanzee are the most sought after primate by visitors, but you should look out for the black & white colobus, red tailed monkey or the grey cheeked mangabeys. Your guides will be able to show you pittas & different bird species and will give details of the tradition of the plant species within the forest. Chimpanzee tracking actually is a very fascinating experience. Prepare today and set out to Uganda’s Kibale all natural jungle today as you spend a number of hours tracking these impressive creatures. You will be allowed to spend some time (at most an hour) with our mesmerizing relatives, as you observe them swing from one tree to another, feed, play about or progress speedily on the ground right in front of you.
Nature walks / Hiking; The hiking Trail is 12 kilometers long and takes in various terrain such as swampland, grasslands, forests along rivers and tropical rainforest. You will see more of a variety of terrain that you would trekking chimpanzees in Kibale. On this hike you can see various species of primates, mammals such as duikers, bushbuck antelopes, elephants, and many of the birds found in the area. The Forest Walk Trail in Kibale Forest Park (During the Dry Season) is one of those off the beaten track for most visitors to Kibale Forest. It is a six-hour plus hike through open Savanna, Riverine Forestation, the tropical jungle and swampland. You can see primates, plenty of Birds, mammals, at times even forest elephants plus the variant scenery on your hike through the park. The Trail Can only be taken during the Dry-Seasons of the year – June – October – December.
Birding; Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, located just outside the park, is home to 138 bird species which may be seen during guided walks along the boardwalk trail and viewing platforms. These could include the White-spotted Flufftail, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Western Nicator, Grey-winged Robin-chat, White-tailed Ant-thrush, Brown-backed Scrub-robin, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Superb Sunbird, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Bocage’s Bush-shrike, Black Bishop, White-breasted Negrofinch and Black-crowned Waxbill among others which some of them are rare species found nowhere else in Uganda.
Community walk; The daily life of the Batooro can be discovered during the village walks. The tour stops by the village’s primary school, church, and traditional healer. You will learn about the role of women in the village and traditional ceremonies, and the history of Bigodi is told through the story of the “Village of Two Tribes”, describing when the indigenous Batooro were joined by migrating Bakiga from southwestern Uganda in the 1950s. Income from this activity is invested in education, health, sanitation and improving the livelihood of local residents. It is also used to help raise awareness of the value of biodiversity through music, dance, and drama performances at local schools